— Interview by Katie Lee — As A&W approaches the second year of its second century of operation, it looks to a promising future while also honoring its iconic past. With almost 1,000 locations open in the U.S. and Asia, A&W Restaurants — which first introduced its famous root beer in 1919 — knows a thing or two about growth and longevity. In its first 100 years, A&W weathered every up and down that a restaurant could face. Early in 2020, Retail & Restaurant Facility Business interviewed Paul …
franchise development
Dallas — MOOYAH Burgers Fries & Shakes, a “better burger” fast-casual franchise, plans continued expansion into new markets and a revamped restaurant model. In 2020, MOOYAH will be opening 14 new locations, all of which will feature the new prototype design. The design includes dining room seating zones created to accommodate community dining, dedicated third-party delivery and pickup shelving, closed kitchens, digital menu boards and an overall more modern vibe. The redesign, which includes a refreshed logo, was created in collaboration with Madrid-based design company Livit — a team of …
Panama City, Fla. — Slim Chickens, a leading fast-casual franchise which features dine-in and drive-through in the “better chicken” segment, plans to open its first location in Florida in the spring. The forthcoming restaurant, which will be in Panama City, comes out of the brand’s recent 10-unit franchise agreement covering the Florida Panhandle. There will also be a location coming to the Callaway area. Chris and Amy McMillan, along with business partners Richard Maddox, Adam Cantrell and Becky Retherford, are bringing Slim Chickens to the region and are all local …
Montclair, N.J. — Jersey Mike’s Subs recently opened on the campus of Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J. The sub shop is run by the school’s foodservice partner, Montclair State Dining through Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services. This is Jersey Mike’s first partnership with Chartwells. “We couldn’t be prouder to work with this team [Chartwells] that shares our commitment to quality products and a high-energy customer experience,” says Phil Capozzi, vice president, non-traditional, Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, Inc. Jersey Mike’s at the Plaza at Blanton Hall joins other dining options …
Baltimore — Sylvan Learning, a supplemental and enrichment education brand, is gearing up for explosive growth. With its proven model and 40-year rich brand awareness, Sylvan today has more than 750 points of presence. This year, it plans to open 40 new locations. “2019 was a banner year for Sylvan Learning’s franchise development,” says Georgia Chasen, vice president of franchise development. “Last year, Sylvan Learning brought on 52 new franchisees and opened 24 centers, in both domestic and international markets. Over the last 4 years, we’ve attracted more than 200 …
Hoover, Ala. — MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, a fast-casual, “better burger” franchise brand, has opened the brand’s first restaurant with its new remodel design. The restaurant, which opened on Feb. 10, 2020 in Hoover, Ala., marks the third MOOYAH restaurant for Jordan and Carrie Barrow. The Hoover MOOYAH location will be the first store of the new prototype that will feature new dining zones and seating arrangements, purposeful third-party and to-go shelving, a closed kitchen, digital menu boards and a new logo. “The original MOOYAH concept is like a …
Long Island, N.Y. — Greek from Greece (GFG) Bakery-Café, an authentic fast-casual concept raising the bar of Greek cuisine in America, has finalized a deal that will rapidly expand its portfolio from 10 to 41 locations. Thirty of the new locations will open in Long Island, N.Y., and one will open in Stamford, Conn. The significant expansion fuels momentum for GFG Bakery-Café, which recently acquired and rebranded its biggest New York-based competitor and opened a new location in Tampa, Fla. The new GFG Bakery-Cafés will be housed in converted Dairy …
Broomfield, Colo. — Noodles & Company, known for serving classic noodle, Zoodle and Caulifloodle dishes from around the world, has refranchised nine Noodles & Company restaurants in Charlotte, N.C., and Orlando, Fla., to existing franchisee River City Restaurant Group (RCRG). In the deal that closed on January 29, 2020, RCRG laid out plans to also develop 22 new Noodles & Company units between 2021 and 2032. This year, it plans to open 10 to 15 new restaurants systemwide. RCRG, a franchise partner with Noodles & Company since 2004, led by …
Atlanta — Mamoun’s Falafel, the fastest growing Middle Eastern fast-casual restaurant in North America and oldest falafel restaurant in New York City, opened its first Atlanta location on February 1, 2020. Located in the West Midtown Center, it is the first of six Mamoun’s Falafel franchise locations coming to the area. “We’re so happy to bring New York’s best falafels to Atlanta,” says franchisee Kalki Patel. “Mamoun’s serves authentic Middle Eastern food, and that’s something we’ve been missing here. The support team from Mamoun’s Falafel has given us all the …
Longmont, Colo. — Ziggi’s Coffee, with 21 café/drive-thrus across Colorado, Oklahoma and Arizona, plans to open in Pennsylvania, Iowa, Oregon and California — with 16 expected to open in 2020 — as it continues its expansion into new markets. “We’ve experienced exponential growth since we began franchising,” says the company’s co-founder, Brandon Knudsen. “My wife Camrin and I started this business as a small coffee shop on the corner of Main Street in downtown Longmont, Colo., and now we have 43 signed franchise agreements in seven states.” With 21 locations …