Newk's Eatery Announces New Restaurant Prototype and Renewed Mission with 'Project Strive'

JACKSON, Miss., Oct. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Newk's Eatery today announces the grand re-opening of all seven locations in its home market of Jackson, Miss., with a new restaurant prototype inspired by the brand's 'Project Strive' initiative. At the milestone of 15 years since the first unit opened in Oxford, Miss., the brand took pause to seek feedback from guests on what's important to them.

Guests praised Newk's for offering the right balance of wholesome and satisfying meals that can be shared in a comfortable dining room, ordered online or delivered to meet their busy lifestyles. "The purpose of Project Strive is to build from what our guests love about Newk's and evolve the brand to be more aligned to their lifestyles. It stems from our brand mission to strive to exceed expectations for all Newk's guests," said Michelle Spohnholz, VP of marketing at Newk's Eatery.

Newk's has always featured an open kitchen, where guests can see everything that goes into their meals. Historically, guests have not necessarily been aware of the brand's commitment to fresh preparation and careful ingredient selection. The new prototype features an updated red soffit that reflects the tagline, "Our Kitchen is an Open Book" and several fun facts about the ingredients and preparation methods.

"This project connects our brand story with the guest experience through an upgraded restaurant environment, paired with a generous dose of hospitality," said Mike Clock, president of Newk's Eatery.

The design is contemporary and comfortable with updated light fixtures, new countertops and millwork, tufted booths, hardwood accents, new plate ware and menu boards. Updated artwork will tell the story of Newk's roots as a homegrown brand with a passion for food and family, along with their purpose to Strive To Make A Difference with every guest every day. The color teal, which represents their Newk's Cares initiative and efforts to raise awareness and money for research to support Ovarian Cancer, has also been infused into the design in a prominent way. "The new teal mosaic tile wall is an important feature that weaves our philanthropic work into the restaurant experience," said Director of Design, Rachael Myrick.

The restaurant will also feature an updated beverage station for Newk's signature iced tea and new all-natural lemonade. The exterior will be upgraded with new awnings, string lights and an inviting patio for families to dine.

"My goal is for guests in our restaurants to feel the passion behind the Newk's name, particularly our love for food and family coming together to nourish meaningful relationships that matter most," said Newk's CEO and co-founder Chris Newcomb. "We want to feed what matters in our Newk's communities, so guests can share in wholesome ingredients crafted for real living through scratch-made meals and some of our favorite Newcomb Family Recipes."

The brand aims to continue to renovate and refresh its restaurant locations across all 16 states as they grow in new and existing communities to Feed What Matters.

ABOUT NEWK'S EATERY: 
Newk's Eatery is a fast-casual chain founded on family values and wholesome made from scratch meals. Our Co-Founder Chris "Newk" Newcomb has curated his family's original, wholesome and craveable recipes, as well as new twists on classic favorites, all while providing guests with a generous portion of hospitality. 

Newk's takes no shortcuts at all, except in our name. Our kitchen is an open book where we make every meal to order from scratch. We hand prep over 50 fresh ingredients daily for hand-crafted salads, sandwiches and pizzas, and marinate, flame grill or oven-roast our protein in-house, with no fryers or microwaves, ever. We bake delicious treats and signature Dozen-Layer Cakes in our very own bakery. 

We offer catering for events, easy online ordering, and fresh salads, sandwiches, soups and delicious treats in our Express Market open-air coolers, so our guests can nourish their bodies and the relationships that matter most to them no matter what the occasion. 

Founded in 2004 and based in Jackson, Mississippi, Newk's Eatery currently operates and franchises 120+ restaurants in 16 states and is gaining national attention for its accelerated growth and commitment to make a difference and Feed What Matters in its communities. Newk's Cares, the philanthropic arm of Newk's Eatery, was founded in 2014 and is committed to supporting early detection and symptom awareness of ovarian cancer to give every woman a fighting chance. To date, Newk's Cares has raised over $1.4M to support Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA). 

In 2019, Newk's Eatery has ranked in Nation's Restaurant News Top 200 Countdown, as well as Restaurant Business' Top 500 Chains. Newk's has also been selected as a Top Food Franchise by Entrepreneur and is ranked among the Best Franchise Deals by QSR.

Media Contact:
Morgan Gunnels
972.388.5522
[email protected]

SOURCE Newk's Eatery