Giggles N’ Hugs, an upscale family-friendly restaurant, is expanding into the Valley this year, starting with a new location at Westfield Topanga. The publicly-held restaurant company recently signed a 10-year lease for a 6,000-square-foot space at the Canoga Park mall. Plans for the eatery include a built-in play area and daily live entertainment and shows. It’s slated to open by the end of August. Giggles N’ Hugs Founder and CEO Joey Parsi said the move marks the brand’s entry into the Valley and other emerging markets. Giggles N’ Hugs currently operates a single, 6,500-square-foot location at Westfield Century City. Company officials are currently eyeing additional opportunities at Westfield Valencia Town Center and Glendale Galleria, although no deals have been confirmed. “We have the spaces identified,” Parsi said. “It all depends on capital.” Opening a Giggles N’ Hugs location costs about $1.5 million, Parsi said. The former stock broker developed the concept for Giggles N’ Hugs four years ago, after identifying a need for a restaurant that caters to parents and children. The company closed its 1,500-square-foot original location in Brentwood after it opened at Westfield’s Century City shopping center in December 2010, he said. A year later, he took the company public to raise capital for future expansion of the brand. Giggles N’ Hugs reported a net loss of $1,059,379 last year, according to the company’s 2011 annual report. Westfield Topanga is known for its high-end tenants such as Tiffany’s, Neiman Marcus and Louis Vuitton, but it serves a wide range of customers, said Anthony Sion, the mall’s marketing director. “(Giggles N’ Hugs) will definitely bring added value for our families in the center,” Sion said. The restaurant’s location — on the second floor adjacent to Target and near the children’s play area — is ideally situated to serve families. The space was previously occupied by an arcade and game center, and is being redesigned and built to accommodate the restaurant’s equipment and features, Sion said. Since the original Giggles N’ Hugs location opened in February 2008, the restaurant brand has garnered major media attention and attracted high-end celebrity clients such as Ben Affleck, Halle Berry and Gwen Stefani. “The (celebrity) list goes on and on,” Parsi said. “You name it — they come here.” The restaurant offers adults a beer and wine selection, free Wi-fi and drop-off services allowing them to shop while their children play in a supervised atmosphere. The Century City venue has a 2,000-square-foot play area that includes a life-size pirate ship, a fairytale play castle, and other favorite kids’ toys. Entertainment consists of story-telling, singing and game sessions conducted by staff members. Giggles N’ Hugs also offers magic shows, puppet shows, arts and crafts and contests such as talent shows. “A lot of restaurants claim to be ‘family-friendly,’” Parsi said. “Besides the smaller food portions, I don’t understand what makes them that.” Parsi said Giggles N’ Hugs offers entrée selections that are nutritious, appetizing and “organic when possible.” Adult dishes include wild Alaskan salmon, goat cheese and eggplant paninis, and penne primavera, while kids’ plates include macaroni and cheese, fettuccini alfredo and fish sticks. The “extraordinary food” sets Giggles N’ Hugs apart from competitors such as Chuck E. Cheese, Parsi said. Customers have taken to sites such as Yelp.com to share their praise. “You can keep an eye on the kids, have some time to check your e-mail on their free Wi-fi and have a latte or a glass of wine — like going to the park but with adult perks,” said Calista Y. of Los Angeles. “The best part is you can order food and feed the kids without too much fuss and they can go back to playing until they’re tired.” Looking forward, Parsi said, the company is considering franchising in domestic and international markets. Eventually, the company also wants to add a kids clothing line and launch a frozen food line to be sold in grocery stores and specialty retailers. “We want to be the Microsoft of the restaurant industry,” Parsi said.
Giggles N’ Hugs to Serve Families at Westfield Topanga
