Franchise News
Newk’s Launches New Design Ahead of Expansion
The restaurant brand prepares for growth behind its ‘Generation Two’ concept.
Photo courtesy of Newk's Eatery
Backed by a fresh new design, Newk’s Eatery is preparing to enter “Generation Two.”
The fast-casual concept unveiled a new store design on Oct. 26 in Lafayette, Louisiana. The new layout is part of an expansion plan as the brand intends to double in size by 2018.
Chris Newcomb, CEO and cofounder of Newk’s Eatery, told QSR Magazine he hopes the new design will add to the experience of current customers and appeal to new consumers.
“Our previous design is 11 years old, and we want to upscale for the next generation of fast casual and continue with Generation Two as we expand into major markets,” he told QSR Magazine.
The new design includes modern elements and treatments, a new color scheme and floor design, and an open kitchen as the focal point of the establishment located in the middle of the restaurant.
In addition to the redesign, the brand intends to introduce smart technology to increase customer satisfaction. To make the ordering process easier, Newk’s will incorporate a digital menu board that will direct customers to specials and limited-time offers.
Founded in 2004, Newk’s specializes in enticing clientele with fresh ingredients used in their reimagined traditional menu items such as their hand-tossed salads, oven-baked sandwiches and in-house made soups.
In an interview with 1851 Franchise earlier this month, Newk’s Chief Development Officer Chris Cheek said the quality and service is what customers have grown to appreciate.
“We are more hospitality driven, more food driven, in an open kitchen concept, but still in a fast casual setting,” he told 1851 Franchise. “We have unique flavor profile, where everything is made from scratch. Nothing is ever pre-cooked. You won’t ever find a microwave, heat lamp or fryer in our restaurants. But, you’ll always find staff focused on service. They bring the food to your table. They clean up your table. That business model has really resonated with our customers.
“We are targeting major metropolitan areas in and surrounding places like Dallas/Fort Worth, Raleigh-Durham, Charleston, Orlando, Tampa, New Orleans, Houston, and Nashville,” Cheek said.
With 85 current locations, the brand intends to add 100 restaurants by the end of 2016 and 240 by 2018. Presently, Newk’s is focused on developing in the Southeast.
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About the Author
Nick Powills
FollowNick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.
