Content area
Full Text
The founders of the Chicago-based I Dream of Falafel are hoping to awaken growth opportunities in the competitive fast-casual sector with the expansion of their three-unit Mediterranean-themed concept.
Co-founder Shoaib Aziz said the concept, which features a "Chipotle-inspired" service style and ingredient focus, plans to explore franchising in the next year or two.
I Dream of Falafel opened its first unit in Chicago's Loop in 2009 and added two more locations in May 2010 and this past May.
Over that time the concept has evolved.
"From the day we started till now, everything has changed," Aziz said. "Things have gotten better and better. The foundation to our food is the same, and it's the same menu. Our first store used to be in a 1,500-square-foot space, but we bought the Quiznos next door and made it into 2,500 square feet. We changed the color scheme and everything [about the design]."
Mediterranean staples like falafel and chicken shawarma are the best sellers, Aziz said, but the chain also sells a lot of vegan platters to health-conscious professionals at lunch.
"Mediterranean has become so mainstream that everybody's getting into it," Aziz said. "Since we opened...