Modern Market Eatery Diversifies Real Estate Portfolio with Non-Traditional Development Opportunities

Modern Market Eatery is making significant strides in diversifying its real estate portfolio, moving beyond traditional locations to include non-traditional development opportunities. With locations open in Denver International Airport, Notre Dame University and Ball Arena along with upcoming openings in  Atlanta’s international airport and several college campuses, the brand is showcasing its ability to thrive in smaller, non-traditional footprints, opening new doors for development among its franchisee community.

“When people experience our concept for the first time, they see all of our offerings and wonder: How do they do it all? It must be expensive and complicated,” said Nate Weir, vice president of culinary at Modern Restaurant Concepts. “But behind the scenes, we’ve engineered our recipes and our operations in a way that ensures franchisees can execute on the business easily and cost-effectively. That is really the secret sauce of Modern Market.”

The compact kitchen setup is the engine of a restaurant which can operate in as little as 2,000 square feet. Modern Market’s use of combi ovens and food processors eliminates the need for traditional ovens, exhaust hoods, microwaves and grills, reducing equipment costs and maintenance — an essential factor when operating in non-traditional spaces.

And Modern Market's operational model is designed to be adaptable to a variety of locations, minimizing labor costs without sacrificing quality. The kitchen setup allows for most tasks to be handled by hourly employees with basic training, which is particularly advantageous in non-traditional venues like airports and arenas where space and resources are limited.

“In almost all of our restaurants, we only need one prep cook, maybe two,” Weir said. “Staff is coming in daily for a six-to-eight-hour shift, where they can execute all the prep for the entire restaurant.”

The latest prototype also features a double-sided make line, where all menu items except pizzas are prepared. This design facilitates cross-training among employees, ensuring flexibility and consistency, even in smaller spaces.

“In essence, your team members are trained on the entire menu,” said Weir. “If you work at that station, you know how to make everything. You don’t have to train one salad cook and one sandwich cook, for example.”

Another one of the core elements that make Modern Market Eatery easy to operate in various locations is its innovative approach to menu design. By focusing on made-from-scratch ingredients, the franchise maintains high-quality standards while keeping food costs manageable.

“Believe it or not, our higher-quality ingredients actually save us money,” said Weir. “Our scratch-made philosophy is not only central to our brand identity but also crucial for maintaining cost efficiency.”

This approach involves using core ingredients across multiple menu items. For example, ingredients used in sandwiches are also utilized in grain bowls and salads, maximizing efficiency and minimizing waste.

“Our cheese pizza, for instance, has food costs under 20%, which helps offset higher-cost items like salads. Every aspect of our menu is designed to be both customer-pleasing and cost-efficient,” said Weir.

Overall, Modern Market Eatery is designed for today's fast-casual dining landscape, offering a chef-inspired menu without the high operational complexity typical of similar concepts.

“We are a fast-casual franchise built specifically for today,” Weir said. “We have a chef-inspired menu with something for everyone, but we don’t have to make cost sacrifices for our franchisees. We are offering that scratch-made food that consumers want, and we’ve figured out how to do it in a real, repeatable and consistent fast-casual setting. That is what sets us up for success in the future.”

With an eye on expansion and a commitment to its core values, Modern Market Eatery is poised for continued growth. For entrepreneurs passionate about food, sustainability and community, joining the Modern Market franchise represents a unique opportunity to be part of a brand that is redefining the fast-casual dining experience in both traditional and non-traditional locations.

The estimated initial investment ranges between $928,500 and $1.5 million for a single Modern Market Eatery restaurant. The 18 company-owned Modern Market restaurants open for the fiscal year of 2023 saw an impressive AUV of $2.3 million.*

*More details are available in Modern Market Eatery’s Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).

For more information on franchising with Modern Market Eatery, visit: https://1851franchise.com/modern-market-eatery.