Riad owner looks to add second Springfield location

Riad Matar, owner of Riad on the east side of Park Central Square, said his business plan called for additional locations in Springfield five years after opening the downtown restaurant in February 2004. But Matar said better-than-expected sales have prompted him to pursue a second location ahead of schedule. Riad revenues reached Matar’s “conservative” five-year projections in a little more than three years, he said.

The restaurant’s success lies in a loyal clientele, Matar said, suggesting that 80 percent of his business comes from repeat customers who routinely recommend Riad to friends and family.

“This is the foundation we have to build on and expose it to more people in Springfield, because a lot of people in Springfield … don’t know what Riad is,” he said. “But we hope it will be as successful as the one downtown.”

Matar is in negotiations with CJR Commercial Realtors to lease 2,410 square feet in Twin Oaks Marketplace at 1250 E. Republic Road, just east of National Avenue. The second Riad location will be in the strip center’s west end.

Matar said he expects the second Riad location to open in September or October. The restaurant, which will have a more family-friendly menu, will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week.

See SBJ’s June 11 issue for more on this story.