Ford’s Garage has been around for quite some time now – since 2012, though it didn’t become an officially-licensed chain restaurant until 2016. Since then, Ford’s Garage has grown substantially, adding many new locations in various states across the U.S. and serving up everything from hamburgers and beer to vintage automobiles and memorabilia which visitors can scope out while they eat and drink. Recently, one of Ford’s rivals joined the same business when a Tesla Diner opened up in Hollywood, California, but one Ford’s Garage executive wasn’t impressed with it.
“We’re aware of the competition,” Dave Ragosa, vice president of franchising and development at Ford’s Garage, told The Drinks Business in a recent interview. “But we’re confident that once guests try Ford’s Garage, they’ll notice the focus we put on hospitality, the overall experience, and the quality of our food. Our guests range from eight year olds to 82-year-olds. The eight-year-olds love the cars and engines, and the older guests love the history of Henry Ford. It’s not just all about Ford vehicles; it’s about the experience and storytelling.”
Ragosa also isn’t a fan of the fact that robots serve popcorn at the Tesla Diner, it seems, noting that this lacks a “personal touch” one can find at Ford’s Garage. “We are in the hospitality business and part of the experience is spending time with our guest and getting to know them,” he said.
Ford’s Garage currently has 32 restaurants in its portfolio, with several more in the works. That includes one set to open some time this summer in Utica, Michigan (a state where it already operates multiple locations), which is roughly 30 miles north of Detroit, and the franchise is also eyeing a larger expansion in the state of Virginia as well, as Ford Authority recently reported, with plans to add restaurants in Alexandria, Fairfax, and Woodbridge.
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Wonder how many of the meals served are sent back (recalled)?