Friday, September 14, 2018

Jackson luuuuuvs It Some Krystals

Krystal is replacing its stores in the Jackson area with a new-fangled version.  The company stated in a press release last month:


The Krystal Company announces the reopening of the Krystal restaurant located at 3875 Highway 80 West in Jackson, Mississippi after a complete “scrape and rebuild” that razed the existing building and replaced it with a new prototype. The redesigned restaurant, which is the first of its kind across Krystal’s 11-state footprint, is scheduled to open for business on Tuesday, August 21 with a grand opening planned for Friday, September 7. The project began on April 2, temporarily relocating existing employees to other Krystal locations and utilizing local contractors for the project.

“The redesign is part of a company-wide initiative to improve the dining experience for our guests and adapt to changes in consumer behavior,” Krystal President and CEO Paul Macaluso explained. “We’re seeing more drive-through business, especially for late-night and breakfast. The drive-through design is built for speed and serviceability with a single window, expanded work zone and double drive-lane.”

The “Davenport” prototype pays tribute to Rody Davenport, Jr., a Krystal founder, long revered for his commitment to quality food and the guest experience. The 1,788 square-foot restaurant is made of three primary building materials – wood, metal and stucco – for ease of construction. The new kitchen and facilities layout maximizes efficiency and employee awareness.

Design elements include a vibrant color package highlighting the Krystal name in red, a heritage color for Krystal. Architecturally, the building is both contemporary and nostalgic, with a full-glass front and a wood-framed open ceiling in the dining room. The building is square like Krystal’s famous burgers.

Krystal plans to scrape and rebuild Jackson’s Lakeland Drive and Ellis Avenue locations over the next 18 months. Jackson currently has 12 Krystal restaurants, out of 362 across the Southeast (including franchises). Forty percent of Krystal restaurants are over 40 years old. The company will redesign 75-100 restaurants over the next five years, representing approximately 40 percent of Krystal’s corporate portfolio.

“Jackson is mission critical to Krystal,” Macaluso said. “It is a top-10 market in terms of performance. Our sales here are 25 percent higher on average than anywhere else in the system.”

Macaluso expects to see a significant sales increase as a result of the redesign.

Jackson leads the way in Krystal's sales.  Who knew?

Note to Krystal: Just don't change the apple pie, whatever you do, just don't change it.   

43 comments:

Louis LeFleur said...

Interesting that they'd choose to do this location first since it can only be entered from the Metrocenter loop or the "ramp" to it from Hwy 80, not directly from Hwy 80 itself. Wonder if they changed it to access directly from 80 since Metrocenter is now officially "dead" and there hasn't been much traffic on that loop in years and years no. Also interesting that they are going to a drive-in only format for all locations, but I can certainly see where that would be a good safety move for Jackson locations! Whatever, now I've got a Krystal cravin' and lunchtime approaches. May have to drive up to Gluckstat since that's the location closest to my office.

Anonymous said...

Never understood why they closed the one in NEJ near Kroger. It was always packed. Even at 2:00am.

Anonymous said...

I still miss Krystal by the I55N Kroger.

Anonymous said...

I get the burps and diarrhea from eating a Krystals slider. The Krystals meat smell like my arm pit when I'm sweating.

Anonymous said...

If you've traveled and are a true foodie, you will have to admit - White Castle is Better than Krystal's!

Krystal's just slap their slidders together, White Castle, they steam the bun on top of the patty while they are cooking! Way better product

I tried to get White Castle to come down for one of our food truck events in the metro area, but they said they were book solid until next summer.

Louis LeFleur said...

For the life of me I can't remember the I55 Kroger Krystal. Was it in the corner with the Western Sizzlin' and Baskin Robins?

Anonymous said...

I would suggest some ballistic glass and Kevlar in the walls....

Anonymous said...

It doesn’t matter how you dress something up. It’s still the same ole dump. Give it 6 weeks and it will get robbed, torn up all the usual in Jack town

Anonymous said...

For the life of me I can't remember the I55 Kroger Krystal. Was it in the corner with the Western Sizzlin' and Baskin Robins?

There's a bank on that site now.......just west is Firestone Tire.

Anonymous said...

12:37
It was across from the pharmacy at Kroger.

Anonymous said...

@ 12:37 - I think there is a Regions bank there now. It was in between the Firestone shop and the post office that bears your name.

Anonymous said...

@ Louis 12:37...

It was situated where the Regions Jacksonian Plaza is now.

Wonder if Captain Bubba Craddock will allow this type of new Krystl scorcery to take place at his Blue Sky Gluckstadt location...

Louis LeFleur said...

Thanks, y'all. Yeah, I remember now. Across the street. Looked right at it 1000s of time leaving the Kroger. Geez, my memory.

Anonymous said...

"The drive-through design is built for speed and serviceability with a single window, expanded work zone and double drive-lane.”

What an interesting concept! Double drive-lanes! Someone should suggest that idea to Chik-Fil-A and McDonalds!

Anonymous said...

Back when you could drink and drive a sack of Krystals at 2 a.m. was the way to go.

Anonymous said...

White Castle is not better than Krystal. I have eaten at a few and they don't taste the same. Krystal beats WC hands down.

Not only did they bulldoze and rebuild the Krystal by Metrocenter, they gutted and rebuilt the Arby's next door. Also, they razed the Burger King in Madison and are rebuilding it as we speak.

Anonymous said...

why don't some of you skid marks go buy a life instead of waiting to hop on this blog to down talk the Capital City....go catch cancer or something...

Anonymous said...

The one on N. State is still lit at 2am.

Ernest T Bass said...

Jackson loves McD to much to make Krystal popular.

Anonymous said...

In a completely unrelated story, I hit up the Krystal in G'Stadt the other evening. Pull up to the drive thru and they say, "Can you come inside?". After some moments pondering why they could possibly not serve from the drive thru window, but could still fulfill the dining in experience, I drove off.

Sam Brookes said...

I still love Krystal burgers and the chili pups. However back in the 1970's they also served fried chicken and in my opinion it was some of the best I have ever eaten. The Krystal 3 egg breakfast is the best deal anywhere.

Anonymous said...

2:38 = clearly one of those "tolerant" Democrats.

Anonymous said...

2nd fattest state in the country.

Anonymous said...

@ Ernest T Bass

Jackson loves McD to much to make Krystal popular.

I'm sorry, but they all suck around here. I don't care if its the one on Countyline Road in Ridgeland, the location on Hwy 51 in Ridgeland, Highway 80 in Jackson, Woodrow Wilson in Jackson, Hanging Moss in Jackson, or the one located on Beasley Road in Jackson.

The service, the way they fix your food!? All terrible. It's a rarity for you to get decent Big Mac, Double Quarter Pounder with cheese - they can never get it right

Anonymous said...

The I-55 Krystal was the after-concert go-to place back when we had halfway decent concerts at the coliseum.

Anonymous said...

Krystal always gives me bad gas. I love it. I try to fill up on it every time I go to the in laws.

Anonymous said...

I guess I was expecting to much to think we might get through these comments without a reference to "Krystal's" or "Krystals."

Anonymous said...

Borat is very excited.

Anonymous said...

We had a visitor from New England who ordered one Krystal and was truly insulted at what she was served. I explained that you order several at a time and they are a Southern thing. Governor Ross Barnett used to tap on the glass and wave if you were sitting on the counter side of the Krystal on Capital St.at lunchtime. Another Jackson Krystal story is someone was shot at the South Jackson drive-thru lane because they were there too long.

Anonymous said...

@2:57

Been to the G'stadt Krystal twice and had to drive off both times.

Anonymous said...

Gluckstadt Krystal’s Always too damn slow. I love Gutbombs.

Kingfish said...

And they are higher priced. Lakeland Drive seems to provide the best service and prices.

Anonymous said...

White Castle burgers are the Yankee version of our beloved Krystals; catch them on sale in the 6 pack box in the frozen food section of your local Walgreens. The square piece of meat(?) has 5 holes in it being 1 near each corner and 1 in the center. Damn near looks like a Rebel Flag! I'm surprised it hasn't "triggered" someone yet.....

Anonymous said...

The Krystal on Siwell Road in Byram is well run and clean. The grandkids recently persuaded me to take them there in lieu of McD's Happy Meals. The taste of a single Krystal burger with the tiny diced onions, dill pickles and yellow mustard brought back memories and, frankly, tasted okay, as edible as a McDonalds burger anyway. We should cut them some slack - at least Krystal is willing to invest some money in Jackson.

Anonymous said...

Stucco? The hell you say.

PS: "load up on Krystals, get gas, visit the in-laws". It's a plan!

Anonymous said...

Last night after reading this I got a craving for some Krystals, so I drove up to Gluckstadt and was the only person there. Went through the drive-thru lane and ordered a #1 (4 Krystals, fries, Coke) simplest item on the menu.

Only one there, ordered 4 Krystals and fries, about 9pm, and I had to wait more than ten minutes after I paid to get my food. There were at least 4 employees there and no other customers.

No excuse for that.

P.S. Even with all this, I'll eat Krystal over White Castle any day. Whoever said White Castle is better is FOS.

Anonymous said...

People loving Krystal fare proves that folks in Missippi, know nothing about food, I wouldn't feed this mess to my dogs.

Anonymous said...

We should demand an audit. There is no way another state is fatter than MS.

Anonymous said...

The content of their "meat" is highly suspicious. It's like eating the azz hole of a dead skunk.

Wiseowl said...

Saw some great fights at Krystal at Meadowbrook.

Anonymous said...

I've seen white castles in a box at Kroger but never saw one of their joints.

If you pour spoilt mushroom soup over the square 'meat' from a Krystal, you have SOS.

Harry Burger said...

The Krystal out on 25/Lakeland is freezing cold so you'd be well advised to wear a mink stole or your Ole Miss blazer. Best overall experience can be had at the Krystal at the corner of County Line and Old Canton.

You'd be a damned fool to patronize any others in Jackson and who would dine at the one in Gluckstadt with the truck stop breakfast right across the street?

Here's a bet: With all this redesign and rebranding in the plans, I'll put my 50 to your two that the photos on the wall featuring white people from sixty years ago will go in the trash heap.

Anonymous said...

Simply the fact that this many people are posting comments about a dive named Krystal is evidence of the fact that you people are circling a bowl without even knowing it. What your true go-to meal is is the gas station hot dog. Admit it.



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