- 30 June, 2003 -

Camille's Sidewalk Caf , which has 20 units in nine states, debuted a new prototype restaurant here that departs from earlier units by offering a broader array of menu items aimed at building traffic throughout the day. The 2,500-square-foot unit, which opened May 4, cost $246,000 and is posting between and in weekly sales, according to David Rutkauskas, founder, president and chief executive of the restaurant chain. The unit occupies an ed-cap in the Riverside Market shopping center in southwest Tulsa. The prototype has boosted per-person check averages to $10.50 up about $2.50 from levels in other in-line stores "In our other in-line stores, we've really focused on lunch and catering,' Rutkauskas said, "mainly two dayparts." He and his wife, Camille, for whom the chain is named, wanted to create more dayparts, Rutkauskas said. "We mapped a strategy for five dayparts," he said, referring to breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks, dinner and catering. "We added a brand-new breakfast menu," he said. That included what Camille's calls "Sunrise Natu/Wraps," Which are soft steamed tortillas with low-cholesterol eggs, jasmine rice and fresh vegetables. "We already has the espresso bar for lattes, cappuccino and flavored coffees," he said. "We've got not only the coffee experience like Starbucks but the food to go with it." The company hired studio B, an imaging-design firm in Dallas, to update the d cor, which includes new soft seating, softer lighting and recycled Perrier bottles, Rutkauskas said. The predominant color is now apple green, which is reflected in the employees' visors and uniforms as well. The store also offers high-speed Internet access for traveling computer users. Camille's also is working to carve out an afternoon daypart, which is calling a "chill-out" time. Through music that appeals to a broad demographic, Camille's is luring customers in between the hours of 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. "We can have 40 or 50 people in there during the afternoon, " Rutkauskas said. The prototype seats about 108 people, including a private room for 30. "The meeting room, which we call the Tulsa Room, has black and white photography of old Tulsa," he explained. "Ther are leather couches and a marker board, so pharmaceutical reps and associations can have a private party, and we cater it." In the 55 days the restaurant has been open, the room has been rented fro those events 20 times, Rutkauskas said. The prototype also has 15 new menu items, some aimed at the dinner daypart. "We're a wrap, sandwich, panini and salad place," he said. "So we created a dinner menu. We added beer and wine. We dimmed the lights at night and created a dinner experience." The new unit is the only one of the chain's 20 that sells adult beverages. Novel menu items include a grilled , hot wrap catergory, including Mexican sauces and a Paris bistro grilled hot wrap with cheese and apples. "Those are more fancy-schmancy flavor profiles," he said. In addition, the restaurant offers several low-carbohydrate items to appeal to dieters. "We went from being an 80-20 lunch-dinner split to a 50-50 breakfast/lunchafternoon/ dinner split," Rutkauskas said. An outdoor patio with a dozen four-top tables also has been popular, he said. Refrigerator cases were moved in the new unit to a spot nearer the registers, which has helped boost dessert sales 35 percent, Rutkauskas. The prototype Camille's unit also is emphasizing carryout orders by devoting one of three registers to takeout business, which is about percent of the store's sales. "We also added drive-up delivery," the founder said, "so soccer moms who are in their SUVs and don't want McDonald's can call us and order from these little minimenus that fit in their purse. They call in the order, park and we take the order out to them." In addition, Camille's launched what it calls the "Go-fer Program," which allows secretaries in offices to organize a $50 order and, as a benefit, the go-fer gets his or her meal comped. "That's been a huge success," Rutkauskas said. "They fax in the order form in the morning. They come in and go directly to the to-go register. Because the secretary is making seven bucks an hour, she can get a free lunch." The first Camille's Sidewalk Caf opened in October 1996. The 20 unit company has 160 units in development, according to officials. The next is scheduled to open in Peoria, Ill. www.nrn.com

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