Mimi's Cafe Opens 100th Restaurant Location In Atlanta

The restaurant marks the comfort food specialist's 100th location in the United States. It promises to be as successful as Mimi's 99 other restaurants in 16 states, and as such is likely to serve more than 300,000 Atlanta area residents in 2006. Across all 100 locations, more than 30 million people each year are choosing Mimi's Cafe and enjoying the comforts of its signature culinary creations that hark back to home -- an indication that Mimi's is nailing consumer preference with its "something-for-everyone" comfort food niche.

For the community of Atlanta, Mimi's presence will mean an every day affordable luxury and a bustling new gathering spot where home-style breakfast, lunch and dinner is served in a whimsical restaurant design reminiscent of a country cottage home. It also will mean the arrival of a dependable friend to the community. Mimi's Cafes are known for working to enrich the communities they serve by supporting local causes such as meal deliveries to the homeless, gift-card donations, sponsorship of children's sports teams, promoting writing programs for youth and various other fundraising support. Mimi's Cafe will create jobs for the community and seek to hire a local restaurant staff of 150 employees.

While Atlanta looks forward to great food and the benefits of Mimi's community- and family-minded philosophies, the 100th restaurant opening also is a significant business milestone in the company's steady ascent to the top of the casual dining segment.

"Mimi's expansion plans have never been about doing it fast, they're about doing it right," said Russ Bendel, CEO of Mimi's Cafe, which has never closed a single store in its 28-year history. "When we come to a new town, we want people to know that we're here to stay and working continually to build those first-name-basis relationships with our guests."

Despite Mimi's slow and steady mindset around new restaurant openings, it hasn't stopped the company from achieving 15 percent increases in the number of locations 12 years in a row. Including the Atlanta location, Mimi's will open 15 new restaurants in 2006 and anticipates surpassing $350 million in sales.

According to Bendel, Mimi's old-fashioned way of doing business is a formula that works. The concept was created in Anaheim, Calif. in 1978 as a father-and-son venture. It is now a wholly owned subsidiary of a publicly traded company and generates $3.4 million in average volume sales per restaurant.

"Simply driving by and looking at our restaurant's colorful home-like design, complete with quaint roofing and awnings, will tell you something wonderful is going on at Mimi's Cafe," adds Bendel. "At a glance, our menu will reveal something for everyone. One bite will make you feel good that we're here serving quality, delicious fare for any occasion."

Acclaimed by restaurant critics and consumers alike, Mimi's Cafe is known and loved for its menu of high-quality, eclectic cuisine, unparalleled service and tastefully appointed decor. Each Mimi's Cafe draws an average of a 1,000 guests daily and typically operates at capacity for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Signature items include large, fresh muffins made daily, homemade soups, chicken pot pie, quiches, fresh salads, pastas, slow-cooked pot roast, citrus salmon, fresh roasted turkey, top sirloin and apple cider-glazed pork chops, as well as an assortment of tantalizing breakfast items such as the 5 Alarm Santa Fe Omelette, Pain Perdu Breakfast and Blue Crab Benedict.

Mimi's interiors feature lively, colorful New Orleans-inspired design touches and are designed to be both comfortable and welcoming. The restaurants average nearly 6,800 square feet and seat more than 225 guests in three dining areas. Currently, Mimi's Cafe operates in California, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Mimi's Cafe was acquired in 2004 by Bob Evans Farms Inc., which is publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol BOBE, and employs a workforce of 8,500 people company-wide.


Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Reader Comments:

Be the first to leave a comment for this article

Tweet