Washington, D.C. — Vapiano, named the "Future of Fresh Casual" by Foodservice Europe, secured its first U.S. franchisee this week.
Vapiano franchisee Konrad Woest, a KFC veteran, and his daughter will develop multiple Vapiano restaurants in Southwest Florida, with the first opening expected to occur by spring of 2008.
Vapiano has grown from a single unit to more than 25 locations in three years; restaurants can be found throughout Germany and in European markets such as Zurich, Switzerland; Vienna, Austria; Istanbul, Turkey; and Budapest, Hungary.
Vapiano has two corporate-owned restaurants in the greater Washington, D.C., area and plans to open three additional corporate-owned restaurants in the same area over the next few years.
An average check is $10 for lunch and $13.50 for dinner. Vapiano's menu features Italian antipasti such as fresh chopped Bruschetta and Beef Carpaccio served with cipriani sauce and arugula. Entrees of pasta or pizza are arranged in price groups, ranging from $6.75 to $9.75. Desserts include Tiramisu or Crema di Fragola – fresh strawberries with mascarpone.
