SLAPFISH PARTNERS WITH THE CULINARY EDGE TO UNVEIL NEW RESTAURANT CONCEPT AND MENU THIS MONTH

Standout Seafood Brand's Updated Focus Allows Guests to Customize Menu Offerings in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Slapfish, chef-driven seafood restaurants, announced today its partnership with The Culinary Edge (TCE), America's leading culinary innovation agency offering future-driven solutions for foodservice brands, to bring the brand's newest coastal seafood kitchen concept to three of its restaurants in the Salt Lake City market. The new and improved restaurants will open to the public on Monday, January 30. Designed to deliver on the whitespace for approachable and elevated seafood in the fast-casual space, Slapfish has created a bold offering by combining fearless flavors, fan-favorite forms, and responsibly sourced seafood that guests can't find anywhere else. Conveniently located throughout Greater Salt Lake City, each of the reimagined Slapfish locations will offer a revolutionized take on seafood cuisine paired with unwavering hospitality.

Founded by Andrew Gruel in 2011, Slapfish began as a food truck before growing into the fast-casual seafood concept with more than 20 locations throughout the U.S. The brand was recently acquired by Mac Haik Enterprises in October 2022.

"Slapfish has always been at the forefront of delivering bold flavors and Instagram worthy seafood dishes that is rarely found on the fast-casual sea of brand. To continue to push the envelope and maintain relevancy, we view this as an opportune time to elevate our menu, and allow our guests to be in charge of their Slapfish Voyage," said Dan Anfinson, President, The Slapfish Company, LLC. "Our focus is to maintain the highest quality ingredients at an affordable price point, creating seafood for the every day. Guests can guarantee they'll always enjoy a fresh and original meal for lunch or dinner at Slapfish. We are certain both our new and loyal guests will revel in the updated Slapfish experience, and we look forward to unveiling it to more locations in the future."

Slapfish boasts its commitment to excellence through careful preparation and quality ingredients showcased throughout its new menu – brought to life by The Culinary Edge's unmatched team of innovators. Focused on creative customization, the "seariously fresh" menu will allow guests to choose your voyage providing the opportunity to modify meals based on cravings while staying true to the healthy, delicious convenience that Slapfish prides itself on. The menu customization process will include:

• Pick a protein. The seafood proteins include familiar favorites like Grilled Salmon, Grilled or Crispy White Fish, Seared Ahi Tuna, and Grilled or Crispy Shrimp. Not a seafood aficionado? Guests can also opt for Grilled or Crispy Chicken, or the more health and environmentally conscious can select Plant-based Seafood.
• Pick a format. Perhaps the most flexible benefit of the new menu is the option to build your meal as a Salad, Bowl, Sandwich, or Tacos.
• Pick a sauce. Finish off your meal with one of our five homemade sauces which cover a range of flavor profiles from light to creamy, spicy to sweet including Herby Chimichurri, Sriracha Honey Lime, Sesame Soy Glaze, Greek Yogurt Ranch, and the brand's signature Slap Sauce.

Aimed at covering a range of healthy to indulgent needs, Slapfish's desirable flagship items will continue to hold prime real estate on the new Salt Lake City menus such as the Lobster Roll, The Clobster Grilled Cheese, Fish & Chips, Epic Shrimp Burrito, and Poke Bowl. But don't forget to save room for the bites and sides! Slapfish will also offer veggie-forward, shareable options with fried favorites. In celebration of the grand re-opening, guests can enjoy Clam Chowder and Chowder Tots for a limited time, so get them while they're hot!

"Our goal is to show how fresh seafood can be both an affordable everyday staple, and a stand-out addition to fast casual options. It doesn't have to be too bland or too indulgent. We changed the brand's structure to balance fun flavors with familiar forms." said Graham Humphreys, CEO at The Culinary Edge. "Following suit with best-in-class fast-casuals, we gave guests the option of signature favorites, or custom builds. To communicate this new proposition, we created a brand identity that conveys the spirit of fun at the heart of the brand," added Sam Aronson, Strategist.

Upon opening, guests can enjoy Slapfish's new coastal seafood kitchen at any of the three Salt Lake City restaurants located at Sandy – 10431 State Street, Sandy, UT 84070; Lehi – 3320 N. Digital Drive, Suite 130, Lehi, UT 84043; and Farmington – 254 N. University Drive, Suite Q-010, Farmington, UT 84025. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information about Slapfish, please visit our website at www.slapfishrestaurant.com.

About The Culinary Edge
The Culinary Edge (TCE) is a San Francisco-based food and beverage innovation consultancy, fusing culinary excellence and human-centered design for a better future. At TCE you'll find classically trained chefs working alongside designers, brand planners, operational experts, and food anthropologists. The company's unique 360-degree process has led them to work with ambitious national brands including Starbucks, First Watch, Buffalo Wild Wings, and the launch of TCE's own brand, Starbird. To learn more about The Culinary Edge and the team, visit www.theculinaryedge.com. Follow The Culinary Edge on Facebook for the latest news and trends.

About Slapfish
Slapfish is a food truck turned brick and mortar, fast-casual seafood restaurant that consists of 20 locations across the U.S. Slapfish has received many awards for culinary innovation and sustainability efforts across the concept including MenuMaster's Trendsetter Award (2016), Sustainable Operator of the Year from The Buyer's Edge (2022) and Future 50: Emerging Brands by Restaurant Business (2022). Slapfish is headquartered at Mac Haik Enterprises (MHE) in Houston, Texas. To learn more about Slapfish, please visit slapfishrestaurant.com.

About Mac Haik Enterprises LTD (MHE)
MHE includes commercial real estate development entities that develop, own and manage office buildings, medical buildings, retail centers, outdoor billboards and hotels. The Mac Haik Automotive Group is the largest independent automotive group in the state of Texas and the 15th largest in the United States with 17 new car dealerships plus seven stand-alone used car dealerships. MHE subsidiaries also are majority owners in three rapidly expanding fast-casual restaurant brands, Original ChopShop, Bellagreen and Slapfish A Modern Seafood Shack. MH Outdoor Media LLC is an outdoor advertising media company with over 1100 digital and static signs in Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida and Alabama. MHE was one of the founding partners and maintained an equity and chairmanship interest in Acuity Healthcare Inc, the largest ESOP-owned LTAC in the country with hospitals in New Jersey, West Virginia, and Ohio. The overall MHE companies employ over 3,000 employees nationwide. For additional information regarding MHE, visit machaik-enterprises.com.

Media Contact:
Hayden Koone
Fish Consulting, Account Director
hrome@fish-consulting.com | (754) 888-6303

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SOURCE The Culinary Edge