We are always looking at restaurants concepts that require a low capital investment, delivers a strong ROI and easy to execute against. Moreover it needs to be scalable, have a clear point of differentiation and provide a craveable product with a memorable guest experience.
Last week I drove 90 miles in LA traffic ( 3 hours) to Agoura Hills to visit Urbane Café. This 1,300 square foot cafe packs a lot into this small footprint. Urbane Cafe is a fast-casual soup and salad place that promotes the “Fresh Way To Eat” (and whose tagline is “Gourmet Sandwiches, Salads & More”). They are a fast growing chain with 5 locations throughout California.
I was very impressed by their offerings, particularly the bread! In fact, their bread is baked fresh all day long and in front of the guest to view! Their homemade foods, especially the signature focaccia bread, commands the attention of every guest that walks through the door as that is the very first thing you see. This focus definitely creates a uniqueness that is hard to find in many chain fast-casual restaurants.
During my trip here, I enjoyed several great sandwiches. And get this – all items are priced under $7.00. With such a price value, it is clear that this new restaurant will be a head on competitor to the establishments such as Panera or even Chipotle.