Krystal opened its new smaller prototype in Center Point on Tuesday, January 10. The new 1,700-square-foot drive-through location is the first new Krystal to open in six years. It features a new, sleek design and a much smaller footprint with no dining room.
An old-style traditional Krystal is 2,700 square feet. This new design has 20% less kitchen space and no space at all for dining in the restaurant. Instead, the new design features a double drive-thru and a walkup counter where customers can order and get their food thru a window. There is also a pickup area for online orders and third-party delivery.
“This prototype signals a new day for Krystal,” said President of Krystal Restaurants Thomas Stager. “We strategically sought more cost-efficient opportunities to generate a strong sales-to-investment outcome, as well as a design to fast-track franchise development.”
Stager has been attempting to turn around the business with new partners, innovative menu development, and an emphasis on new technologies. Krystal has launched an aggressive franchise program, signing a number of celebrities and multi-unit operators during 2022.
Krystal has also recently launched its acclaimed “Side Chik” chicken sandwich, which has doubled its previous chicken sandwich sales
Economic developer Dr. Nicole Jones told Alabama Today, “It is exciting for Alabama that Krystal chose Center Point to unveil its new prototype. The COVID-19 environment brought a lot of changes to the fast food industry, including the evolution of a reduced dining room footprint. More and more fast-food chains have higher percentages of sales from drive-throughs. Reduced square footage on what would otherwise be unused space is a way for businesses to reduce overhead and meet customer needs.”
Krystal’s is the original home of the slider in the South. Krystal’s was founded in 1932. The brand has built a dedicated fan base throughout the Southeast U.S.
Krystal Restaurants LLC is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The brand is the original quick-service restaurant chain in the South. Krystal is located in 10 states with nearly 300 restaurants and goals to reach 500 stores in the next five years. Krystal sells nearly 550,000 Krystal burgers each day and has sold more than 10 billion burgers since its founding during the Great Depression 84 years ago.
The new prototype is located at 2408 Center Point Pkwy, Center Point, AL.
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