By LINDA CHION
linda@observernews.net
Management training and hiring plans are in the works for the Ford’s Garage restaurant under construction in the Greater Riverview area, slated to open in December, north of U.S. Highway 301 and Paseo del Mar Drive.
“This is one of the fastest-growing communities in the Tampa Bay region and a tremendous opportunity to continue growing the [Ford’s Garage] market,” said Dave Ragosa,” chief development office for Ford’s Garage corporate headquarters, in a recent interview. “Throughout the country, where we’re looking for [franchise locations], it just amazes me how this [Riverview] area continues to grow. It just keeps exploding.”
This is no surprise for locals, and for motorists who use U.S. Highway 301 to travel the Riverview, Ruskin, Sun City Center, Wimauma corridor. There, construction is underway for the roughly 7,000- square-foot Ford’s Garage restaurant, at the northwest corner of U.S. Highway 301 and Alder Green Drive.
“We’re not just a restaurant, we’re bringing jobs into the community, including management, kitchen staff, hospitality staff and servers,” Ragosa,” said. Hiring and training for a new restaurant’s core management team typically begins six months prior to grand opening, he added. Another 125 to 150 employees are expected to be hired six to eight weeks prior to opening, which levels off to about 100 to 110 employees after the opening rush settles.
Ragosa,” said this will be the 24th Ford’s Garage restaurant in Florida, and the fifth in the Tampa Bay region, with locations including those in St. Petersburg Beach, Wesley Chapel and Westchase. Are more Tampa Bay locations in the works? “We’re always looking,” Ragosa,said.
Behind the Riverview location is the 23 Restaurant Group, the franchisee for Tampa Bay locations, including Ford’s Garage in Brandon, operating in the Lake Brandon Plaza area, near the Brandon Exchange shopping mall, formerly known as Westfield Brandon.
Dining in Brandon, at 11105 Causeway Blvd., gives a taste of what’s to come in Riverview. Ford's Garage is best known for its lineup of burgers, ranging from traditional cheeseburgers to specialty creations with multiple toppings, including brisket, bacon jam, fried eggs and even peanut butter. The menu includes also a veggie burger and sandwiches, steaks, salmon, meatloaf, salads and shareable appetizers, such as Motor City Kettle Chips, Cheese Curbs, Ford’s Classic Wings, Ford’s Pickles and Edsel’s Hot Pretzels.
Along with a line-up of “Weekday Value Meals,” the addition of bowls reflects a broader restaurant trend toward offering more flexible, customizable meals that appeal to diners looking for lighter options or different price points. Packed into Ford’s Garage “Fuel Efficient Fare” bowls are vegetables, grains and proteins, including honey chipotle chicken, diced Black Angus beef, seared Ahi Tuna, and grilled chicken, salmon or sirloin.
Beyond prime burgers, craft beers and comfort food, the concept is to "create an experience that celebrates ingenuity, community and hospitality," Ragosa, said, noting Ford’s Garage nostalgic décor, and its past practices to name menu items after community personalities. Moving forward, the aim is to represent “local organizations and partnerships,” Ragosa,” said, instead of individual honorees.
Ford’s Garage décor pays tribute to industrialist Henry Ford, who in 1903 founded the Ford Motor Company and helped modernize mass production with the introduction of the moving assembly line. The nostalgic, automobile-themed restaurant features vintage Ford vehicles, Model T and Model A, displayed outside, while inside touches include suspended vintage car parts, gas pump beer taps, automotive tool chests, tires, classic signs and more.
With Riverview, Ford’s Garage has 35 restaurants across eight states, with plans to expand to “probably 25 to 30” additional states,Ragosa,” said. The first restaurant opened in 2012 in Fort Myers, near Ford’s winter home. Five years later, the Dearborn, Michigan restaurant opened, not far from Ford corporate headquarters and Henry and Clara Ford’s longtime residence.
For more, visit www.fordsgarageusa.com/.