Phil Shipley

Phil Shipley, director of operations for Bistro's McAlister's, said the appeal of the quick-casual format is convenience but with a comfortable setting and better menu than fast food.McAlister's highlights a broad range of menu items with 80 types of sandwiches, soups, and salads.Signature fare includes its "Spud Max" stuffed potato and sweet tea.

"The food's similar to casual dining but you're paying less," he said, noting quick-casual is more of a faster, lunch-oriented business than Bistro's dinner-dependent business.Shipley said each eatery is serving about 500 lunches per day.

Phil Shipley, director of operations for The Bistro Group, will open Greater Cincinnati's third McAlister's Deli on April 26 in the Voice of America shopping complex in West Chester.McAlister's is a casual restaurant chain with more than 120 locations in the U.S. Cincinnati-based The Bistro Group is one of the largest McAlister's Deli franchisees.The company currently runs two McAlister's in the Cincinnati area; 30 T.G.I. Fridays in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania; two Karlo's Bistro Italia locations in Ohio and Kentucky and the only North American Hofbrauhaus in Newport.Shipley, who lives in Mason, and The Bistro Group plan to open eight additional McAlister's within the next three years including a fourth location in Mason at the Deerfield Town Center before summer's end.

"We plan on building roughly three a year," said Phil Shipley, director of operations for The Bistro Group.
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Shipley blamed the stall on real estate availability and simply running behind schedule.He said Bistro is looking for more locations in the Tri-County area, in Northgate, Anderson Township, downtown Cincinnati, Clifton, Western Hills, Crestview Hills and near Northern Kentucky University.

The McAlister's store in Kenwood, which opened in February 2003, reported first-year sales of $1.3 million, Shipley said.
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"First w'ere going to get Cincinnati down," Shipley said.