Newk’s Eatery, a fast-casual restaurant brand, is expanding its Louisiana presence by four restaurants in the first quarter of 2015. Newk’s has three Louisiana restaurants, including locations in Monroe, Bossier City, and Shreveport, and expects to open two company-owned Baton Rouge restaurants, along with two franchise locations in West Monroe and Ruston early next year. The expansion in the capital city and other Louisiana markets is part of Newk’s plan to grow the franchise brand to 200 restaurants by the end of 2018.
The first Baton Rouge restaurant will open in the Northgate community at 3332 Lake Street in the former Mr. Gatti's building. The 4,500 square-foot restaurant will include indoor dining for up to 150 guests and a patio with space for nearly 70 more. The second Baton Rouge location, which is still in the design phase, will be located at 7201 Corporate Boulevard in Towne Center at Cedar Lodge. The restaurants will mark the 11th and 12th company-owned stores in the 70-restaurant chain, and will provide job opportunities for 60 applicants within the area.
“Louisiana plays a key role in the company’s contiguous growth plan, which includes an expansion from our Southeast base into the lower Midwest,” says Newk’s co-founder and CEO Chris Newcomb. “By March, guests will be gathering around our tables in Baton Rouge and four other Louisiana cities. We look forward to quickly earning a place among locals’ favorite restaurants with our Cajun-inspired menu items, including the Shrimp Po’boy, Spicy Shrimp Pizza, and Shrimp Remoulade Salad.”
At Newk’s, there is something for everyone to enjoy on the restaurant’s diverse menu of fresh tossed salads, California-style pizzas, hot toasted sandwiches, and made-from-scratch soups and desserts. Newk’s menu items are meticulously handcrafted with rigorously selected fresh ingredients in an open kitchen and served tableside in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
The Jackson, Missouri-based Newk’s Eatery currently has 70 locations across 13 states and plans to open 14 additional locations by March 2015
