franchise development

Manasquan, N.J. — Jersey Mike’s Subs has signed an area director and development agreement with Redberry Restaurants, one of Canada’s largest restaurant operators. Redberry signed a development agreement to open 300 Jersey Mike’s restaurants across Canada by 2034, via a combination of Redberry-owned-and-operated stores and supported franchisee locations. This marks the first major international expansion for Jersey Mike’s in its 68-year history. “We are proud to partner with Ken Otto and his team at Redberry,” says Peter Cancro, founder and CEO, Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, Inc. “Their extensive history and …

Mankato, Minn. — Focus Brands®, the parent company of Auntie Anne’s®, Carvel®, Cinnabon®, Jamba®, McAlister’s Deli®, Moe’s Southwest Grill® and Schlotzsky’s®, will debut McAlister’s Deli in Minnesota with a 10-unit franchise agreement, alongside a tri-brand franchise agreement that will bring Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon and Jamba to Mankato. Behind the signings are seasoned restaurateurs and husband-and-wife team, Steve and Dani Wegman. The duo owns multiple food concepts around the greater Mankato area. Ready to introduce McAlister’s Deli in the state of Minnesota, the Wegmans are set to open their first location …

Nashville, Tenn. — Captain D’s has signed its first-ever franchise development agreement in Canada. Ontario-based entrepreneurs Ali Saeed and Mudassir Choudri will bring five Captain D’s restaurants to the greater Toronto metropolitan area over the next several years. The brand, which has its roots in the southeastern U.S., has been expanding rapidly with multiple franchise development agreements throughout 2023 as far west as Utah and into the northern states of New York and New Jersey. Captain D’s also has aggressive plans for growth throughout Canada. “As Captain D’s continues to …

Los Angeles — FAT Brands Inc. has opened its inaugural West Coast co-branded Johnny Rockets and Hurricane Wings restaurant. Located in Alhambra, Calif., the new unit marks a milestone in the expansion of the recently launched co-branded model, which first opened in late 2022 in Washington, D.C. “Following the resounding success of our first Johnny Rockets and Hurricane Wings co-branded restaurant in Washington, D.C., we’re thrilled to introduce this unique concept to the West Coast,” says Jake Berchtold, chief operating officer of FAT Brands’ Fast Casual Division. “Similar to Fatburger …

Tampa, Fla. — FSC Franchise Co., the parent company of Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and The Brass Tap, had a record year in 2023. In addition to acquiring Newk’s Eatery, a fast-casual café concept, the franchisor opened 10 Brass Tap locations and one Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, and it awarded another 36 and four, respectively. “We’ve been looking to add something to our platform for several years, and we think that Newk’s is the perfect complementary brand. It’s fast-casual with average unit volumes of $2.2 million, and it has the same geographical …

Redding, Calif. — Black Bear Diner, one of the fastest-growing restaurant franchises in the country, has announced its plans for growth in 2024 with 14 planned new diner openings. The company will open at least nine new franchise-owned diners and five new corporate-owned diners. In addition to growth plans with current franchise partners for openings in California, Texas and Arizona, Black Bear Diner has also welcomed two new franchise partners to its system: LVP Foodservice and Gursavri Group. LVP plans four 2024 openings in Kansas, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado; Gursavri …

Dallas — As part of a company-wide revitalization initiative, TGI Fridays® plans to close 36 underperforming locations in select markets across the U.S. The company has also sold eight previously corporate-owned restaurants in the Northeast to former CEO Ray Blanchette, who will now lead the locations into a new phase of revitalization. The news follows recent moves to bolster TGI Fridays’ leadership team, including the recent appointments of Weldon Spangler to chief executive officer, Ray Risley to U.S. president and chief operating officer and Nik Rupp to president and COO …

San Francisco — Slice House by Tony Gemignani, the fast-casual pizza franchise by world renowned pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani, has expanded its nationwide footprint to 100 franchise units open or under development. This achievement reflects the brand’s rapid growth since launching franchising efforts 18 months ago in California and marks its entry into two new key markets: Colorado and Utah. In 2024, Slice House projects the signing of 100 more units into development.   “We are incredibly proud to celebrate 100 units for Slice House by Tony Gemignani, a testament to the …