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 …
franchise development
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 …
Irvine, Calif. — Wienerschnitzel, the world’s largest hot dog franchise, has promoted J.R. Galardi to the role of chief executive officer, effective February 1, 2022. The title of CEO has been added to his current position as company president, which he has held since 2017. In his expanded role, Galardi will oversee all Galardi Group Inc. concepts including Wienerschnitzel, Tastee Freez and Hamburger Stand. Having grown up with the brand, Galardi brings two decades of unique insight and experience to his elevated leadership role. His first job was with Wienerschnitzel …
Columbus, Ohio — Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea has signed agreements with 18 business owners to start independent coffee shops in 13 states. Most plan to open in 2022. The new owners will learn how to open and run profitable coffee businesses through Crimson Cup’s 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program. A 7 Steps coffee shop startup consultant will guide each new owner through every step — from scouting a profitable location and writing a coffee shop business plan to planning a menu, choosing equipment, hiring staff and …
Brentwood, Tenn. — Tractor Supply Company, the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States, has surpassed 2,000 stores and plans to continue its ongoing expansion. The company is set to open 75 to 80 new stores in 2022, including relocating a store this month in Minot, N.D., home of the original Tractor Supply location. Tractor Supply Company began in 1938 as a mail-order business focused on providing quality tractor parts to farmers at fair prices. Charles E. Schmidt Sr. ran the business from his Chicago kitchen table before opening …
Greenwood Village, Colo. — FullSpeed Automotive, one of the nation’s largest franchisors and operators of automotive aftermarket repair facilities and home to flagship brands Grease Monkey® and SpeeDee Oil Change & Auto Service®, has opened its milestone 700th unit with Grease Monkey in Garden Grove, Calif. The new store opened on January 26, 2022. This development milestone signals major growth ahead as Grease Monkey and SpeeDee awarded a combined 51 franchise agreements in 2021, and expect to exceed that in 2022. FullSpeed also hopes to acquire as many as 150 units …
Irving, Texas — Fuzzy’s Taco Shop has signed a 50-store agreement with Richard Maddox, which will include expansion into the South with new markets in Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee, and growth within Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, existing markets for the brand. Additionally, all 50 locations included in the agreement will be constructed to accommodate a drive-thru, a first for the brand. The Texas-based restaurant group is recognized for its Baja-style fare with nearly 150 franchise- and corporate-owned locations in 17 states. “As we look to add new Fuzzy’s …
Bakersfield, Calif., and Henderson, Nev. — Wetzel’s Pretzels recently opened two new franchise locations in Bakersfield, Calif., and Henderson, Nev., within Walmart stores. The openings inside both Walmart stores exhibit the mutually beneficial relationship between the pair of dominant brands. “The success we’ve seen from our existing Walmart partnerships has been phenomenal, with our locations performing well beyond expectations,” says Jennifer Schuler, CEO of Pasadena, Calif.-based Wetzel’s Pretzels. “We look forward to continuing to expand our relationship with Walmart and provide yet another convenient way to ‘Bring Pretzels to the …
Los Angeles — FAT Brands Inc., parent company of Twin Peaks and 16 other restaurant concepts, has seen Twin Peaks navigate various recent hardships facing the restaurant industry and emerge stronger than before, consistently increasing sales and generating growth over the past 2 years. “Twin Peaks continues to be a leader across all metrics of the casual dining space,” says Joe Hummel, CEO of Twin Peaks. “Our team is relentless in the pursuit to make Twin Peaks a worldwide brand, and we’re so happy about the huge steps we took …
— Interview with Renae Gaudette — Winmark Corporation’s 1,270+ stores have made their mark on the resale retail industry during unprecedented times — and continue to lead the way. While traditional retail took a dive over the last 18 months, Winmark – the Resale Company® — the definitive leader in the resale retail arena — saw a marked uptick in demand for quality used clothing, fitness, sporting goods, music gear and baby items. As the parent company to Once Upon A Child®, Plato’s Closet®, Play It Again …