A new food concept in Sandy Springs called Crafthall Kitchen, about which we first reported in November, plans to "soft open" Thursday April 5 . The restaurant, a collection of four concepts in one space, allows customers to choose from menus across the four concepts from a single counter.
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| The self-service ordering stations at Crafthall Kitchen |
Crafthall Kitchen is located in Perimeter Center West, a center anchored by REI and Goodwill, and also home to eateries such as la Madeleine, Honey Baked Ham and Zoës Kitchen. Jennifer Rotondo is the entrepreneur behind Crafthall Kitchen and brings a background in restaurant marketing to the new concept. Rotondo, whose husband is Mike Rotondo, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, was herself previously Director of Marketing for the smoothie franchise.
1,600 square foot Crafthall Kitchen occupies the space remaining from Genghis Grill to the left of Tiff's Treats, which occupies the other portion of the failed Asian eatery. Crafthall Kitchen will be an incubator of sorts, where its four concepts may come and go depending upon the public's reception to them.
If successful, additional Crafthall Kitchens and potentially standalone units of some of the concept's brands could open in the months and years to come, according to Rotondo.
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| Television menu boards that rotate between menu visuals and descriptions |
The first four food genres Crafthall will offer will be fried chicken [Fowl and Scratch], bowls [Bowl Cookhouse], sandwiches [Urban Sammie], and brunch [Salt & Pfeffer]. Salt & Pfeffer, which will offer assorted hash bowls, grit bowls and waffles, was selected by popular vote and will be open all day for customers' brunch cravings.
Patrons order their food from a pair of self service stations that allow full menu customization. The proprietary POS (Point of Sale) system was developed especially for Crafthall Kitchen and allows patrons to order from the menus of all four concepts in a single transaction. Customers will have the opportunity to choose from about 25 different entree options between the four menus. Given the amount of customization that is possible, it's difficult to say what an average check would be, but given the base prices, a customer would likely spend $10-12 on an average meal.
The size of the restaurant, along with the automation of the ordering process, allowed for Rotondo to hire a small but highly skilled and experienced culinary team that will surely be needed given the diversity of the menu.
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| Customizeable menu items from Bowl Cookhouse w/ Braille |
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| Customizeable menu items from Salt & Pfeffer w/ Braille |
The restaurant's interior, which Rotondo describes as "cozy," provides seating for about 30, and while she would love to provide her patrons an al fresco dining experience, that is not something she will be able to offer.
Crafthall Kitchen is open Monday through Saturday from 10 AM until 9 PM, and for the safety of its customers and staff, will be a cashless business.
Are you excited to try Crafthall Kitchen? What are your thoughts on the initial four concepts for Crafthall Kitchen? If Crafthall does takeoff, where would you like to see another open?
Please share your thoughts below.