Palapas Restaurants vs Fresh To Order Franchise Comparison

Palapas Restaurant y Cantina is perched atop the Seascape Village and has been an institution in Aptos since opening its doors in 1990. Owners Mark and Kay Holcomb designed the space and menu with the goal of bringing home their beloved experiences vacationing on the coast of Mexico with their family throughout the 80s and 90s. ​Today we aim to capture that nostalgic vacation feeling while highlighting the natural beauty and bounty native to our own locale. This value is present in our locally sourced, fresh seafood, our commitment to local small purveyors, and even our design, which is built to offer an ocean view of the sparkling Monterey Bay from every single table.

Palapas brings the ambiance of tropical Mexico to the Monterey Bay area in a very unique way. In addition to featuring authentic traditional dishes of Mexico, our menu offers the fish, shellfish and sauces of the coasts of both Mexico and California. All of our dishes are prepared "A La Cocina Fresca”- "in the fresh kitchen method” a Spanish phrase that means exactly what it implies… freshly made sauces, handmade corn tortillas and fresh local seafood and produce prepared daily. In addition to creating a menu with many exiting choices, we’re committed to offering our customers healthy dishes with absolutely no use of any lard or animal fat in their preparation. We use rice-bran oil specifically for frying. Contains no trans fat!

When Pierre Panos envisioned the Fresh To Order concept, he didn’t intend to pioneer a new style of dining that would change the industry, he simply wanted to bring a finer dining experience to the masses at fast casual price points in an elevated dining environment with flavorful, always from scratch cooking. Pierre tapped Jesse Gideon, his corporate chef from his Stoney River concept to lead the charge in creating this food-first culture that is our DNA today…… No commissary driven food here!

The future growth of Fresh To Order Franchising Company, LLC will be based upon company opened stores as well as the continued sale of single and multi unit franchises. We prefer to develop by selling market areas which require the franchise developer to open a number of units, typically 2-5 stores in a period of 3 years. Be part of a new niche that we call "fast fine" with incredible food served in less than 10 minutes for around $10 while surrounded by beautiful facilities. Beat the competition with a finer dining taste profile at a fast casual price point. Be proud to serve proteins cooked fresh to order as they are ordered unlike all our competitors premade or commissary driven food. Be passionate about the quality of a brand that actually has their brand promise entrenched in their name. Lead the consumer trend towards the combination of healthy but flavorful food; a trend that experts agree is the future of dining.Fresh To Order is perfectly positioned to take advantage of this trend, our name specifically speaks to that. Be part of a fast casual brand that has a dinner day part. The fast casual segment currently doesn't offer a broad selection of dinner entrees, beer and wine that attracts a more profitable dinner service; our menu drives dinner service close to 40% of our sales. Work with an experienced, respected management team able to lead change and always keep your investment fresh and relevant. f2o franchisees must be well-capitalized to open great stores and meet their development schedule. Additionally, they must have a proven track record as excellent restaurant operators to operate great Fresh To Order stores. All information submitted to Fresh To Order Franchising Company, LLC is used only to assist in the pre-screening of potential franchises, and will be kept confidential. If you are interested in developing a specific market and meet all of the preliminary requirements, please complete the form to the right.