Article
The perfect pitch: 3 restaurant concepts
Entrepreneurs from Burgers n’ Fries Forever, Sweet Lorraine’s Fabulous Mac n’ Cheez and Pincho Factory pitched concepts to a panel of distinguished investors and consultants who provided professional advice.
November 5, 2015 by Travis Wagoner — Editor, Networld Media Group
Following a global contest, three fast casual restaurant concepts were selected to be part of "The Perfect Pitch," a 'Shark Tank'-type event held in late October at the Fast Casual Executive Summit in Miami. Entrepreneurs from Burgers n' Fries Forever, Sweet Lorraine's Fabulous Mac n' Cheez and Pincho Factory pitched concepts to a panel of distinguished investors and consultants who provided timely, professional advice for these innovative restaurateurs.
The panel comprised Ben Butler, founder of Rock Creek MT; David Oddi, founding partner of Goode Partners, and Larry Reinstein, president of LJR Hospitality Ventures. Kent Barkouras, executive vice president of enterprise services for Primary Color, moderated the session.
To be considered for "The Perfect Pitch," the contestants had to have at least one store open but no more than 10, be no less than six months old and nor more than five years old, and be willing to share revenue and average sales data.
The first fast casual entrepreneur to make his pitch was Jamil Bhuya, chief burgerologist of Burgers n' Fries Forever, which has one location in Ottawa, Canada.
"We're a small burgers-and-fries joint with big dreams," Bhuya said. "Our goal is simple: to have amazing people deliver an amazing burgers-and-fries experience in an open and honest way."
Bhuya wants to make people feel special in his restaurant by being inclusive rather than exclusive. In doing so, Burgers n' Fries Forever is involved in its community by being "handcrafted, local and fresh."
The restaurant's employees hand-prepare everything on the menu — whether it’s grass-fed beef, hand-cutting PEI russet potatoes, making housemade sauces or preparing fresh produce.
Being local and fresh are important to Bhuya.
"We believe the closer things are to home, the better they taste," he said. "We use local meat and local produce. We even love to hire local people because they are passionate about the community they live in and the food they serve to those around them. We like knowing the food is real and as fresh as the people who eat it. We also use an awesome, humanized website."
Bhuya described Burgers n' Fries Forever as having a modern interior with great music and fun, communal seating — all in the effort for inclusivity.
Additionally, Bhuya tied in his concept with the phrase "best friends forever," or "BFF."
"We firmly believe burgers are just as good as their BFF, fries, so we put a ton of effort into both," he said. "We strive to deliver a high-quality product that's infused with high-quality ingredients. Our burgers and fries aren’t easy to make nor are they cheap, but we know that quality, freshness, and love aren't easy to find in burgers and fries, just like in BFFs."
Bhuya's current focus is on "money and millennials."
"Our average check is $16.50 to $17.00," (Canadian dollars) he said.
With one location, he is looking to expand. Millennials and their shifting tastes are a key component of his marketing efforts.
"We believe burgers and fries have no limits." Bhuya said. "Our burgerologists contribute by creating our 'Burgers of the Week' and adding new, exciting choices to our signature menu. Every month, we try to come up with unique burgers. Whether they are comfort, ethnic, or a favorite recreated on a burger, we want to create burgers that excite our customers."
Next to take the stage was the team of Chef and Co-founder Lorraine Platman (Sweet Lorraine) and Co-founder Gary Sussman, operators of Detroit-based Sweet Lorraine's Fabulous Mac n' Cheez. The concept has four locations open in Michigan. Three restaurants are under construction.
Sweet Lorraine's specializes in soups, salads, wraps, grilled cheese sandwiches, chili and 16 varieties of macaroni-and cheese-dishes.
"I experimented hundreds of times with different ingredients, procedures and recipes to get just the right 'ooey gooey' texture for our cheese sauce and the exact cheddar cheese flavor," Platman said. "We offer meat-topped and vegetarian macaroni and cheese dishes, all made to order in less than two minutes."
Platman and Sussman are also considering a concept called Mac n' Brews.
"In addition to our food, we would have local craft beers, locally roasted coffee and craft tea," Sussman said.
Sweet Lorraine’s is signing franchise agreements that will take it into Ohio and Illinois. They hope to push beyond the Midwest over the next several years, with plans to establish 100 restaurants nationwide over the next five years.
"We are fast, fresh, fabulous and fun," Platman said. "We believe that’s a great concept for expansion."
Sweet Lorraine's also stressed its affordability.
"Our average check size is $8.50 to $11.50," Sussman said. "That price makes it affordable for where we are — in college towns, downtowns and food courts."
The final concept to make its pitch was Pincho Factory Burgers + Kebabs, which has two locations in the Miami area, and was co-founded by cousins Otto Othman and Nedal Ahmad, and Nedal’s brother, Nizar.
"Pincho" is the Spanish word for skewers or kebabs, an ancient method of cooking.
"Our ancestors discovered the easiest way to grill up some food was to string pieces of meat on a thin stick," Otto said. "Many years later, the pincho became a popular technique on street corners all over the world."
The cousins’ strategy is to have eight amazing things on its menu: salads, kebabs, burgers, rice bowls, pita wraps, hot dogs, fries and tots, and drinks.
"We're in the business of culture," Nedal said. "Money is just a consequence."
The concept began at a Fourth of July family barbecue a few years ago.
"Nedal was grilling up one of his burgers and family Pinchos when I looked at him and said, 'Man, I wish we could eat like this every day. I'm so tired of eating burgers that we have no idea what they are made of,' " Otto said.
Nedal instantly agreed and suggested they open a restaurant where quality was a priority and transparency was a core value. Using Otto's family pincho recipe together with Nedal's popular burger recipe, they decided to go for it.
"After this, months of self-described insanity ensued,” Otto said.
Otto, Nedal and Nizar met every night for four months after work, perfecting the recipes for eight menu items by testing several meat blends, trying hot dogs and sausages, deciding between 15 different buns, until every detail on these first eight items were perfect.
With only $6.27 left in in Nedal’s bank accont, the first Pincho Factory opened in November 2010. The restaurant has a locally brewed beer, 627 Ale, named after that $6.27.
The partners want 50 stores by 2018. They currently have 40,000 Twitter followers. Their strongest demographic are diners between the ages of 18 and 35. The restaurant's average check is $19.
Pincho Factory has received hundreds of franchise requests, approved six franchise partners, has 10 new stores under development and recently opened a location inside American Airlines Arena, home of the Miami Heat professional basketball team.
While being wildly successful in its first five years or operation, the partners are selective about franchising.
"If we can't sit down and have a burger and a beer together, we shouldn't be in business together," Nedal said.
About Travis Wagoner
Travis Wagoner spent nearly 18 years in education as an alumni relations and communications director, coordinating numerous annual events and writing, editing and producing a quarterly, 72-plus-page magazine. Travis also was a ghostwriter for an insurance firm, writing about the Affordable Care Act. He holds a BA degree in communications/public relations from Xavier University.
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