In what will most likely be the biggest news of the year for fans of Sweet Tomatoes, the national buffet-style restaurant chain and purveyor of loaded baked potatoes, flavored gelatin, and something called "Joan's Broccoli Madness," the Phoenix Business Journal reports the eatery's San-Diego based parent company, Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp., has selected Phoenix to test-market a new restaurant concept called Field Kitchen (FK).
The new concept -- think Sweet Tomatoes' salad buffet meals plus meat, sandwiches, and booze -- translates to Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp. paying around $2 million to convert six of 10 local Sweet Tomatoes into Field Kitchens over the next two months, reports the Phoenix Business Journal.
So who gets FK'd first?
According to the Phoenix Business Journal, the first Sweet Tomatoes to be converted will be in Tempe, at 1410 East Southern Avenue, and will open as a Field Kitchen on Tuesday, November 6. Over the next two months, Sweet Tomatoes' locations in Glendale, Phoenix, Gilbert, Ahwatukee, and Scottsdale also will get FK'd.
The Phoenix Business Journal goes on to say in addition to more grub choices, Field Kitchen will also offer a swipe-card payment program (swipe at the food stations you're grazing from, give the card to the cashier for the total at the end), new entrees priced around $10, and, in a few months, possibly expand to more locations depending on its performance.
