On December 5, Chicago’s Furious Spoon began the transition of each of their five standalone locations around the city from fast casual to full-service, kicking off the first chapter of a multifaceted plan to elevate the brand. The “Furious (R)evolution”, as dubbed by the company, is all in the spirit of enhancing the guest experience and delivering what customers have come to love about Furious Spoon in a more innovative, comfortable and personal way.
The first Furious Spoon location opened in February of 2015 by Executive Chef Shin Thompson, in partnership with restaurateur Anshul Mangal. As an established and successful concept, moving from fast casual to full-service is a unique approach and Furious Spoon’s leadership team is excited to introduce changes that will continue to impress existing fans while offering an increasingly diverse menu to entice a new subset of diners. Phase one of the Furious (R)evolution includes rolling out the new full-service format beginning with the Lakeview location and ending with the Pilsen location in late January. The launch of a larger, enhanced menu with new creations and a higher touch will follow shop-by-shop beginning in late January and ending in late February.
“I’m always striving to make Furious Spoon the best ramen spot in the city,” says Executive Chef Shin Thompson. “A full-service model makes sense; we work hard to be innovative and want to properly educate our guests on our food and experience. As a chef, this is exciting because it allows me and the Furious team an opportunity to let the guest in on what we do behind the scenes. People are going to be surprised at how much work goes into the quality of every bowl; everything from our house made noodles and chashu to our fresh ingredients.”
As a Michelin-rated chef, Chef Shin and team have worked to ensure that the Furious Spoon experience is one that guests can continuously rely on. Each Furious Spoon shop is unique in its own right and caters to the neighborhood that it has the privilege to reside in. The leadership team is looking at each location individually, making custom changes that enhance the experience for guests in that area. Moving to a full-service model enables the team to take the guest through the menu and Furious Spoon’s story, providing a more cohesive and enjoyable interaction with the Furious brand.
“One of the things we lose out on with our current model is the ability to teach our guests on a personal level,” says Mangal. “We want every guest that walks through our door to feel a connection with the brand, whether that means being wowed by Chef Shin’s culinary expertise or by a memorable encounter with one of our team members.”
In 2019, Furious Spoon will be rolling out an expanded menu that provides a deeper appreciation for all that Chef Shin has to offer, while simultaneously enhancing the overall guest experience. The focus for Furious Spoon has always been to serve high quality ramen in a vibrant hip-hop atmosphere. That being said, Chef Shin is continuously looking for new opportunities to expand the menu and diversify the Furious flavors, all challenging the status quo. There will be additional information released on the new menu rollout in the weeks to come.
“The vision has always been to be the best, most innovative ramen spot in the city. We continue to strive for that every day and I think these changes will definitely push us even further,” says Mangal
Furious Spoon always strives to be the best and has proven to be a top contender for some of the hottest ramen in the nation. Now, they’re looking to turn up the heat even higher. The Furious (R)evolution is the next level in their “ramen-ology”, an evolution of the Furious Spoon brand.
About Furious Spoon
Executive Chef Shin Thompson opened his first Furious Spoon, a Tokyo-style ramen shop, in February of 2015 with the help of restaurateur Anshul Mangal. Inspired by his grandfather’s ramen shop in Hokkaido, Japan, Chef Thompson invites his guests to experience a more “true to life” ramen experience, serving handmade noodles and encouraging diners to slurp them furiously. With subtle nods to Japanese culture, Furious Spoon showcases a hip-hop playlist, local graffiti art and a communal dining experience. The menu features four core ramen flavors in addition to seasonal flavor varieties that allow Chef Thompson to creatively reimagine the traditional Japanese dish.
