WARNING. THE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE SIZZLING WITH DETAILS OF THIS YEAR’S HOT CONCEPTS! AWARD WINNERS—IGNORE THEM AND YOU COULD GET BURNED.
These six Hot Concepts! honorees and one Hot! Again recipient, selected by the editors of Nation’s Restaurant News, reflect a broad range of entrepreneurial inspirations intended to steal away your customers.
The 2007 honorees vary greatly in terms of market segments, price points and designs, but each shares an innovative spirit, notable cuisine and element of entertainment that is fueling growth.
From the upscale fare at quick-service prices offered at Go Roma Italian Kitchen to the modernized comfort foods and signatures beers at Granite City Food & Brewery to the numerous chicken wing options at WingStreet, these emerging players are wooing customers looking to expand their culinary horizons.
Interactivity also plays into each winner’s equation. At Which Wich, customers write their orders on brown paper bags, while at Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ they cook their own meals over charcoal- or gas-fired braziers. And at The Grape, patrons can accompany gourmet small plates with splashes, glasses or flights from among the 120 wines offered.
In the following pages, you’ll also see how Big Boy Restaurants, this year’s Hot! Again winner, and its cherubic tyke in checkered overalls have skipped back onto the scene with a new prototype and an ambitious growth plan.
This year’s award winners will be honored for their creativity during the NRN Hot Concepts! Celebration to be held Sept. 29 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel & Spa in Los Angeles.