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Emerging franchise I Heart Mac & Cheese preps for expansion with redesignEmerging franchise I Heart Mac & Cheese preps for expansion with redesign

The new design features trendy elements like Edison bulbs, a neon sign and a greenery wall

Holly Petre, Assistant Digital Editor

July 22, 2021

Boca Raton, Fla.–based I Heart Mac & Cheese is redesigning its stores as it prepares for growth, the company announced Wednesday.

The make-your-own customizable mac-and-cheese concept is inspired by food as a comfort item. The new space is meant to feel comfortable for someone to sit down on their laptop or come in and grab food to-go.

The redesign of the stores is meant to freshen up the fast-casual brand and make it appeal to more customers, Director of Marketing Matt Pappas told Nation’s Restaurant News. The new look is complete with “trendy” elements like Edison bulbs, a wall of greenery, a neon sign and new signature wallpaper covered in “cheesy” puns.

Expect some new, Instagrammable elements in the new design, as well, which are meant to be photographed and shared.

“Restaurants across the country are reopening, and prioritizing the dining experience for our customers is more important now than ever before,” said Steve Giordanella, CEO and Chairman of I Heart Mac & Cheese, in a statement. “Our new design is part of the process as we work toward creating the most welcoming environment we can.”

I Heart Mac & Cheese has several new stores in the works and is rapidly expanding to new markets. The redesign is set to debut in mid-August with the opening of the new South Carolina store.

Pappas expects it to feel “like Christmas morning.”

Watch the video to hear more about the redesign.

About the Author

Holly Petre

Assistant Digital Editor

Holly Petre is a digital editor for Nation’s Restaurant News as well as the host of NRN’s podcast, Extra Serving, and producer for Informa Restaurant and Food Group’s other three podcasts, One On One by Food Management, Off the Shelf with SN and In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture, fibers and Material Studies and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A native New Yorker, Holly enjoys her place on staff as the resident pop-culture expert and millennial with a sassy attitude and great sense of style.

Holly Petre’s work on Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality often covers marketing and trends, either aimed-at or examined-through the millennial mindset. Holly is responsible for introducing TikTok and Twitch to NRN and RH readers as well as explaining terms like “Karen” to staff and readers alike. She also spends her time on staff trying not to make every headline a pun.

Holly Petre hasn’t spoken at any events or on panels, but she is readily available with a killer shoe wardrobe and several witty quips.

 

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