Chain Leader

Lane Cardwell

Germany Invades United States!
March 10, 2008

The U.S. has always been an exporter of restaurant concepts to the world. We have had the occasional foreign concept hit our shores, but mostly we have been the ones teaching the world what restaurant concepts ought to look like...for good or bad. It now looks like we have something to learn from the Germans, and an Italian concept no less. The concept, Vapiano, is a case of "take that" by Germany's first McDonald's franchisee. Vapiano's has been around for about five years in Europe and opened in the D.C. area a couple of years ago. There are now three in the D.C. market with more markets in the U.S. coming online throughout 2008. The concept is best described in their website: 

Somewhere between the nicest of fast casual and hippest of casual dining restaurants is Vapiano. Defining the future of fresh casual--a new and refreshing niche in the restaurant industry--Vapiano is an innovative European concept serving made-to-order fire roasted pizzas, fresh, house-made pasta and hand tossed gourmet salads. An established concept with more than 30 worldwide locations and another 100 in development in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, Vapiano puts a new spin on the dining experience with its urban upscale Italian decor and its modern customer service.

 

Vapiano is a fast casual restaurant with a twist - customers use a "chip card" to personally order their food or drinks from the bar or from the individual fresh pizza, pasta or salad stations. With this new innovative technology, Vapiano is going to change the way restaurants do business!

I first learned about Vapiano from my son last fall when he was studying in Vienna. With all of Vienna's restaurants to choose from, he and his fellow U.S. classmates went to Vapiano's night after night. He came home with the pronouncement that there was nothing like it in the U.S. and he has followed their development closely through their website. This week he announced that they would be opening in Dallas in August.

The units range in size from 5,000-8,000 square feet and have a $13.50 check average. The company attributes its success to its innovative self service technology and its upscale decor. Using the chip card to order at each station, you pay when you leave the restaurant. Fast Casual magazine named them to their 2007 listing of the Top 100 Movers and Shakers.

I spoke with their Texas franchisee, Tim McCallum, this week and he has high hopes and big plans for the concept. His first location is at Mockingbird Station in Dallas. As luck would have it, the owner of the development is German, is intimately familiar with the concept, and gave Tim the premiere location in the new phase of the center.

Just when you thought that you only faced competition from your neighbors, you have to look over your shoulders toward Europe.

Posted by Lane Cardwell on March 10, 2008 | Comments (1)