Cousins Subs debuts new look in Glendale
State’s industrial heritage gets nod
When Cousins Subs announced it would remodel its restaurants, the Menomonee Falls-based chain promised a fresh look that would celebrate Wisconsin’s industrial heritage.
Cousins is now showcasing the new look at its Glendale store, which was built on the site of an older Cousins Subs that was demolished last summer.
The store, which opened Jan. 6, marks the first project in the ongoing initiative that involves new construction, instead of remodeling an existing building, said Joe Ferguson, Cousins Subs vice president of development.
“The construction process was much, much smoother” than a remodeling project, Ferguson said.
The recently opened restaurant is at 5333 N. Port Washington Road.
It’s part of a 7,200-squarefoot retail center, developed by Evo Development LLC, that includes a new Noodles & Co. restaurant. Noodles will open in early summer, with one remaining space at the center still available, said John Holborow, Evo Development owner.
Cousins Subs opened the original Glendale store 27 years ago.
Evo Development bought the Cousins store, as well as a neighboring acupuncture clinic, and demolished both buildings in June to make way for the new retail center.
The new Cousins Subs has 2,380 square feet, with seating for 52 people, a gain of 630 square feet from its previous building.
That demolished restaurant had Cousins’ familiar red and bright yellow color scheme.
The new building’s design features a more subdued look, with earth-tone colors. It also has stone walls, wood floors, industrial finishes and the original Cousins Subs logo.
“We believe it brings in the industrial look of the Milwaukee landscape,” Ferguson said. “We think that ties in well with Milwaukee.”
It also has what the company calls its Project Henry ordering process, named for the Henry Ford-created auto assembly line.
Project Henry allows customers in a limited number of Cousins Subs locations to customize their sub as they observe their order being made.
That system, used by Sub-
way and other competitors, is designed to reduce errors in making sandwiches, Ferguson said. Also, some customers want to be more involved in the sandwich-making process, he said.
“Millennials like to customize,” Ferguson said.
Other features at the Glendale location include a more accessible drivethrough lane, free WiFi and a menu that includes signature Wisconsin products such as Sprecher Root Beer on tap and cheese curds.
The WiFi service is part of a more welcoming environment that Cousins Subs hopes will encourage longer stays at the restaurant, Ferguson said.
Cousins Subs also is testing some menu items at the store, including milk shakes and varieties of beer from Sprecher Brewing Co., which is based in Glendale.
So far, about 25 of the chain’s 103 locations have been remodeled, Ferguson said.
Cousins has two restaurants in Arizona, with the rest in Wisconsin. Around 70 stores are in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington, Racine and Kenosha counties.
The chain hopes the remodeling will help it grow. The Journal Sentinel reported in April that the company’s store count had dropped to 105 from 146 since 2011. At the same time, Subway, Jimmy John’s and Firehouse Subs have been adding Wisconsin locations.
Meanwhile, Cousins isn’t the only Wisconsinbased restaurant chain that is doing a major design change as part of its growth strategy.
Whitewater-based Toppers Pizza in October unveiled a new prototype at its east side Milwaukee location, 1903 E. Kenilworth Place.
The new look features an open kitchen, called the Toppers Show Kitchen, which allows customers to see their orders being made.
The show kitchen will be used in new markets that Toppers enters, and will be available for older restaurants when they are due for remodeling.
The new look will be more inviting and should appeal to customers who want to feel a connection with their food, said Scott Gittrich, Toppers president.
Toppers has 76 stores, including 34 in Wisconsin.