Jackson, Miss. — Newk’s Eatery is expanding in North Texas with the company’s latest development agreement to open seven locations in Fort Worth and surrounding areas.
Newk’s newest franchisee is an operating group composed of two father-son teams. Texas restaurateurs Cyrus Park and his father Hooshang Naghad will serve as the local operators, with capital and counsel provided by Alan Ribble and son Conner Ribble.
This is the first joint investment by the foursome, which brings extensive restaurant and hospitality industry experience to the table. Naghad opened Park Place, a fine dining restaurant in Texarkana, Ark., in 1979 and is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute of New York. Son Cyrus has been working alongside his father for 17 years. The Ribbles have been investors in real estate for over 30 years, including involvement with North Dallas hotel franchises.
“This team is ideal to expand Newk’s brand in the Fort Worth area,” says Newk’s chief development officer, Chris Cheek. “They have tremendous hospitality experience, and Cyrus and Hooshang are experts in both restaurant operations and building relationships with guests and in the community.”
Now in its 13th year of business, Newk’s serves made-from-scratch sandwiches, salads, soups and handcrafted pizzas for lunch and dinner. Everything on the menu is prepared in open-view kitchens with premium ingredients.
In the past year, Newk’s exceeded the 100-unit mark, expanded into 10 new markets and added over 50 new franchise unit commitments.
Founded in 2004, Jackson, Miss.-based Newk’s currently operates and franchises more than 115 units in 13 states. For more information, visit Newks.com.
SOURCE: Newk’s Eatery