An entrepreneurial duo from Western New York has made it their mission to take fries and turn it into your next meal. Launched last year, #getfried Fry Café is an edgy, quick-serve customizable restaurant that is setting its sights on fast franchise expansion in high-traffic venues throughout the country.
Founded by friends and business partners Chris Covelli and Garrett Green, #getfried was launched in February 2015 with the opening of a concept store in Buffalo’s Walden Galleria Mall. After early success, Covelli and Green opened a second corporate store in December 2015 in the Fashion Outlet Mall in Niagara Falls.
“We put a new spin on one of the oldest and largest food novelties in the world,” Covelli says. “People want to customize what they are eating and we’re giving them the ability to get creative when it comes to french fries.”
At #getfried, guests customize their own unique fry dishes in just a few minutes. The menu offers five styles of fries and more than 20 sauces, seasonings, and toppings, encouraging customers to indulge. Fries can be topped with pulled pork, shredded chicken, ground beef, or chili, and can then add toppings like chipotle seasoning, gravy, Nutella, hummus, or truffle oil. There is also a menu of favorites, such as the ‘716,’ which starts with homemade thin-cut fries, topped with shredded chicken and Frank’s hot sauce, then drizzled blue cheese.
“People are going absolutely crazy over our brand and the product,” says Green, who also has launched several other consumer brands nationally. “Because of our name and the interactive aspect of #getfried, our social media presence has been explosive already, and we’re reaching more consumers every day.”
Green’s venture company, Green & Co. Holdings, a private firm which focuses on investments and consulting for consumer brands, partnered with Covelli to design, develop, and launch the #getfried brand.
“The gourmet French fry category is unique in the quick-service space because it’s not oversaturated yet. There’s a lot of excitement behind our brand right now and we’re looking forward to finding partners that share our passion and vision for #getfried,” Covelli adds.
The total initial investment to open a #getfried franchise is about $100,000 and locations are typically less than 500 square feet and have a quick turnaround time for grand openings. The brand is currently focused on growing throughout the country, specifically targeting college towns and campuses throughout the Northeast region, as well as major cities such as Las Vegas, Atlanta, Miami, and New York City.
