(Atlanta, GA) - Martin Sprock, the founder of Planet Smoothie and Moe's Southwest Grill, will open the first location of his new noodle house restaurant concept in Buckhead in May. Sprock, head of Wow Brands Inc., is working on launching Mama Fu's, a quick casual Asian noodle concept that will open its first location across from Piedmont Hospital. His Buckhead office is full of light fixtures, floor tile, menus and art for the new Asian restaurant, which will feature noodle and stir fry dishes from Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and other cuisine.

Mama Fu's has pending deals for more than 30 units, Sprock said, including one at the Atlantic Station development in Midtown.

"I think we're getting into the Pan-Asian noodle concept just at the right time," he said. "I think it will be really popular, and as for growth, the sky's the limit."

The Mama Fu's concept is based loosely on existing noodle houses. But Sprock is not deterred by the fact that he was not the first to market.

Sprock's Moe's concept has outgrown the competition through aggressive franchising.

Moe's launched well after local burrito favorites like Willy's Mexicana Grill were already rolling. But within three years, Sprock's Moe's concept has outpaced its local rivals.

Willy's has nine Atlanta locations. Moe's, which opened in 2001, has 50 units in 11 Southeastern states.

Another 26 are under construction and 80 leases for new Moe's restaurants are signed, Sprock said. "I think we can expand Moe's to 120 units by the end of 2003 and have 200 by next year," he said.

With the purchase last year of the Louisiana-based PJ's Coffee and Tea Co. chain, Sprock said he now has the portfolio of concepts he wants. The goal over the next 20 months will be to sign new franchising deals to grow each restaurant brand.

Sprock wants to expand the PJs coffee chain from 40 units to 100 units over the next two years, he said. "I don't want to be Starbucks — I'm not crazy — but I wanted to get into the coffee concept," he said. Sprock wants to expand the menu for the PJs concept, adding sandwiches and possibly wine to the current coffee drinks and pastry.

The goal for Planet Smoothie, which Sprock founded in 1995, is to grow from 130 units in 22 states to about 200, he said.

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