Today, Big Boy Restaurants International LLC began a whole new chapter in its long and illustrious history at 407 Pearl Street N.W. in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The company broke ground as a prelude to construction on a new prototype Big Boy restaurant. This new concept will set the design standard for company- and franchise-owned stores across the nation. "Grand Rapids has always been an excellent market for Big Boy Restaurants and we want to continue to be part of the city's dynamic growth," said Tony Michaels, CEO of Big Boy Restaurants International LLC. Currently, an existing company-owned Big Boy restaurant sits on the Pearl Street site and will be razed once the new prototype store is completed sometime in December 2002. Actual construction is expected to start in July 2002. This will allow the company to test new ideas and concepts with a large range of age groups. Designed to remember the past, yet embrace the future, the new Big Boy prototype restaurant will incorporate new materials and efficient design concepts all aimed at improving customer service. From the dynamic yet inviting use of brick and tile outside to the multiple floor coverings and large windows letting in natural light on the inside, the new prototype Big Boy store will be as warm and friendly as the Big Boy icon himself. "Through the years we have never forgotten two things at Big Boy: the quality of the food and the importance of customer service. This new Big Boy prototype restaurant updates our store design and allow us to provide better service to our customers, young and old alike," said Michaels. With over approximately 4,400 square feet of floor space, the new Big Boy prototype restaurant will seat up to 150 customers. As customers enter the brightly lit entranceway, they will be struck with the openness of the new design. There will be a Big Boy ice cream counter to sit at as well as a dedicated retail shop that will carry Big Boy packaged foods including ground coffee, salad dressings, cookies and water. Louis & Partners, Bath, Ohio, conceived the new Big Boy prototype restaurant design. Their charge from Tony Michaels and others at Big Boy was to design a restaurant that capitalized all that was good about the Big Boy experience while improving the look and feel of both outside and inside spaces. "We asked Louis & Partners to start with a blank sheet of paper and improve on everything we did. The interior design is outstanding, giving customers a one-of-a-kind Big Boy dining experience," said Michaels. "And, our professional operations team worked with them to redesign the kitchen area for greater operational efficiency which leads to better customer service. This new design costs less to build and that, together with the design innovations, should be very appealing to prospective franchise developers," Michaels added. The new Big Boy prototype restaurant will be built in the parking lot of the existing Pearl Street Big Boy restaurant. When the new restaurant is completed, the old one will be razed and a new parking lot constructed. No jobs will be lost during construction or after the new restaurant opens. Headquartered in Warren, Mich., Big Boy Restaurants International LLC is the exclusive worldwide franchiser of more than 455 Big Boy Restaurants in the United States, Japan and Egypt.
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