Fresh To Order (f2o) announced its growth in Tennessee with territory launches in Knoxville and Nashville, as well as continued expansion in Chattanooga, where the chain operates one company-owned unit.
Fresh To Order recently signed a development agreement for Knoxville with MRG Southeast LLC. Craig and Caterina Mason, co-owners of MRG, are experienced multiunit foodservice operators with real estate holdings in Knoxville. Frequent guests of f2o's Chattanooga location, they loved the food and saw the concept's growth potential.
Fresh To Order also signed a lease at Elliston 23 (2300 Elliston Road), a new mixed-use development in the vibrant West End area of Nashville. This 2,900-square-foot restaurant with a 500-square-foot patio is scheduled to open in December of this year.
Tennesseans have embraced Fresh To Order's concept: fine-dining flavors and service at fast-casual prices. As a result, CEO Pierre Panos and his team are actively seeking at least eight additional locations in Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.
Overall, Fresh To Order plans to double in size by 2014 with continued growth in the Southeast and expansion into the mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states. Demand is growing for restaurants such as f2o that offer a wide variety of freshly prepared dishes made with high quality ingredients and available at affordable prices. According to research experts The NPD Group, freshness and menu choice are increasingly the top drivers of restaurant selection, replacing price and deals.
