Bennigan's Sees New Smaller Prototype As Franchise Option <b></b>

Cedar Hill, Texas-Bennigan's recently introduced asmaller-sized, freestanding prototype at a new company-owned storesouthwest of Dallas and a second, franchisee-owned unit in Vernon,Connecticut. Both units feature a 4,500-square-foot building,compared with the company's standard 6,500- and7,000-square-foot units introduced in 1998. The change reducesseating by 30 for a total of 190 seats.

"We developed the smaller prototype to give us and ourfranchisees a new development option for smaller target markets andtrade areas," said Jerry Comstock, president ofBennigan's.

Comstock said the new Bennigan's prototype "gives usthe flexibility to open restaurants at locations where limitedavailable space would have precluded us from developing."

Other casual-dining concepts, including Chili's and TGIFriday's, have been offering scaled-down versions of theirstores for the past several years. -Nation's RestaurantNews