New York City — Blink Fitness, a premium-quality, affordable fitness concept, has hit its stride with multi-unit franchising. In the past few months, Blink has signed three major franchise development agreements representing nearly 40 units in Sacramento, Calif.; Boston and Nashville, Tenn. These deals increase the brand’s franchise footprint by 50%. “We’re growing strategically — and quickly — with experienced multi-unit operators across the country,” says Todd Magazine, CEO of Blink Fitness. “Our franchise opportunity is gaining widespread attention, especially with multi-unit groups who are seeking a low-labor concept to …
franchise development
Chicago — Potbelly Corporation, a neighborhood sandwich shop concept, has signed three new franchise agreements. Over the last 6 months, the company signed franchise agreements that, when fully built out over the coming years, will nearly double its franchise footprint with multi-unit development deals for a total of 38 units spanning Las Vegas; Tampa, Florida; and the Carolinas. In addition, Potbelly has opened a number of franchise stores this year that are driving brand penetration across several areas of the country, including recently opened shops in Irvine, Calif.; Odessa, Texas; …
Jackson, Miss. — Newk’s Eatery plans an 18-restaurant expansion across Texas and Oklahoma over the next few years. Openings are slated for 10 Dallas area locations, as well as eight Oklahoma locations throughout Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore and Stillwater. “We’re thrilled to continue expansion throughout Texas and Oklahoma with this exciting new development agreement,” says Chris Cheek, chief development officer at Newk’s Eatery. “The response to our Dallas locations has been wonderful and we’re looking forward to further growing our footprint with Matthew Biggers and Cuyler Esposito.” Full Belly Holdings, …
Atlanta — Curry Up Now, a fast growing Indian fast-casual concept in the United States, will open its first franchise location on July 30, 2019 in Decatur, Ga. The new greater Atlanta area storefront is the brand’s first East Coast location and is part of a multi-unit franchise deal with experienced local franchise group Curry Up Now Atlanta. As part of this deal, four additional franchise locations are expected to open in greater Atlanta by the end of 2021, including in Madison Yards and The Interlock. “Curry Up Now has …
Charlotte, N.C. — Take 5 Oil Change, a drive-thru quick lube franchise under the Driven Brands family, will open its 400th location in September. Last year, the brand celebrated its 300th-store milestone and has rapidly grown its footprint nationwide by opening 100 locations in only a year. Additionally, during the first half of 2019, Take 5 signed area development agreements to open 58 new franchised locations and also acquired Advance Kwik Lube, a 25-unit quick lube and automotive service chain in Texas. “2019 has proved to be the strongest year …
Wichita, Kan. — Fast-casual restaurant concept Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has opened its first international location in the Dubai Mall. The brand’s second international location is slated to open at the Mall of the Emirates in the coming weeks. The restaurants are owned and operated by Tastebuds Group, which will continue to drive Freddy’s growth throughout the Middle East, with plans to open locations in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman and Qatar. “The training and support that we’ve received from Freddy’s since signing …
New York City — Blink Fitness, a premium-quality, value-based fitness concept, has appointed franchising industry veteran Thomas Flaherty as president of franchising, a newly created position. In this role, Flaherty will oversee the entire franchise business, including directing the brand’s expansion across key markets in the United States and internationally. In his previous position as president and CEO of Agile Pursuits Franchising, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Procter & Gamble, Flaherty oversaw the Tide Dry Cleaners franchise and Mr. Clean Car Wash license. Flaherty helped to grow Tide Dry Cleaners …
San Jose, Calif. — Beginning in March, Togo’s store of the future — named Togo’s 3.0 — started gaining momentum thanks to the completion of both physical and operational renovations at its Emeryville, Fremont and San Jose, Calif., stores. The popular West Coast sandwich innovator completely remodeled one corporate and two franchise owned locations to dramatically improve the overall guest experience with faster speed of service and a more contemporary dining environment. “We wanted a store that reflected our nearly 50 years of leadership in the premium sandwich category,” says …
Denver — Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, a leading fast-casual Mediterranean franchise concept, has launched an aggressive franchise growth initiative to increase its presence across the U.S. Planning to add 50 new locations to the brand’s development pipeline annually, expansion will focus on territories from the Rocky Mountain states to the Midwest and down south through Texas. The concept has put itself on an impressive growth trajectory. GARBANZO recently completed two major franchising deals that stand to spark growth in key markets — a five-store deal for the Boston area, and a …
New York City — Blink Fitness, a premium-quality, value-based fitness concept, has launched a focused franchise initiative targeting key U.S. markets. The strategy targets six regions, including Charlotte, N.C.; Dallas-Fort Worth; Phoenix; Raleigh, N.C.; Las Vegas and Kansas City. The announcement comes on the heels of a 20-unit franchise development agreement in the greater Sacramento area with Yadav Enterprises, Inc. and its president and founder Anil Yadav. Highly regarded in the franchise industry, Yadav Enterprises, Inc. operates more than 350 restaurants covering six brands; Jack in the Box, Denny’s, El …