Newk’s Eatery announced the grand re-opening of all seven locations in its home market of Jackson, Mississippi, with a new restaurant prototype inspired by the brand’s ‘Project Strive’ initiative on October 7. At the milestone of 15 years since the first unit opened in Oxford, Mississippi, the brand took pause to seek feedback from guests on what’s important to them.
Guests praised Newk’s for offering the right balance of wholesome and satisfying meals that can be shared in a comfortable dining room, ordered online or delivered to meet their busy lifestyles.
“The purpose of Project Strive is to build from what our guests love about Newk’s and evolve the brand to be more aligned to their lifestyles. It stems from our brand mission to strive to exceed expectations for all Newk’s guests,” says Michelle Spohnholz, VP of marketing at Newk’s Eatery.
Newk’s has always featured an open kitchen, where guests can see everything that goes into their meals. Historically, guests have not necessarily been aware of the brand’s commitment to fresh preparation and careful ingredient selection. The new prototype features an updated red soffit that reflects the tagline, “Our Kitchen is an Open Book” and several fun facts about the ingredients and preparation methods.
“This project connects our brand story with the guest experience through an upgraded restaurant environment, paired with a generous dose of hospitality,” says Mike Clock, president of Newk’s Eatery.
The design is contemporary and comfortable with updated light fixtures, new countertops and millwork, tufted booths, hardwood accents, new plate ware and menu boards. Updated artwork will tell the story of Newk’s roots as a homegrown brand with a passion for food and family, along with their purpose to Strive To Make A Difference with every guest every day. The color teal, which represents their Newk’s Cares initiative and efforts to raise awareness and money for research to support Ovarian Cancer, has also been infused into the design in a prominent way. “The new teal mosaic tile wall is an important feature that weaves our philanthropic work into the restaurant experience,” says director of Design, Rachael Myrick.
The restaurant will also feature an updated beverage station for Newk’s signature iced tea and new all-natural lemonade. The exterior will be upgraded with new awnings, string lights and an inviting patio for families to dine.
“My goal is for guests in our restaurants to feel the passion behind the Newk’s name, particularly our love for food and family coming together to nourish meaningful relationships that matter most,” says Newk’s CEO and co-founder Chris Newcomb. “We want to feed what matters in our Newk’s communities, so guests can share in wholesome ingredients crafted for real living through scratch-made meals and some of our favorite Newcomb Family Recipes.”
The brand aims to continue to renovate and refresh its restaurant locations across all 16 states as they grow in new and existing communities to Feed What Matters.
