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Top 100: Restaurants - Fazoli's

Fazoli's grabs the number 3 spot on our list of 2014's Top 100: Restaurants.

March 12, 2015

Fazoli's grabs the number 3 spot on our list of 2014's Top 100: Restaurants.

For the last few years, Fazoli’s has been on a roll. At the end of 2013, franchisees had reported same-store sales increases in 41 of the last 43 months, and although the chain now has about 220 units in 27 states, CEO Carl Howard wants those numbers to grow. In fact, 2014 will see a total of 14 new units, which include three locations of the brand’s new fast casual concept called Venti Tre.

The success of the brand, which got its start as a QSR more than 25 years ago, has stemmed from its revamped menu and look, which repositioned it as a fast casual brand. Expanding beyond its usual spaghetti, lasagna and fettuccine alfredo offerings, the menu now includes oven-baked pasta entrées, fresh chopped salads and sandwiches and limited-time offerings, including Chicken with Marsala and cheese-stuffed Mezzaluna Ravioli. Along with the better food offerings, Howard pointed out that having employees deliver meals to tables and using real plates and silverware instead of disposable options gave the brand the fresh, upscale feeling that consumers now demand. Although Fazoli’s has rebranded itself as a fast casual brand, it’s not ready to forget its origins. In fact, the chain is embracing them by expanding into nontraditional locations.

While Howard still is opening traditional units, plans are underway for six franchises to open inside retail centers anchored by fueling stations this year, and the chain also is opening an 800-square-foot unit inside a Colorado convenience store. Another unit soon will open in the student union of Texas Tech University, proving that the brand can thrive as both a fast casual and a QSR.