Krystal Restaurants LLC, the original quick-service restaurant chain in the South, announced today the unveiling of its new restaurant prototype. The new location will be built in the brand’s hometown, within minutes of its Atlanta headquarters. This new design combines a sleek contemporary interior and exterior with interactive lighting that caters to consumers’ on-the-go dining desire. Design elements include “grab and go” pick up and take out, as well as more prominent and more efficient drive-thrus. Functional highlights of the prototype include a more streamlined kitchen and enhanced brand identity through soft and hardscape design elements.
“Throughout the years, we have built our reputation on offering hot, fast, and friendly service paired with our highly craveable menu items. The new prototype offers the stage for our teams to continue this legacy into the future of the brand, while staying current with the needs of customers,” said Tom Stager, the President of Krystal Restaurants, who was brought in less than a year ago to turn around the business. “As we step into the next phase of the company, we are also expanding our presence by finalizing new franchising deals around the country with restaurants looking for smaller footprint concepts that can deliver on all-dayparts – breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night.”
Stager noted the brand has consistently over-delivered at the breakfast daypart and that its growth in late night has topped the industry in the past year. “These earlier and later hours, increasingly important to a successful concept, are integral in our off-premise strategy. Our newest design needs to reflect that trend,” he said.
The Krystal restaurant prototype will feature a smaller footprint and focus on more off-premise services. The design does not include a dining room but instead features a double-lane drive-thru, a walk-up window for ordering, plus a pickup area for online orders and third-party delivery.
The streamlined kitchen layout will also have a minimized footprint by optimizing kitchen flow. The Krystal Restaurant Support team including Tommy Mulkey, Vice President of Real Estate and Construction, and Christie Cruz, Vice President of Training & Operations Services, worked closely with store managers and franchisees to develop a space that would fit their needs. “This new design will drive labor costs down and increase speed of service, which ultimately will provide a better experience to our guests,” said Mulkey.
“The restaurant prototype speaks to our commitment to increasing efficiencies to serve our guests better while enabling franchise partners to maximize their investment,” added Stager. “This shift in design is paving the way for us to grow our brand further and bring our iconic products into more communities. We’re thrilled to be sharing this momentous step into the future.”
Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, Krystal Restaurants LLC is the original quick-service restaurant chain in the South. Krystal hamburgers have been served fresh and hot off the grill on the iconic square bun since 1932. The company proudly sticks to the classics, but they’ve never been afraid to innovate over the years.
Krystal has grown to be in 10 states with nearly 300 restaurants and continues to deliver a one-of-a-kind taste experience through their unique menu items offered at a great price. The company’s Atlanta-based Restaurant Support Center serves a team of more than 3,500 employees. In 2019, the company was named to USA Today’s Top-10 Best Regional Fast Food List.
For more information about Krystal, visit www.Krystal.com or follow on Facebook or Instagram.
