Arlington, Va. — Bob & Edith’s Diner, an iconic Washington, D.C., eatery beloved by celebrities and locals alike, recently opened its fifth corporate location in Arlington, Va., despite COVID-19-related delays. The new location welcomed more customers than anticipated in its first week (both on- and off-premise), highlighting the concept’s popularity and cult-like following in D.C. and surrounding areas.
The new location has special significance to owner Greg Bolton. “My dad worked at this very location 65 years ago, before he opened the first Bob & Edith’s Diner,” he says. “I worked at this location when I was 17, and now my kids and grandkids will own the location where their grandfather once worked.”
Greg’s son, Chris, who is involved in the business as the third generation of Boltons, adds: “We are fortunate our customers love us and support us with busy restaurants. We can’t think of a better return on our profits than reinvesting in new Bob & Edith’s Diner locations. Especially in these times, where there are great conversion opportunities as we saw with our restaurant in Crystal City, the potential returns are excellent.”
The 50-year-old, family-owned and operated business traditionally thrived off dine-in sales, and had to make operational changes to adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic. The diner made a quick and crucial pivot to implement new technology, update packaging to better accommodate pickup and delivery, create a digital-friendly menu and utilize third-party delivery apps. Today, they are operating at 50% dine-in sales and 50% off-premise sales.
Bob & Edith’s Diner is partnered with Fransmart, the industry leading franchise development company behind the explosive growth of brands like Five Guys Burgers & Fries and QDOBA Mexican Grill, as its exclusive franchise development partner to grow the brand.
“The best way to tell if a restaurant concept is successful is to see if the insiders are reinvesting into more locations,” says Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart. “Bob & Edith’s Diner continues to grow because customers love it, and these restaurants are busy to the point where the insiders see reinvesting any profits into more locations is giving the best returns on profits, and creating a stronger foundation as they expand nationally.”
Bob & Edith’s Diner operates 24 hours 7 days a week. The family-run business has provided exceptional service and hospitality to each of its customers since opening in 1969. The concept currently operates five corporate locations in Arlington, Crystal City, Alexandria and Springfield, Va. For more information, visit www.BobandEdithsDiner.com.
Fransmart is the global leader in franchise development, turning emerging restaurant concepts into national and global brands for 20 years. Fransmart and its partner brands are committed to franchise development growth — as of 2020, over 1,000 new restaurants are in development across its current portfolio. For more information, visit https://fransmart.com/bob-ediths-diner/.
SOURCE: Fransmart