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J. Jr�s Filling Station and Grill�s two restaurants, one in Greenville and one in Spartanburg, S.C., will be converted into new locations for Fatz Cafe, the fast-growing casual dining restaurant owned and operated by the same parent company, Cafe Enterprises Inc. The two nostalgia-themed restaurants closed on Aug. 23 and the conversion process began immediately thereafter. The new Fatz Cafe restaurants are expected to open mid-November, bringing to 20 the total number of Fatz Cafe locations in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. �This move signifies the tremendous confidence we have in the Fatz Cafe concept,� said Cafe Enterprises President Bill Burton. �J. Jr�s was a successful restaurant in its own right, but we expect to enjoy even better performance for our company as a whole by putting all our resources behind Fatz Cafe.� Burton noted the recent growth and success of Fatz Cafe as a key element in the conversion decision. According to Restaurant Hospitality, Fatz Cafe was the nation�s 28th fastest-growing restaurant � and the third-fastest-growing of its kind � in 2002, with sales up 24 percent. That success has continued into 2003, with Fatz Cafe opening new restaurants in Irmo, S.C., and Greeneville, Tenn., in the first half of the year. Total revenues are up 26 percent through the end of June and same-store sales are up an impressive 10 percent system wide, bucking the nationwide trend of sagging restaurant sales caused by a sluggish economy. �In addition to our two conversions, we anticipate opening three more Fatz Cafes by the end of the first quarter of 2004,� added Burton. �And these converted locations will significantly enhance our presence in our hometown Greenville/Spartanburg market.� The conversions, which represent a nearly $2 million investment for the company, will reflect the latest design for Fatz Cafe. The decor will feature an updated rustic look, including stacked-stone facade and interior wooden beams, complemented with historic photos and mementos from the local area. The restaurants will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week serving generously sized salads, sandwiches and entrees � including Fatz Cafe�s World Famous Calabash Chicken� � and each will feature a full-service bar and separate take-out entrance. The new Greenville restaurant, at the corner of Congaree and Halton roads near Haywood Mall, will be one of the largest in the Fatz Cafe family, offering seating for 248 customers. The Spartanburg restaurant, located on Southport Road just off Reidville Road, will accommodate about 225 customers and will include a private banquet room. About Cafe Enterprises, Inc. Headquartered in Taylors, S.C., Cafe Enterprises operates 20 restaurants in the Carolinas and Tennessee, employing more than 1,400 associates. The privately owned company was ranked in 2003 as one of the nation�s top 400 restaurant concepts by Restaurants & Institutions magazine.
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