Vapiano Franchise News

This Marks Vapiano's 1st Maryland location and 5th Corporate Owned Restaurant in US November 23, 2009 // Franchising.com // McLean, VA – Vapiano signed a lease with Federal Realty to open a corporate-owned Vapiano restaurant in Bethesda Row. This will make the 5th corporately-owned Vapiano in the Washington, DC metro and Vapiano's 1st location in Maryland. Vapiano will open in a new Federal Realty building, adjacent to an Equinox fitness facility and will join Jaleo, Le Pain Quotidien, Mon Ami Gabi, Raku, and several other successful restaurants already in Bethesda Row. This 5,400 square foot Vapiano will be the first in Maryland and will seat 200 plus guests including a large patio and lounge area. Vapiano has retained Matteo Thun, an award winning designer from Hamburg Germany, to head up design on the Bethesda Row location...

This Marks Vapiano's 1st Maryland location and 5th Corporate Owned Restaurant in US

November 20, 2009 // Franchising.com // McLean, VA - Vapiano signed a lease with Federal Realty to open a corporate-owned Vapiano restaurant in Bethesda Row. This will make the 5th corporately-owned Vapiano in the Washington, DC metro and Vapiano's 1st location in Maryland. Vapiano will open in a new Federal Realty building, adjacent to an Equinox fitness facility and will join Jaleo, Le Pain Quotidien, Mon Ami Gabi, Raku, and several other successful restaurants already in Bethesda Row. This 5,400 square foot Vapiano will be the first in Maryland and will seat 200 plus guests including a large patio and lounge area. Vapiano has retained Matteo Thun, an award winning designer from Hamburg Germany, to head up design on the Bethesda Row location...

Former Bennigan's Restaurant Being Converted Into Boston's First Vapiano November 18, 2009 // Franchising.com // McLean, VA – Alfred Keilen will open Boston's first Vapiano restaurant at 191 Stuart Street, the corner of Stuart Street and Charles Street South. The new 5,400 square foot Vapiano location was the first choice in the entire market by Mr. Keilen and will feature an outdoor lounge along Stuart Street and a large outdoor patio along Charles Street South for dinner. This new Vapiano is ideally located in the theatre district near a new W Hotel and just a block away from Boston Common.

Mr. Keilen who, along with his wife Steffi, and three children, relocated from Germany to Boston earlier this year to become the Vapiano franchisee...

Vapiano Continues Aggressive U.S. Expansion with Fourth Opening in DC March 10, 2009 // Franchising.com // Washington, D.C., — Vapiano, the innovative fresh casual restaurant and lounge opened its fourth location in Washington, DC this February. The new restaurant is located at 623-625 H Street NW in the popular DC neighborhood of Chinatown, steps from the Verizon Center, shopping and exciting nightlife. Vapiano International operates 51 restaurants in 15 countries and expects to open 44 to 55 new locations by the end of 2009. In the U.S. alone the company has closed deals for six stores in Southwest Florida, ten in Dallas, two in San Jose, five in Houston and three stores in Boston, Detroit and Atlanta.

"In today's economic climate, people are still looking for new and stimulating places to socialize," says Vapiano U...

First of 10 Vapiano Locations in Texas will be Found at Mockingbird Station February 03, 2009 // Franchising.com // Washington, D.C., — Vapiano area developer and franchisee, Tim McCallum of McCallum holdings, will open the first of his 10 restaurants at Mockingbird Station in Dallas, Texas. The innovative fresh casual restaurant and lounge will fit perfectly in the upscale center found at 5319 Mockingbird lane off of the 75 Central Expressway.

McCallum has developed a solid business and management plan and has rights to develop the areas in and surrounding Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas for the next nine years. With plans to see the first store open by April 2009, he hopes to open his second location by April of 2010 and subsequent locations soon after...

January 06, 2009 // Franchising.com // Washington, D.C., — Vapiano, the innovative fast casual restaurant and lounge, has hired a complete Management team for operations in the U.S. Vapiano Chairman, Kent Hahne, sees this as the best and most efficient way to truly expand the concept throughout the U.S. This August, Vapiano won Nation's Restaurant News' 2008 'Hot Concept!' award, proving that the concept has staying power in the U.S. and has already had a huge impact on the industry in its short time in the country. In the US, Vapiano has four restaurants currently open and more than 30 in development.

"Many American companies fail in Europe because they simply transport their U.S. systems and employees and let them build their concepts exactly the way they are in the U...

Three Banks and One Equity Partner will Help Finance Expansion for Vapiano January 06, 2009 // Franchising.com // Washington, D.C., — Vapiano, the innovative fresh casual restaurant and lounge has received funding from three European banks for a total of 45 million Euro ($62.5 million USD) to fund Vapiano's expansion throughout several years. Vapiano has also acquired a strategic equity partner who will provide another 5 million Euro ($7m USD). Vapiano will take full advantage of this infusion of capital and continue an already successful expansion of its hot concept.

Currently Vapiano International operates nearly 45 restaurants in fourteen countries and expects to open 44 to 55 new locations by the end of 2009. In the U...

Fresh Casual Vapiano Rises Above Rough Economy January 06, 2009 // Franchising.com // Washington, D.C., — Despite the economic recession hitting some restaurant concepts in the U.S. hard, Vapiano has seen a significant increase in same store sales throughout U.S. company stores. After winning Nation's Restaurant News' 2008 'Hot Concept!' award, ending the year with a 20% increase in same store sales and a $60 million dollar infusion of capital for future expansion, 2008 has been a great year for Vapiano. With four U.S. locations open and another 32 in development, Vapiano has a very positive outlook for 2009.

"Vapiano is now in fourteen different countries and our concept has caught on in every country we've entered," says Kent Hahne, Vapiano President...

Texas Territory is Going Fast for Award-Winning Fast Casual Restaurant & Lounge October 15, 2008 // Franchising.com // Washington, D.C.,— Vapiano has secured an agreement with University of Houston graduate student, Soomyee Song, studying at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, to open five units throughout Houston, Texas. Vapiano, the innovative fast casual restaurant and lounge, has exploded in popularity across Europe and the U.S. and recently announced new deals in exciting markets such as Detroit, Atlanta and Dallas. After winning Nation's Restaurant News' 2008 'Hot Concept!' award and the 2006 European Hot Concept Award from Food Service Europe & Middle East, Vapiano has continued to amplify its momentum and shows no sign of slowing...

August 26, 2008 // Franchising.com // - Washington, D.C — Vapiano, a modern fresh casual restaurant, has been dubbed one of 2008's 'Hot Concepts!' by Nation's Restaurant News. This award comes only two short years after Vapiano won the coveted 2006 European Hot Concept Award from Food Service Europe & Middle East.

"We are very proud to receive this great honor at such an early stage in our US development," says Kent Hahne, Vapiano President. "We have a very unique concept and coming from Europe, it helps us a great deal to get recognition from the industry and respected publications like Nation's Restaurant News."

The 'Hot Concepts!' Award was introduced by Nation's Restaurant News in 1994. The coveted title is awarded to concepts that exude exemplary innovation, rapid emergence into the marketplace and widespread consumer appeal...

January 11, 2008 // Franchising.com // Fort Meyers, Florida, — Vapiano, named the "Future of Fresh Casual" by Foodservice Europe recently signed its first lease in Fort Meyers, Florida. Franchisee Konrad Woest and his family will open their first of multiple restaurants in the 1,651,000 square foot Gulf Coast Town Center located at 9903 Gulf Coast Main Street. Additional concepts found throughout the Center include P.F. Changs China Bistro, Outback Steakhouse, Blue Sushi and Bar Louie.

"The Gulf Coast Center is the perfect place for our first location and we have the best spot in the entire center," says Woest. "Vapiano is a very unique and exciting concept and I know will be well received here in Fort Meyers."

The Fort Meyers location is expected to open in June of 2008...

January 02, 2008 // Franchising.com // 8 - Washington, D.C— Vapiano, named the "Future of Fresh Casual" by Foodservice Europe, secured its first franchisee in Massachusetts this week. The new franchisee will develop three Vapiano restaurants in the greater Boston area and expects to open his first restaurant by early 2009.

"Vapiano has been very successful around the world and continues to gain momentum here in the US," says Kent Hahne, Vapiano President. "I am pleased to announce that our concept will be opening in Boston as soon as next year."

Vapiano has grown from a single unit to 31 locations open in only three years. Many of their restaurants can be found throughout Germany, in key European markets such as Zurich, Vienna, Istanbul, Budapest and now the United States...

January 02, 2008 // Franchising.com // - Washington, D.C— Vapiano, a cosmopolitan restaurant and lounge concept serving gourmet pastas, pizzas and salads made its first appearance on Fast Casual Magazine's annual Top 100 'Movers and Shakers' list. The international chain is brand new to the United States opening three new restaurants throughout the Washington, DC metro region in 2007.

"We are honored to be featured in Fast Casual's listing among the most prominent restaurant chains in the business," says Kent Hahne, Vapiano President. "I expect that we will continue to shoot up the ranking as we grow in the coming years."

In this year's 'Movers and Shakers' listing, Vapiano is ranked alongside heavyweight concepts such as Starbucks, Moe's, Sandella's Flatbread, zpizza and Chipotle...