North Beach, Fla. — Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop will debut a new location in North Beach (Miami), Fla., on May 30. It is expected to be the first of 12 new locations to open in the area. The North Beach location is owned by the local Roca family of entrepreneurs. During the pandemic, the Rocas had all five nuclear family members together in Miami from different corners of the country. It was during this unexpected time that they decided to band together to bring their favorite food brand from Las Vegas …
franchise development
Los Angeles — FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc. has agreed to acquire the franchised chain of stores known as Nestlé® Toll House® Café by Chip® from Crest Foods, Inc. and rebrand the stores as Great American Cookies. The acquisition is expected to increase FAT Brands’ foothold as a leader in the dessert category within the cookie and ice cream spaces, joining its existing Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery brands. Crest Foods currently franchises approximately 85 Nestlé® Toll House® Café by Chip® cafés across the U.S. This acquisition …
Athens, Ga. — Zaxby’s, the premium quick-service restaurant brand founded in Athens, Ga., has hired industry franchising veteran Mike Mettler as its new chief development officer, while Mike Nettles, interim chief digital & technology officer, has been elevated to the position long term. “Franchising growth requires four things. A strong business model, a solid culture, passionate franchise owners and strategic areas to develop — Zaxby’s has them all,” says Mettler. Adds Nettles: “Zaxby’s has had a great ride thus far, but digital accessibility will be our ‘secret sauce’ for the …
Charlotte, N.C. — Clean Juice®, the first and only national USDA-certified organic juice bar franchise and quick-service restaurant, has signed the brand’s 200th unit in less than 7 years of franchising. The brand’s 200th store was awarded to the Shango family who will open three locations in Michigan beginning with the first in Grand Blanc. This record-setting milestone was achieved after a dynamic first quarter where the brand signed 14 new stores while expanding its national footprint into its 30th and 31st states in Utah and New Hampshire, respectively. “This …
Toronto — Redberry Restaurants has appointed Scott Lewis as the vice president, operations – Redberry Burger King. Redberry’s unprecedented growth called for the creation of this new role to shepherd planning and operations for the 22 new Redberry-owned Burger King locations planned for this year, for a total 146 Burger King restaurant count for the company. A tenured QSR industry leader, Lewis has almost three decades of industry experience. As senior director of operations, he began his QSR journey at Yum!/Priszm Brands where he moved through various roles including overseeing …
Los Angeles — The Dolly Llama, L.A.’s waffle and artisanal ice cream destination, has signed several multi-unit franchise deals totaling 25 locations planned for California, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Florida and Texas. The brand, which first began franchising in 2020 to expand the concept to major U.S. media markets, has seen exponential franchise growth since the start of 2022. The Dolly Llama is exploding throughout the United States with several units under construction, including one in Dallas that is slated to open later this month, along with nine additional locations planned to …
Newport Beach, Calif. — OEB Breakfast Co., a popular North American breakfast concept, is opening its very first California restaurant. Located in Newport Beach at Westcliff Plaza, the newest restaurant joins 13 existing locations — one in Arizona and 12 in Canada. OEB master developers Walid Daoud and Antoine Daoud of Newport Breakfast Concepts LLC are planning to expand the concept to Irvine and other regions throughout California in the coming years. “Being an Orange County resident and knowing how much locals appreciate great food made with the best ingredients, …
Paris Baguette Signs 43 Franchise Agreements in Q1; Plans to Open 56 New Cafes this Year
Moonachie, N.J. — Paris Baguette, the bakery café concept with 4,000 units across the globe, saw significant growth with its U.S.-based franchisees in 2021, signing 121 new franchise agreements among new and existing franchisees. Now, wrapping up the first quarter of 2022, the brand shows no signs of slowing down, with 43 franchise agreements signed and five openings, including in new states Michigan and Oregon, in first quarter alone. “Right now, there is a void in the high-end bakery café space,” says Mark Mele, chief development officer. “If you look …
Atlanta — Jack Swaysland, chief operating officer of the international division of Papa John’s International, Inc., intends to retire. Amanda Clark was promoted to chief international and development officer and will now oversee international strategy in addition to her global development responsibilities. Liz Williams was also named chief international operations officer, reporting to Clark. She will assume Swaysland’s role and will be responsible for Papa John’s international markets and international team. Clark joined Papa John’s in 2020 as chief development officer, after 8 years at Taco Bell where she led …
Charlotte, N.C. — Bojangles, one of the nation’s leading franchises famous for its chicken, biscuits and tea, has achieved significant growth in the first quarter of 2022, signing agreements to add 46 new units to its growing pipeline. The development includes significant expansion in Texas, growth in Virginia Beach and a multi-unit development agreement to bring Bojangles to Northern New Jersey. Additionally, Bojangles executed a trio of multi-unit agreements that will bring restaurants to Northeast Ohio; Baltimore, Md.; and Washington, D.C. “Our team is proud of what we’ve been able …