Crack’d Kitchen & Coffee: Fast Casual, Fully Elevated

Founded in Andover, Massachusetts in 2019, Crack’d Kitchen & Coffee is a fast-casual breakfast-and-lunch concept with five locations across the country, including three in Massachusetts (Andover, Burlington and Peabody); one in Salem, New Hampshire; and another in Plantation, Florida. Most orders are taken to-go, with limited seating available inside and on restaurant patios.

A Fast-Casual Concept Built on Quality

Co-founders Alan Frati and Danny Azzarello focus on a culinary-driven operation built around premium ingredients, extensive scratch preparation and attentive hospitality. They don’t believe the experience—or the food—should feel limited by the fast-casual format.

“I would describe our concept as culinary-driven, full-service food and hospitality in a fast, compact setup,” Frati says. “What makes it a little bit different is that we’re still fast-casual, so we fit within that segment as far as ticket times go, and we have a strong takeout service.” Still, Frati explains, team members deliver hospitality by describing the menu, assisting with orders, running food, clearing plates and regularly checking in with guests. All of the scratch-made items are produced at each individual restaurant location.

Scratch-Made Menu Favorites

Signature Breakfast Sandwiches

Breakfast sandwiches helped launch the concept and remain among its signatures. The Live Free or Die combines a cage-free egg, cheddar cheese, housemade sweet-and-spicy Crack Ketchup and New Hampshire smoked bacon on a brioche bun. The Porker features a proprietary sausage made with espresso grounds and New Hampshire maple syrup, layered with maple mustard, a cage-free egg, caramelized onions and Swiss cheese.

Growing Beyond Breakfast

Crack’d has also found success beyond breakfast with overnight-marinated, hand-breaded chicken sandwiches and tenders served with housemade sauces. The team is testing smash burgers at one location, although burgers have not yet become a core menu category.

As the concept grows, Frati and Azzarello are taking a measured approach. New markets must have strong daytime traffic from offices, colleges, universities or surrounding communities.

“There are a lot of opportunities popping up,” Azzarello says. “With our concept, we have to be particular about where we go. There has to be a significant daytime population, because we’re mostly in the breakfast and lunch segment.”

For Crack’d, growth is less about expanding quickly than finding locations where its distinctive combination of speed, scratch cooking and hospitality can thrive. “Slow and steady wins the race,” Azzarello says.

Learn more about Crack’d Kitchen in this podcast produced by US Foods partner Restaurant Unstoppable.