Heeding consumer demand for delicious, feel-good comfort food, Veggie Grill has announced plans to expand into the Portland, OR market.Thousands of fans from around the country who visit Veggie Grill’s restaurants love its contemporary, fast casual, meat-free cuisine. This is Veggie Grill’s first expansion outside of its home turf in California, with the first location in the Portland area set to open by Q1 of 2012. “We see this as a fantastic opportunity to open our first out-of-state store in a city that is noted for eating well and embracing a progressive lifestyle,” says CEO Greg Dollarhyde. A restaurant industry veteran who joined the company in April 2011, Dollarhyde leads a mission to aggressively and strategically grow the brand throughout the West Coast, with plans to double in size every 12-18 months.
Veggie Grill recently signed with experienced joint venture partner and Oregon resident Ed Casey of Management Development, Inc., to expand into Portland. “I’ve been in the restaurant business for my entire career and I’ve never seen anything as on-trend or as exciting as Veggie Grill,” says Casey, who has served as President/CEO of rapidly growing restaurant chains and who operated more than 20 Baja Fresh franchises in the Pacific Northwest. The partnership between Management Development, Inc. and Veggie Grill will be substantially financed by The Veggie Grill.
“We’re very proud to have Ed as our partner and are encouraged by our research of the Portland market. We feel that our unique and delicious menu will be an enjoyable alternative to the restaurant scene there,” says Dollarhyde, who notes that they will open three locations in the Portland area by the end of 2012. The company has already signed two leases: one in Beaverton, home to NIKE, Inc., and one in the downtown financial district. Casey is also currently in negotiations on two other locations in Portland and the surrounding communities.
Since 2006, Veggie Grill has been redefining American comfort food with its delicious 100% plant-based cuisine. The restaurant chain’s mission is to break the stereotype of bland vegetarian food by combining hearty, plant-based proteins with bold marinades and sauces in familiar menu items that people can enjoy every day. Signature menu items include the “Santa Fe Crispy Chickin’” sandwich, “Sweetheart Fries,” and the “All Hail Kale” salad. All Veggie Grill locations offer a kid’s menu and wine and beer selection.
For more information about Veggie Grill visit www.veggiegrill.com.
