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Modern Market Eatery opens 1st drive-thru restaurantModern Market Eatery opens 1st drive-thru restaurant

Colorado Springs, Colo., unit features expansion of fast-casual concept’s format

Ron Ruggless, Senior Editor

November 28, 2023

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Modern Market Eatery, the Colorado-based fast-casual concept, opened its first drive-thru restaurant this month in Colorado Springs, Colo., the company said.

The Denver-based division of Modern Restaurant Concepts opened the restaurant in the Colorado Springs First & Main Town Center on Friday, Nov. 17, the Modern Market Eatery third location in Colorado Springs

The company-owned restaurant also offers delivery and dine-in options. It seats 84 customers inside and on its patio.

“Opening our first drive-thru restaurant is just one of the many ways our team is working to reimagine fast food and show guests how healthy food can be a quick, convenient option for the entire family,” said Rob McColgan, Modern Market Eatery co-founder and president, in a statement. “This will be the first of many drive-thru locations we anticipate developing over the coming years to provide an even more efficient service model to handle the increasing volume of take-out orders.”

The restaurant also features a “The Mini Market” merchandise area that the brand launched earlier this year to provide customers with such locally made products as those from Switchback Coffee Roasters, Bibamba Artisan Chocolates, and Skratch Labs snacks and sports drinks, as well as Modern Market Eatery hats, mugs. and more. The restaurant is also the brand’s third location to feature a double-sided assembly line in the kitchen that allows for quicker order preparation times.

Modern Market Eatery promotes its sourcing, avoiding artificial flavors or colorings, trans fats, hormones, antibiotics or additives and offers a broad menu of scratch-prepared grain bowls, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and more.

To celebrate the opening, the restaurant will host a grand opening event on Friday, Dec. 1, and will donate 100% of proceeds from that day to Food to Power, a Colorado Springs-based nonprofit providing programming to cultivate a healthy, equitable food system in the community. The restaurant’s hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

Modern Market Eatery, founded in Boulder, Colo. in 2009, has nearly 30 locations across Colorado, Texas, and Arizona, as well as Denver International Airport and the campus of Notre Dame University. Modern Market was purchased in 2018 by the Los Angeles-based private-equity firm Butterfly. Affiliates also merged with the Qdoba brand in 2022 and renamed the company as Modern Restaurant Concepts.

Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected]

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About the Author

Ron Ruggless

Senior Editor, Nation’s Restaurant News / Restaurant Hospitality

Ron Ruggless serves as a senior editor for Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN.com) and Restaurant Hospitality (Restaurant-Hospitality.com) online and print platforms. He joined NRN in 1992 after working 10 years in various roles at the Dallas Times Herald newspaper, including restaurant critic, assistant business editor, food editor and lifestyle editor. He also edited several printings of the Zagat Dining Guide for Dallas-Fort Worth, and his articles and photographs have appeared in Food & Wine, Food Network and Self magazines. 

Ron Ruggless’ areas of expertise include foodservice mergers, acquisitions, operations, supply chain, research and development and marketing. 

Ron Ruggless is a frequent moderator and panelist at industry events ranging from the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators (MUFSO) conference to RestaurantSpaces, the Council of Hospitality and Restaurant Trainers, the National Restaurant Association’s Marketing Executives Group, local restaurant associations and the Horeca Professional Expo in Madrid, Spain.

Ron Ruggless’ experience:

Regional and Senior Editor, Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality (1992 to present)

Features Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1989-1991)

Restaurant Critic and Food Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1987-1988)

Editing Roles – Dallas Times Herald (1982-1987)

Editing Roles – Charlotte (N.C.) Observer (1980-1982)

Editing Roles – Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald (1978-1980)

Email: [email protected]

Social media:

Twitter@RonRuggless

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ronruggless

Instagram: @RonRuggless

TikTok: @RonRuggless

 

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