Dillon Davis

Battle Creek Enquirer

A new Domino's concept restaurant touting an interactive experience for customers will open up next month in Battle Creek.

The restaurant, owned by Five Star Pizza Co. Inc., will open its doors Oct. 17 in the Capital Centre Plaza at 2545 Capital Ave. S.W. It marks the return of the franchise to the area after a former location at 145 W. Columbia Ave. closed at the end of May. Five Star Pizza Co. President Eric Arntson said the old location no longer met Domino's needs as the brand has undergone a shakeup of its menu and its logo during the past several years.

Arntson said the 2,081-square-foot space leased on Capital Avenue is a better fit with greater accessibility for its customers and delivery drivers.

The new Domino's location is expected to feature a "guest-friendly, pizza theater prototype" that allows patrons a view of the entire pizza making experience. The company plans to have all of its restaurants remodeled to fit this exact design by the end of its 2017 fiscal year, according to multiple media reports.

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Market Realist, an investment research and analytics company, said Domino's is investing more than $50 million for technology and its redesign program.

Arntson also said it's not likely to be the last of its kind in the area. He said Five Star Pizza Co. is planning a second location on Battle Creek's north side that could open up as early as next year. He said several north side locations have been identified, but one has not yet been selected.

Dane Davis of NAI Wisinski of West Michigan assisted in the transaction with Anmar Atchu of Hinman Co. representing the landlord, BC Capital Centre LLC, according to a Friday news release by Grand Rapids-based Clark Communications.

Domino's was founded in 1960 in Ypsilanti by Tom and James Monaghan. It now has about 12,900 locations with more than 260,000 employees worldwide, the company said.

Contact Dillon Davis at 269-966-0698 or dwdavis@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DillonDavis