Ohio companies team toward new restaurant concept

Youngstown, Ohio — AVI Foodsystems and Cafaro Co. have teamed to bring Bob Evans Farms into the mall food court environment.

Warren, Ohio-based AVI collaborated with Bob Evans Farms to introduce Bob Evans Express, which scales down the traditional Bob Evans restaurant into a concept that works in venues such as workplace cafes, airports, travel plazas and universities.

The first food court version will open at Cafaro’s Millcreek Mall in Erie, Pennsylvania. Construction of the new Bob Evans Express restaurant will begin within the next 30 days and it will open by October of this year.

BEX offers a menu of Bob Evans’ favorites in a compact format. At 800-1,000 sq. ft., the new BEX locations are designed to feel like freestanding Bob Evans restaurants with traditional touches including a bakery area, while an optimized floor plan will provide quick and efficient service.