The Hummus & Pita Co., which marks its 10th anniversary this year, keeps its location count low and its bar for quality high. — By Katie Lee — With two years of pandemic-related upheaval in the rearview mirror, The Hummus & Pita Co. views 2022, the year of its 10th anniversary, as a chance to reset and refocus: a fresh slate to reenergize its Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food roots and not to stray from its core philosophy: “real food that’s real good.” And that goes for each …
Sterling Heights, Mich. — Jet’s Pizza®, known for its famous Detroit-style pizza, is growing its brand more than ever coming into 2022. This year, Jet’s plans to open 30 new locations. It will expand westward and introduce Jet’s in new states and markets, including Utah, Kansas, New Mexico, Washington and Las Vegas. Expansion also continues in existing markets, including Denver; Phoenix; Austin, Texas; New York City; Chicago; and Naples and Pensacola, Fla. “It’s truly incredible to see the love for our brand grow. People appreciate quality and that’s what sets …
Minneapolis — Winmark Corporation, North America’s leading franchisor of sustainable resale brands Once Upon A Child®, Plato’s Closet®, Play It Again Sports®, Music Go Round® and Style Encore®, continues to lead the resale industry. In 2021, its franchise locations extended the life of 158 million items, and Winmark expanded its available territories to over 2,800 across all five of its brands throughout the U.S. and Canada. Winmark – the Resale Company® closes out the year with 46 awarded franchises and has its eyes set on aggressive franchise development leading into 2022. While the past 2 years have been challenging for …
New York, N.Y. — The Halal Guys, the fast-casual American halal restaurant famous for pioneering halal fare in America, is celebrating its 100th store opening this month in Pittsburgh. “We are so grateful to reach this historic milestone as a business. From a food cart on the streets of New York City to an international franchise, we would not be here without the support of our first fans and customers. We thrive off growth and innovation and are excited to see what comes next,” says Ahmed Abouelenein, CEO of The …
Atlanta — GPS Hospitality, one the nation’s largest franchisees of BURGER KING®, Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen and Pizza Hut®, has promoted Roger Wood to region vice president whose oversight includes eight district leaders and 56 Michigan restaurants in GPS’ newly created Central Division. Wood initially joined GPS Hospitality in 2015 as director of operations for the Michigan North Region which encapsulated 29 restaurants. With more than 35 years of QSR restaurant leadership experience, Wood spent 15 years with an area Taco Bell franchisee expanding its footprint from eight to over 70 …
West Palm Beach, Fla. — QDOBA Mexican Eats® (QDOBA), the largest franchise opportunity within the fast-casual Mexican segment, has signed a multi-unit franchise development agreement to bring 30 locations to North Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties in southern Florida over the next 10 years. At the helm of the brand’s largest deal is Michael Guiffre, who has over two decades of leadership experience within the construction industry overseeing organization structure, customer relations and development. Guiffre’s first venture into restaurant operations was with Dunkin’, where he was the operating partner …
Chino Hills, Calif. — Roll-Em-Up Taquitos, the nation’s first taquito-focused franchise, has a newly signed deal that will bring 15 locations to the Denver area, which will mark the brand’s entrance into Colorado. This new deal comes at a time when Roll-Em-Up Taquitos is beginning to expand its presence across the U.S., and had a record-breaking development year selling 420 units in 2021. All 15 locations will be owned by Robert Barsky and Igor L. Barsky, who bring over 40 years of experience operating several successful business models. “The Colorado development deal is …
Newport Beach, Calif. — Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a leading family-style pizza chain for more than 40 years, has opened its first Idaho location in Meridian. The new restaurant is owned and operated by Gem State Pies, the franchise group that recently inked a multi-unit deal with Mountain Mike’s Pizza to open five locations throughout Idaho’s Treasure Valley. “We are proud to bring Mountain Mike’s Pizza to the great state of Idaho, and it’s not lost on us how clearly the values of Idaho residents overlap with the family and community-based pillars on which …
Charlotte, N.C. — Clean Juice®, a national USDA-certified organic juice bar franchise, has signed its 100th franchise ownership group in 6 years of franchising. This coveted milestone was captured by Dr. Glenn and Kathleen Leavitt of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and several family members. The Leavitt family will open its doors to the Idaho Falls community in late summer 2022. “This is an exciting milestone in Clean Juice’s historic rise from a concept conceived in our family kitchen to one of the fastest-growing, all organic fast-casual brands in the nation,” says …
Atlanta — Chicken Salad Chick, the nation’s only fast-casual chicken salad restaurant concept, opened 30 new restaurants in key target markets throughout 2021, resulting in a 17% increase in unit count year-over-year. The openings included market debuts with multiple locations in Indianapolis, Western Virginia and South Florida. The brand also signed franchise agreements with both new and existing franchisees to develop 32 new restaurants over the next several years in target states. These will be part of the plan to open over 50 new restaurants in 2022. In addition to …
