"Would you like fries with that?"
That's a question you won't hear at French Fry Heaven when it opens Labor Day Weekend at the St. Johns Town Center.
After all, French fries are the only item Scott Nelowet and his crew will be serving at the fast food kiosk, which will be located near upscale retailers Coach and Betsey Johnson.
The question for customers will be which of more than two dozen toppings will they choose for their fries, available in classic golden brown russet ("Angels") or sweet potato varieties ("Saints").
After all, those toppings range from mainstay ketchup to malt vinegar to cajun spice and remoulade to even Nutella and peanut butter sauce.
Nelowet, a 15-year veteran in the for-profit higher education field, came up with his food concept nearly a year ago following a European vacation with his wife and parents to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
There, they discovered the popularity French fry vendors selling Belgian style fries ? thick-cut fries, fried twice, making them crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, served in a paper cone.
"Europe has more French fry-only locations per capita than America has McDonald's," Nelowet, 46, said.
"Everybody loves French fries," he said. "It's not a mystery."
That proved true even in oppressive heat Saturday at the Riverside Arts Market, where Nelowet has been selling his fries for much of the year.
In the course of an hour, customers ? both new and repeat ? lined up to try some of the flavor combinations and to buy a cone of their favorite.
Beginning this week, Nelowet will take some time off from the arts and farmers market to open the St. John Town Center location. Following the launch, he plans to open a second location just weeks later at The Avenues mall, on the ground floor near anchors Sears and Dillards.
Nelowet said his goal is to open about 10 French Fry Heaven kiosks, but look for only two in Jacksonville, he said. Next, he plans to target the college crowd in Gainesville.
"I don't see French Fry Heaven as just a mall thing," he said, offering airports and stadiums as likely targets of future growth.
If all goes as planned, franchising will follow.
Even before the opening of its first location, the French Fry Heaven concept already has investor interest in Canada and South Korea, Nelowet said.
"We'll make a few mistakes with the first location," he said. "And fewer at the second."
But he's worked to perfect his concept since debuting it last November at Riverside's Vegan Fest, an extended run at the Riverside Arts Market, and at festivals all over Florida, he said.
But one thing he's firm on is that French Fry Heaven will focus on the fries.
"We'll never be a burger place," he said.
Instead, he sees French Fry Heaven as a snack place, similar to Auntie Anne's pretzels. Not so much a destination, but more a novelty.
Fries ? cooked in peanut oil ? come in two serving sizes, priced at $3 and $4 for "Angels" and $4 and $5 for "Saints."
Some of the flavors include:
Early customer favorites, Nelowet said, are GarlicParm and British Angels (malt) in the regular variety, and Saint Smooth among sweet potato offerings. (See more flavors on the company's website.)
His favorite? GarlicParm and French Quarter Angels, made with cajun spice and remoulade.
Re: French Fry Heaven Coming to SJTC
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In other words, I'm excited!
How is it that my BABY is going to be 3?
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01.03.09 {MARRIED BIO}
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