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While many restaurateurs work hard to establish their brands in Manhattan, Howard Felixbrod, founder and chief executive of Blue Moon Mexican Cafe, says he would prefer to stay out of the aggressive borough.
"There's no point in spending four times the amount in rent," Felixbrod said. "In Englewood, we're spending about half that and doing 30 percent more business, and people are happy."
Which is not to say that Felixbrod is a stranger to the island. The Blue Moon Mexican Cafe concept actually got its start in Manhattan 20 years ago when Felixbrod, together with his brother Gary, opened locations in Chelsea and on the Upper East Side. His brother still runs the Chelsea location, and the Upper East Side outlet was sold to a partner back in 2000. But both units are operated independently of the chain.
The Blue Moon chain, which Felixbrod runs, currently operates five company-owned units in Bergen County, N.J., and Westchester County, N.Y.
Over the past several years, the brand has grown steadily, posting systemwide sales of $9 million for fiscal 2006. Company officials are projecting a 7-percent increase for 2007. Individual units generate annual sales that range from $1.1 million to $2.54 million.
According to the National Restaurant Association's 2006-2007 Restaurant Industry Operations Report, the company has median total sales per square foot of $668, more than double the industry average.
"We're comparable to [restaurants such as] Cheesecake Factory and so forth," Felixbrod said.
After years of...