St. Augustine, Fla. — The Spice & Tea Exchange is looking to expand its presence in New York. The gourmet spice and tea retail franchise looks to bring at least four new locations to the Empire State through franchising. The brand succeeds in markets with a vibrant population of local foodies and year-round tourists, making New York an attractive region for growth. The Spice & Tea Exchange’s current Port Jefferson, Long Island, location — undergoing plans for reopening — is a prime example of this model within a bustling area …
franchise development
Bloomington, Ind. — Curry Up Now, an award-winning Indian fast-casual concept, has broken ground on its first Indiana location, which is slated to open in early spring 2021 in Bloomington near Indiana University. This expansion is part of a multi-unit franchise deal for the entire state of Indiana, with plans to grow Curry Up Now in the greater Indianapolis area and expand across the state to additional college towns such as West Lafayette and South Bend, and into suburbs like Fishers and Carmel. “We were attracted to Bloomington from the …
San Diego — QDOBA Mexican Eats®, the largest franchise opportunity in the fast-casual Mexican segment, has introduced new restaurant formats that set the stage for continued growth. QDOBA’s new concepts feature buildouts including mobile-order drive-thrus, walk-up windows, mobile-order pickup lockers, dedicated curbside pickup areas, ghost kitchens and concepts with updated outdoor seating. The new formats come on the heels of a major multi-unit franchise development strategy announced last month that is set to grow the brand to 2,000 units. “Today’s customer wants a frictionless, safe experience and we’re evolving to …
Glendale, Calif. — IHOP® has expanded its franchisee portfolio with the addition of Suncakes, LLC, led by Guillermo Perales, through the acquisition of 41 IHOP restaurants. The restaurants, located in Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina, were previously owned and operated by CFRA Holdings and its affiliates and transferred to Suncakes, LLC in July 2020. Financial details of the deal will not be disclosed. The 41 locations represent the first IHOP restaurants managed by Sun Holdings, Inc. Sun has one of the largest restaurant franchisee portfolios in the U.S. …
Charlotte, N.C. — Famous Toastery has been one of the fastest growing better-breakfast chains in the U.S. As an early pioneer of the breakfast-and-lunch-only sector, Famous Toastery has made a name for itself by offering all-day breakfast long before the quick-service giants had discovered the sales potential. After starting a franchise program in 2013, the North Carolina-based concept jumped from three to more than 25 stores in just 5 years. “Now, we are accelerating our franchise development efforts again, with the goal of doubling in size over the next 2 …
— By Katie Lee — Even during a pandemic, Jersey Mike’s continues to grow and evolve — adding 200 stores this year and fully funding the ongoing retrofits of its 1,800+ locations. Ten years ago, Retail & Restaurant Facility Business first featured Jersey Mike’s on its cover. At the time, the iconic sub sandwich chain, which launched in 1956 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, had 450 stores open and under development in 29 states. One short decade later? Jersey Mike’s is just getting started. The company has more than …
Hartland, Wis. — Batteries Plus, the nation’s largest and fastest-growing battery, light bulb, key fob and repair franchise, has been ranked No. 131 on Franchise Times’ Top 200+ List, the most comprehensive ranking of the 500 largest franchise systems in the United States. The prestigious list is based on Batteries Plus’s global system sales and number of locations. The brand joins the list among some of the nation’s most recognizable brands. In 2020, Batteries Plus signed 20 franchise agreements and is on track to have 20 new agreements signed by …
Perris, Calif. — Farmer Boys, a Southern California-based fast-casual concept, will celebrate its 100th restaurant opening the weekend of October 23-24 in Perris, Calif. — the same city where it all began nearly 40 years ago. “We are thrilled to open the 100th Farmer Boys restaurant in the city where we first opened nearly 40 years ago,” says Larry Rusinko, vice president and chief marketing officer for Farmer Boys. Since opening in 1981 in Perris, Farmer Boys has prided itself on establishing a loyal customer base throughout its nearly 40 …
Miami — CAO Bakery & Café, a South Florida staple known for blending traditional Cuban baking with the inviting atmosphere of American-mainstay cafés, plans to expand its pastelito portfolio through franchise opportunities. This will allow Cuban American Original (CAO) to reach new markets beyond its nine Miami-Dade and three Broward locations. As the retail bakery market in the Miami metro area grew a robust 13% between 2017 to 2018, nationwide, the bakery-café industry is projected to grow at a 2.3% annual rate over the next 3 years. CAO plans to …
Arlington, Va. — Bob & Edith’s Diner, an iconic Washington, D.C., eatery beloved by celebrities and locals alike, recently opened its fifth corporate location in Arlington, Va., despite COVID-19-related delays. The new location welcomed more customers than anticipated in its first week (both on- and off-premise), highlighting the concept’s popularity and cult-like following in D.C. and surrounding areas. The new location has special significance to owner Greg Bolton. “My dad worked at this very location 65 years ago, before he opened the first Bob & Edith’s Diner,” he says. “I …