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M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 5 • R E S T A U R A N T D E V E L O P M E N T + D E S I G N • 4 7 for the two new prototypes isn't yet known for sure, the Express platform will require far fewer workers; and Route 66, thanks to technology, will enable labor savings, as well. Walker emphasizes that the brand is not stepping away from the prototype that made it famous — rather, the company wanted to make it easier for guests to access Johnny Rockets and ex- perience what they love about the brand. "These new prototypes are not replace- ments," he says. "They are incremental growth for the brand." The company has a couple of signed leases for the Express platform and more are in negotiation, as are a number for Route 66. Walker expects that the Express units will open this summer, followed by the drive-thrus before the end of the year. Smoothie King Scores with Flexible Models Many chains design new platforms to go in nontraditional locations, but few, if any, will operate in an arena that bears their brand name. The New Orleans Arena became the Smoothie King Center in February of last year. The multipurpose in- door arena serves as the home to the New Orleans Pelicans NBA team and host to a number of concerts and other events. Sell- ing smoothies in the arena has required a total redesign of the company's operating methods as well as its footprint. Smoothie King, headquartered in Metairie, La., was founded more than four decades ago, with the tagline "Smoothies with a purpose," as a health- ful alternative to traditional blended drinks. In 1989, it became the frst franchised smoothie bar and health store in the United States. The original format was a 1,000-square-foot box found in inline spaces such as malls. As the company grew, it added endcap drive- thrus. This often increased the footprint as well, to accommodate seating and a drive-thru station. "Over time, the footprints became dictated by the real estate they ft into," says Bret Cunningham, vice president of design and construction. "We had to be creative. That's when we started to think about new models. Now we can ft into an amazing variety of footprints." The kiosks in the Smoothie King Cen- ter are a case in point. This venture was a challenge for a concept that offers more than 100 fresh-to-order items on its tra- ditional menu. Rather than a steady fow of guests all day long, events likely have a 15-minute break during which the kiosk will need to serve up to 1,000 customers. The team met this challenge by limiting the menu to six of the concept's best-selling smoothies and reducing ingredients to just those that can be stored effciently in the small footprint. And the foor plan now includes a freezer and drop-in coolers. An hour before an anticipated rush period, staff begins blending smoothies and storing them in the freezer. Close to the busy time, staff transfer the smoothies to the coolers, which sit toward the front of the kiosk near the cashier. This transfer continues until the break ends. The texture and quality of the smoothies hold up since they have been made within the hour. The model works, and Smoothie King now also has kiosks in the Superdome in New Orleans. Cunningham says the company continues to build traditional prototype stores, especially drive-thrus. In some places, where the real estate allows for it, the chain has double drive-thrus, with one long central facility serving customers from windows on two sides. "We fnd there are a lot of consumers who want to stay in their cars, especially on rainy days," he says, noting that while the drive-thru model can generate higher volumes, it requires ad- ditional labor and usually a larger footprint. The company has found that its mall locations attract a different demographic, primarily younger people. In the old days, Cunningham says, they would have hung out and done homework at the library. Now, they bring it to the mall. Smoothie King now has Wi-Fi in its inline locations to satisfy this generational demand. Smoothie King has units in Korea, Singapore and the Caymans as well. The more than 100 stores in Korea employ a variety of the footprints the chain's U.S. locations use. Its new platform designs apply to all of the different formats. "We didn't want to have 100 variables," Cunningham says. "We wanted to build those core elements that can ft easily into most of our layouts." This works well with new construc- tion but can be a challenge with renova- tions, which can present unforeseen obstacles such as immovable utilities. Regardless, or perhaps because of the challenges, however, the multiplatform strategy is providing new growth for Smoothie King. The initiative has spurred management to capitalize on the brand's core promise and has sparked successful penetration into new markets. +