Restaurateurs embark on superfoods venture
Bolay restaurantCEO Chris Gannon points to the mobile phone chargers on the community tables at his location in Boca Raton. “I’ll take credit for that,” he said of the chargers.
He also stakes a claim to the colorful T-shirtsworn by servers with slogans such as “Don’t Kale MyVibe.”
But many of the ideas for Bolay arose from a multi-generational blend of restaurant experience. That’s becauseWellington-based Bolaywas co-founded by Chris and his father, Tim Gannon, who also co-founded Outback Steakhouse and is the South Florida franchisee for fast-casual restaurantPDQ.
The restaurant concept is to offer make-your-own “superfoods bowls,” or nutrient-packed food choices of proteins that include chicken, pork, steak, shrimp, ahi tuna and tofu, tossed with a variety of veggies, on a base of noodles, salad, rice, spinach or quinoa.
Bolay is scheduled to open its first store in Broward County, where Tim Grannon grewup, on May 6. The latest store is in Pembroke Pines, with other locations planned forWest Palm Beach and Jupiter. The restaurant currently operates in Boca Raton, Royal Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens.
The company already employs about 250 people, including managers and store operations.
Some ideas at Bolay— such as the sink near the entrance for patrons towash their hands before eating— are borrowed fromrestaurants founded or operated by Tim Gannon.
But youwon’t find a Bloomin’ Onion (developed by Tim for Outback Steakhouse) at Bolay, which specializes in nutrient-rich foods and “bold flavors,” crafted byWolfgang Puck protege ChefMartin Oswald.
Chris Gannon, 33, grewup around the food and restaurants of NewOrleans. But he ran his own marketing firm after graduating from Florida StateUniversity in 2009, and laterworked in advertising. He alsomanaged a Truluck’s restaurant in Austin, Texas, before joining his father atPDQabout five years ago.
Chris pitched the idea for Bolay to his father after he noticed friendswere avoiding high-fructose corn syrup and striving to eat healthier. For research, he visited several health-focused restaurants, including Lyfe Kitchen, that have been successful in other states.
The first Bolay opened in February last year.
“He knew Iwas hungry and young enough to put in the hours,” Chris Gannon said of his father.