NEW RESTAURANT CHAIN NEEDS AD AGENCY
By Adnews Staff
Koo Koo Roo Canada will be looking for an ad agency in the summer, partner Craig Findlay told Adnews this week. The company intends to open two Koo Koo Roo California Kitchen restaurants and attached Arrosto Coffee Company shops in Toronto in October or November. Koo Koo Roo plans to expand across Canada but has no timetable yet. The Canadian operation is a joint venture between Koo Koo Roo Inc. of Los Angeles and a group of blue chip Canadian investors, as reported in the March 19 edition of Adnews On-line. The Canadian side of the partnership include financial heavyweights such as Trevor Eyton, chairman of Edper Group and Brascan. Neville Kirchmann, former president of Coca-Cola Beverages of Canada, is in charge of the Canadian company's operations. The U.S. firm announced this week that it has bought the Los Angeles-based Color Me Mine chain of ceramic studios, in which customers buy and paint ceramic pieces which the company glazes and fires for next day pick up. Koo Koo Roo plans to put the do-it-yourself workshops next to its restaurants. Each Color Me Mine studio will also have an Arrosto Coffee Company shop in it. The Color Me Mine outlets may come to Canada, Findlay said. A decision will be made within 30 days. Color Me Mine and Koo Koo Roo operations will have separate management. However, they will very likely share customers. Since they both tend to attract the same sort of person, the restaurant chain's management is betting that many ceramic studio customers will drop next door for a bite to eat.