Fo’Cheezy’s Success

Fo’Cheezy - A Home-Melted Success Story

By Peter Roos

Craig Munroe was just settling into his third St. Pete Beach location for his pizza company “A Slice of New York,” when he told me he was going to shut it down and join Robert Hesse in a new fast food concept. They were going to start with a brand-new, state-of-the-art food truck, followed by a brick & mortar restaurant, with the end goal being a National Franchise Program! They reserved April 2020 for their launch way before anyone had heard of COVID. The Fo’Cheezy philosophy is to “create chef-inspired comfort food,” and “bring home-cooked classics to life in an all-new way, as an experience, not just a meal.” At first glance, Fo’Cheezy may not seem like it aligns with your New Year’s resolution to finally get healthy. But celebrity chef Robert Hesse, who lost 455 pounds after three heart attacks, has ensured that there are healthier options, such as soups and salads, for people looking for a lighter fare. Fo’Cheezy opened the second brick and mortar location in October of 2021 at 111 3rd St. N in downtown St. Petersburg thanks to the popularity of the food truck, which started serving just as COVID hit, and the success of the first location at 6305 Gulf Blvd. in St. Pete Beach. They were proud to say that the company “remained debt-free throughout Covid” and afforded them the ability to open a 2nd location. Hip-hop and R&B music from the 1980s and ’90s sets the tone for the era of urban culture and the nostalgia it brings. Customers are greeted by a shiny, custom low rider bicycle hanging from the ceiling as they walk into the dining area. Gold-spoked rims and tires and a model of a front bumper from a 1964 Impala adorn the wall above the menu board, a combination that any fan of west coast hip-hop is sure to recognize. For interior decoration, larger-than-life murals are the star of the show. Tampa Bay muralist Matt Kress spent two months creating mural portraits of rap icons like Tupac, Biggie Smalls, Method Man and Slick Rick. The duo envisions their artisan grilled cheese as a form of graffiti.

Kress captured that idea in his artwork. Fo’Cheezy’s menu features 13 artisan melts encompassing an innovative combination of fresh ingredients. The “Mac N’ Rib” for example combines sharp cheddar cheese, barbecue pulled pork shoulder, smoked bacon, Fo’Cheezy macaroni and cheese, crispy onions, and honey drunk barbeque sauce. Sides include artisan tater tots that also feature inventive ingredient combinations. There are also soups and salads, hand-spun shakes, and “sweet thangs,” or desserts.

A native of St. Petersburg, Hesse has spoken about his rough up bringing and knack for finding trouble. Hesse credits the culinary arts for turning his life around – specifically chefs like the late Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsey. Hesse was a fan-favorite during his two seasons on the hit T.V. show Hell’s Kitchen. Training under Chef Ramsey is an invaluable experience for an up-and-coming chef, so to pay tribute, they handed out free orders of Ramsey’s famous beef wellington, which they turned into a melt, to the first 50 people through the doors on opening night. Chef Hesse has also made multiple appearances on the Food Network, served as a private chef to several celebrities, and enjoyed a stint as an event chef at the Playboy Mansion. Hesse would then return to his hometown where he began to create gourmet grilled cheese with a street edge on the actual streets of St. Petersburg with their new Fo’Cheezy food truck. The new downtown storefront location for Fo’Cheezy Twisted Meltz offers artisan-style, gourmet grilled cheese with a “street edge.” This location held its grand opening much to the delight of a loyal fan base who swear by Fo’Cheezy’s gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. By 5pm, a diverse group of about 20 men, women and children stood in a line on 3rd Street North in downtown St. Petersburg to be among the first to see the inside of Fo’Cheezy’s new location. The family at the front of the line got there at 4pm, and several people made the trip from St. Pete Beach – the site of the first restaurant – to try out the newest iteration of what began as a food truck. Around 20 loyal fans lined up to be the first inside of the new Fo’Cheezy location. Hesse and Munroe personally manned the grill on opening night, which stretched from 5pm until 4am. Located just around the block from Jannus Live and MacDintons, Fo’Cheezy’s rich, gooey melts are a popular treat for the late-night crowds. Hesse and Munroe briefly addressed the crowd before welcoming them inside, and in addition to stating what an honor the moment was, he made sure to note that 2% of all proceeds go to benefit the Fo’Cheezy charity – No Kid 86’ed. The term refers to an item no longer available in the restaurant industry. “While we do good, we want to make sure others do good,” is a company motto.

“The numbers have been amazing all of us. I’ve been in the restaurant business for a very long time, and the sales and gross profit are exciting, particularly considering the pandemic,” said Chef Craig Munroe.” We are at the point in our business plan when we planned to begin selling franchises, so we have been forging ahead. If you know someone who wants to have one of the first Fo’Cheezy franchises, email me CraigM@meltmob.com. “A great first step is to visit one of our locations and try everything on the menu.” Tell them you read about them in Paradise NEWS!

Beach Location: 6305 Gulf Blvd., SPB 33706, 727-827-7767 DTSP Location: 111 3rd Street N., DTSP 33701, 727-256-8888 Food Truck: Events@FoCheezy.com, 727-498-3205 Franchising: CraigM@meltmob.com www.focheezy.com