the concept - The Counter

THE CONCEPT
REAL ESTATE INFORMATION
SPRING 2008
thecounterburger.com THE CONCEPT
MARKET POSITION
OPENING ITS ORIGINAL SANTA MONICA, CA LOCATION IN 2003, The Counter® has quickly
gained national acclaim. GQ magazine columnist Alan Richman named The Counter’s “Build
Your Own Burger™” to his list of the best burgers in America, and “The Oprah Winfrey Show”
featured The Counter’s inclusion on Richman’s list, highlighting the “20 Hamburgers You
Must Eat Before You Die.” The Counter® has been featured in several major publications
including Sunset Magazine, Travel + Leisure, Los Angeles Magazine as well as various business
publications such as Fast Casual, Business Week and Restaurant Hospitality.
“Burgers, a universal favorite,
are eaten by 85% of consumers
at least once a month”
—Technomics
The Counter® is an upscale entrant into the casual dining segment, one of the restaurant
industry’s strongest growth areas according to industry publication Fast Casual magazine. The
Counter® appeals to all demographics including adults, teens, kids, baby boomers and seniors.
It has an innovative menu and setting that drives repeat business not only through traditional
lunch and dinner segments or catering and private parties, but also as an afternoon or weekend
hangout or simply a place to grab a late-night meal. The Counter® is a full-service restaurant
with an average per customer bill of $12.50 and average annual unit volumes of $2.8 million
for stores open one year or more.
GROWTH PROJECTIONS + STRATEGY
THE COUNTER® HAS SOLD DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS FOR 135+ RESTAURANTS to be opened
throughout the United States and select International countries over the next five years. The
Counter® has restaurants open in Southern and Northern California, Florida, North Carolina
and Texas. Growth areas include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii,
Idaho, Illinois, Nevada, New York, Maryland, Utah, Virginia, Washington D.C. and Washington.
Approximately 18–20 new restaurants are expected to open in 2008 with 30–35 openings
projected for 2009 and 35–40 locations added in 2010. The number of yearly openings is
expected to increase annually as the concept matures. Long-range projections call for
as many as 400 to 600 U.S. locations. The Counter ® will operate a significant number of
company-owned locations, not to exceed approximately 1/3 of our total store count. The
majority of the growth will come from multi-unit development with experienced and well
financed multi-unit franchisees operating a minimum of five (5) locations within an exclusive
territory. Most agreements are expected to be for 5–10+ units with franchisees granted an
exclusive territory.
THE COUNTER
SANTA MONICA
®
thecounterburger.com 01 THE STORY
JEFF
WEINSTEIN
CRAIG
ALBERT
RANDY
CARUCCI
MIKE
MIKLOS
KEN
BROWN
BRIAN
BERMAN
FOUNDER & CO-CEO
CO-CEO
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
AND TEAM DEVELOPMENT
EXECUTIVE CHEF
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Jeff founded The Counter® concept in
December of 2003 with the opening of the
Santa Monica, CA location. In 2005 Jeff
partnered with Co-CEO Craig Albert and
began expanding The Counter®. Prior to
starting The Counter® Jeff was an owner
of Firefly, a restaurant and bar in Studio
City, CA and was involved with several other
successful operations in the restaurant and
bar business in Southern California and the
East Coast. Jeff has a B.A. degree in food
service management and culinary arts from
Johnson & Wales.
Craig partnered with Jeff Weinstein in 2005
to launch The Counter® internationally.
His expertise and knowledge of growing
restaurant brands quickly accelerated
The Counter®’s growth plan. Craig also
founded two other successful brands,
Tacone® and City Kitchen®. Craig has been
involved in the restaurant business for
over 12 years. Previously, Craig was an
attorney/associate with Henry Ansbacher
Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Groupe
Bruxelle Lambert, an investment banking
concern with offices all over the world.
Prior to joining The Counter® in October
2007, Randy worked at Panera Bread as
Senior Real Estate Manager and was the
driving force behind building the restaurant’s
Southern California Region. Before working
for Panera, Randy served as VP of Real
Estate for Baja Fresh Mexican Grill where
he oversaw an aggressive national expansion.
Randy brings over 29 years of real estate
experience to The Counter®.
Before joining The Counter® in August
2007, Mike was the Manager of Operations
Services for Baja Fresh Mexican Grill. Prior
to joining Baja Fresh, Mike was employed by
the Islands Restaurants for 12 years where
he was a Manager in Training Trainer and
helped to open many new stores for the
company. Mike has spent the past 20 years
in the restaurant industry working primarily
in New Store Openings and Training
Department positions for the past 17 years.
Prior to joining The Counter® in 2005, Chef
Brown was employed by Urban Epicuria,
located in West Hollywood, CA where he
was Chef for 5 years. Chef Brown has also
worked as Chef du Cuisine for Mary Sue
Milliken and Susan Feniger at both City and
Border Grill. Chef Brown has been in the
food industry for over 25 years and has held
executive leadership position for the past
12 years. With his extensive experience,
Chef Brown brings a wealth of knowledge
and culinary skill to The Counter®.
Prior to joining The Counter® in 2008,
Brian served as Senior Marketing Manager
for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Before
The Coffee Bean, he was involved with
Brand Management and Regional Marketing
for Baja Fresh Mexican Grill. Brian brings
over 10 years of Branding and Marketing
experience to The Counter®.
JEFF’S FAVORITE BUILD:
2/3 Beef Burger with Horseradish Cheddar.
Topped with Jalapenos, Lettuce Blend,
Scallions, Spicy Pepperoncinis, Fried Egg
and Honey Cured Bacon on a English Muffin
with Roasted Garlic Aioli.
CRAIG’S FAVORITE BUILD:
1/3 lb Turkey Burger with Tillamook Cheddar.
Topped with Lettuce Blend, Dill Pickle
Chips and Grilled Onions on a Honey
Wheat Bun.
RANDY’S FAVORITE BUILD:
1/3 Beef Burger with Tillamook Cheddar.
Topped with Black Olives, Dill Pickle Chips,
Lettuce Blend, Tomatoes, Fried Egg and
Honey Cured Bacon on a Hamburger Bun
with Horseradish Mayo.
MIKE’S FAVORITE BUILD:
2/3 Beef Burger with Jalapeno Jack.
Topped with Lettuce Blend, Tomatoes,
Jalapenos and Roasted Chiles on a
Hamburger Bun with Spicy Sour Cream.
KEN’S FAVORITE BUILD:
1/3 Beef Burger with Provolone. Topped
with Roasted Red Peppers, Lettuce Blend,
Tomatoes and Red Onion on a Hamburger
Bun with Roasted Garlic Aioli.
BRIAN’S FAVORITE BUILD:
1/3 Veggie Burger with Danish Blue Cheese.
Topped with Roasted Corn & Black Bean
Salsa, Sprouts, Avocado, Roasted Red
Peppers and Spicy Pepperoncinis on an
English Muffin with Honey Mustard.
thecounterburger.com 02 THE PEOPLE
THE COUNTER IS WHERE
QUALITY BEGINS
®
START WITH 1/3, 2/3 OR 1 LB. OF 100% NATURAL FRESHLY GROUND ANGUS BEEF,
certified humanely raised and handled or our vegetarian raised chicken and turkey,
all hormone and antibiotic free. A hand formed patty is then seasoned and grilled to
perfection with burger weights reflected after cooking, so you truly get what you order.
Then choose from any of our hand sliced imported and domestic cheeses such as
Danish Blue Cheese, Greek Feta, and Herb Goat Cheese Spread.
Next add toppings ranging from locally sourced produce, cured meats, farm fresh eggs,
and freshly prepared recipes designed to make your burger unique.
Compliment your burger with one of our made from scratch sauces like Roasted Garlic
Aioli, Dijon Balsamic, or our inspired Sauce of the Month. A variety of our sauce selections
are fat free.
Tie it all together with one of our artisan-baked buns like our 9 Grain Honey Whole Wheat.
All buns are substantial enough to stand up to any and all of our sauces and toppings.
If you are looking for another great option try the Burger in a Bowl ™. It’s served with all
of the same choices and quality ingredients over a bed of fresh Mixed Baby Greens or
Lettuce Blend. Or the house made, original, Veggie Burger. It is a great choice for vegans
and vegetarians alike.
The same quality standards used in the preparation of our burgers apply to the Burger
of the Month which can range from Asian Ahi Tuna Burger with Wasabi Aioli to Morrocan
Salmon Burger with Red Pepper Harissa Sauce.
Pair your burger with our Onion Strings, Sweet Potato or regular Fries all prepared with
trans-fat free oils and finish with a hand crafted beer or hand scooped shake made from
real ice cream.
CUSTOMIZE
04
10
28
18
03
YOUR CUSTOM BUILT LIFE SHOULD INCLUDE CUSTOM BUILT BURGERS ™ WHICH ARE
AS UNIQUE AS YOU ARE.
Proteins
Cheeses
Toppings
Sauces
Buns
thecounterburger.com 03 THE FOOD
THE COUNTER
FLOORPLAN
®
THE COUNTER® LOCATIONS will average
2,750 to 3,000 square feet with seating for
approximately 75 customers. End cap or
corner locations are preferred, primarily
in lifestyle centers or multi-purpose
developments that combine residential,
commercial, retail and office use with
high traffic and strong visibility. Proximity
to regional malls, entertainment centers
and major employment bases are essential.
PREFERRED LOCATIONS
• Lifestyle Centers
• High Density Mixed Use Projects Retail, Residential,
• High Density/Metropolitan Areas
• High Profile Entertainment Centers
• Dominant Community Shopping Centers
• Strong Balance of Residential and Daytime Activity
TRADE AREA CHARACTERISTICS
POPULATION
DAYTIME POPULATION
MEDIAN HH INCOME
1 MILE
15,000 +
7,000 +
$60,000
2 MILES
40,000 +
20,000 +
$60,000
3 MILES
150,000 +
50,000 +
$50,000
SITE REQUIREMENTS
• SIZE Approx. 2700–3000 sf freestanding or end cap with 500 sf patio
• STOREFRONT 40 foot minimum
• EASY ACCESS Signalized intersection preferred
• VISIBILITY Unrestricted from primary street and traffic generators
• SIGNAGE 2+ building signs plus monument or pylon
• PARKING 10 cars per 1,000 sf plus two 15-minute spaces for takeout
• TRAFFIC 20,000 ADT with a direct view to location
THE COUNTER
MATERIALS
®
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
PRIMARY WALL COLOR
ACCENT WALL COLOR
ALUMINIUM CHAIRS
WOOD PANEL ACCENT
MARBLE COUNTER
TILE ACCENT
CONCRETE FLOOR
ALUMINUM MESH
thecounterburger.com 04 THE LOCATION
GQ
MAGAZINE
JULY 2005
“One of the Burgers You Must Eat Before You Die”
RESTAURANTS &
INSTITUTIONS
OCTOBER 2006
OUTSIDE THE BUN
Creative Kitchens Devise Updated
Approaches to Burgers that Build
on their Timeless Appeal.
THE COUNTER
PRESS
®
FROM THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW TO SUNSET
MAGAZINE, The Counter® has been prominently
featured in all areas of the media.
THE OPRAH
WINFREY SHOW
LOS ANGELES
MAGAZINE
RESTAURANT
HOSPITALITY
SUNSET
MAGAZINE
Best Burger
The Burgers Are Outstanding
A Burger Joint with a Youthful Vibe
L.A.’s Best Burgers
thecounterburger.com 05 THE MEDIA
FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION
PLEASE CONTACT
RANDY CARUCCI
Chief Development Officer
[email protected]
310 559 3355 x108 310 559 3356 Fax
8571 Higuera Street Culver City CA 90232
thecounterburger.com
The information contained herein does not constitute the offer or sale of a franchise. The offer and sale of a
franchise can only be made through the delivery and receipt of our Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC).
There are certain states that require the registration of a UFOC before the franchisor can advertise or offer the
franchise in that state. We may not be registered in all those registration states and may not offer franchises to
residents of those states or to persons wishing to locate a franchise in those states.
THE CONCEPT
REAL ESTATE INFORMATION
RANDY CARUCCI
Chief Development Officer
[email protected]
310 559 3355 x108 310 559 3356 Fax
8571 Higuera Street Culver City CA 90232
thecounterburger.com
©2008 The Counter CA000-0408