Restaurant market remains active in Ozarks

A group of three Springfield investors has purchased the rights to open San Francisco Oven, a Cleveland-based fast casual restaurant chain.

The group, operating under the name Oven Spaces LLC, comprises Brian Kubik of Buxton-Kubik-Dodd Interiors & Architecture, Paul Freeman of Computech Mailing Service and Jeff Hurshman, who has restaurant management experience. Kubik and Freeman also are partners in Spaces Inc., a residential construction company.

The three have plans to open three restaurants in Springfield, one in Joplin and one in Branson. The first location is set in the building that formerly housed Traders’ Market, 1845 E. Sunshine. The group leases the building for an undisclosed amount from Marketplace Properties LLC. A $300,000 renovation is under way by general contractors Creative Builders Inc. to meet a projected May 1 opening.

Kubik said that while sites have not been chosen for the other locations, the group has an ambitious schedule.

“One per year is our strategy,” Kubik said.

Once the three SFO eateries open in Springfield, the group will focus on Joplin in year four of its franchise agreement and Branson in year five.

The restaurant’s specialty is its oven-baked pizzas and calzones, though the menu also features sandwiches, soups, salads and other entrees, as well as an extensive beer and wine selection and its own coffee brand, Fog City Coffee.

SFO franchisees pay a $25,000 franchise fee and 5 percent of sales in royalties, according to company co-founder and CEO Matt Harper. An additional 1 percent fee goes into a marketing and advertising fund. The average store startup costs range from $475,000 to $800,000.

Harper said the restaurant’s fast casual concept is intended to compete in the Springfield area with restaurants like Panera Bread and McAlister’s Deli.

“We target above average income households, double income families that don’t have a lot of time,” Harper said. “That’s part of our concept – that you can get in and out fairly quickly.”

McAlister’s in Nixa

McAlister’s Deli, meanwhile, is expanding into Nixa at 703 N. McCroskey, Ste. 1. However, it’s not the work of Springfield franchisees Trey and Richard Vance – but they did have a part in it.

Darin Thompson, an experienced restaurant franchise operator with his parents, Dale and Diane, signed a McAlister’s franchise deal in August. Infill work began in mid-January at Nixa’s Village Marketplace.

“The Vances have done such a great job,” Thompson said. “We became regular customers. We thought we’d look into it, and determined there was a franchise (opportunity).”

The Thompsons have opened several KFC and Taco Bell restaurants in communities around Springfield. They sold some interests to free up money for their new venture.

Thompson estimates that startup costs will run nearly $600,000 for the restaurant slated to open March 20. Republic-based Royal Construction is the general contractor on the project.

Restaurant rebuilds

Rebuilding efforts are under way at Hong Kong Garden, 625 N. Glenstone, after the building was severely damaged by a fire the evening of March 5.

Springfield Assistant Fire Chief Bill Arington said the fire was caused by a wok full of grease that caught fire. Firefighters had to be called out to the site twice.

“Evidently embers from the first fire got back into the wall, and it was not detected with any of our detection equipment,” Arington said. “(The fire) had gone up the wall and into the attic space and spread from there.”

Nguyen Tran, manager of both the Glenstone store and the second Hong Kong Garden restaurant at 1406 W. Sunshine, said the restaurant has to be totally demolished and rebuilt from scratch.

Those efforts should take about five months.

Tran added that the cost of rebuilding – about $500,000 – will be covered by the company’s insurance.[[In-content Ad]]