Page 124 - Entrepreneur - USA (January - February 2020)

THE FRANCHISE

something went off in people’s brains
where they said, ‘Hey, this isn’t a restau-
rant; this is a delivery concept. It’s a
catering company.’ ” Mora’s sales actu-
ally increased, while his monthly costs
dropped about 20 percent. “My custom-
ers just stopped coming in and instead
began ordering for their offices.”
Fazoli’s, a 220-unit fast- casual Italian
food chain based out of Lexington,
Ky., counts itself among the restau-
rants shrinking its footprint. “When I
started 11 years ago, we were 60 percent
dine-in and 40 percent drive-through,”
says Fazoli’s president and CEO, Carl
Howard. “Now it’s 57 percent off- premise
and 43 percent dine-in.” The numbers
have essentially flipped, and the trend
suggests they’re going to continue mov-
ing in that direction.
The restaurant’s new test model, which
has yet to officially roll out, shrinks the
store from today’s high end of 4,400
square feet to 2,500 or less. But fewer
tables doesn’t necessarily mean fewer
diners: Fazoli’s is also planning to add a
second drive-through lane, so more cus-
tomers can grab and go.
Ghost kitchens take the shrinking trend
to its extreme, and as such, some pundits
worry that they’re bad for the restaurant
industry. Their proliferation in metro-
politan areas could steal customers who
would otherwise dine in. They could even
run nondelivery spots out of business.
But an industry in upheaval also pre-
sents opportunity for entrepreneurs who
are nimble enough to adapt, and Sebes,
the hospitality consultant, sees a future
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN AMERICA AGED
where dine-in restaurants could jus-
tify the costs of signage, high ceilings,
65 AND OLDER WILL HIT 70 MILLION BY 2020
Now is the best time to start a business in this and painted wall graphics by serving as
$300 billion dollar industry. advertising vehicles for the delivery oper-
ation. “The food may be replicable, but
the experience, atmosphere, and ambi-
ance are not,” he says.
From personal care to private-duty nursing, ComForCare’s People who walk into a full-size Dog
mission is to help provide a safe environment for seniors Haus, for instance, are able to experience
who are aging in place, allowing them the grace, dignity, it the way Koontz did his first time. His
and pride they deserve. ComForCare is known throughout restaurant plays music videos on the wall-
the industry for developing specialized senior care mounted TVs and has a deep selection of
programs including Alzheimer’s care. local craft beer on tap. It’s only natural
that customers fall in love the same way
he did—and they’ll remember that the
Visit us at ComForCare.com/Franchising next time they pull up Grubhub.