Premium Italian quick-service restaurant Fazoli’s, ranked No. 2 overall among large national fast-food chains in the Zagat Survey, has unveiled a new food court prototype. The 700-square-foot design was developed to accommodate a variety of nontraditional locations, such as airport, college, mall, and military base food courts. The turnkey format can accommodate both on-site and off-site prep kitchens.
The new design places all meal preparation in front of the customer, rather than behind the scenes in a kitchen. Everything from pastas to salads can be prepared within three and a half minutes, says Craig Sherwood, vice president of franchise development.
“This is a unique concept because our fresh pastas, sandwiches, and salads are made to order in a presentation setting,” Sherwood says. “People want to see the freshness of the food and want to customize their orders.”
Sherwood added the chain is seeing a surge in interest from nontraditional operators. “With this new design, Fazoli’s now has a prototype to meet their needs, allowing them to offer their guests a fresh alternative to other concepts.”
Load King, a full-service national store package company, produced the all-inclusive design and build-out packages. Load King’s customers include Starbucks, AMC Theatres, and Red Mango, among others. “It’s a turnkey package, from architectural design and manufacturing to equipment consolidation and build-out. Our franchisees will benefit from Load King’s expertise,” Sherwood says.
As in Fazoli’s traditional and travel center locations, customers will be able to create their own pasta combinations by choosing the pasta, sauce, and toppings they want or can order a standard dish. A wide selection of hot sandwiches, new flatbread melts, personal-sized pizzas, and fresh-chopped salads also will be served.
