After an enthusiastic response from guests and employees to the recently completed "Farm-Fresh Refresh" project in Dayton, Ohio, Bob Evans Restaurants is embarking on a broader effort,  announcing two additional market-wide initiatives to "refresh" restaurants in the Detroit, Mich. and Toledo, Ohio, regions.

The next leg of the renovation project is expected to begin in August and be completed in November. The company is investing approximately $10 million to update 44 restaurants in both markets, improving the overall dining experience for guests while supporting the local economy. Each restaurant will close for a short time to allow for a farm-fresh "makeover" inside and out.

The company expects to remodel a total of 56 Bob Evans restaurants and complete six new builds during fiscal 2012 as part of its BEST to Invest initiative, which reinvests in the Bob Evans Farms heritage for a stronger restaurant brand, and invigorated employees and communities.

The Detroit and Toledo announcement comes as the company is currently investing nearly $4 million in the original Bob Evans Farm and Homestead and first restaurant in Rio Grande, Ohio. This spring, the company also opened two newly built restaurants in Florida in April and announced plans to build a new corporate campus in New Albany, Ohio.

"These projects not only modernize the brand, but also serve as job creation vehicles – creating construction and hospitality jobs in these communities, ultimately stimulating the economy," explains Steve Davis, chairman and CEO of Bob Evans Farms, Inc. "Each growth project brings a positive message to the affected area. We're especially pleased to bring our refresh program to areas that have been hard-hit by the economy, such as Toledo and Detroit."

The Toledo and Detroit markets were chosen as the second phase of this potential system-wide refresh project based upon an analysis of the local demographics and the condition of existing Bob Evans restaurants in the market.