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SouthErn ClASSiC ChiCkEn sTaYs aheaD of The TrenD
Southern Classic Chicken, a Louisiana-based fried chicken franchise, remains a trendsetter in the restaurant industry.
While many restaurant chains nationwide are adapting to offpremise dining, with walk-up windows and drive-thru restaurant models, Southern Classic Chicken had these models in place from the start and is the driving force behind their on-going success. “The pandemic only increased the success of our walk-up windows and drive-thru models that served as a safer option for both our employees and customers,” said Nick Binnings, Director of Brand Development for Southern Classic Chicken. “Southern Classic Chicken’s restaurant model serves our customers in a way they wanted to be served as off-premise dining popularity increases.” Southern Classic Chicken continues to thrive and experience increased sales growth on their simple yet effective restaurant model that most chains are taking note it is a main factor to stay afloat. The pandemic has transformed how the restaurant industry operates today and consumers have adapted to these changes and are starting to prefer off-premise dining. Southern Classic Chicken experienced a double digit increase in system-wide sales from offpremise dining in this past year alone. “Southern Classic Chicken provides customers with the same great quality of fried chicken with a quicker and more efficient customer experience,” added Tom O’Keefe, Managing Director of Southern Classic Chicken. “We look forward to seeing the success of our walk-up windows and drive-thru continue throughout the rest of this year.” Southern Classic Chicken will soon have 17 locations open throughout the South and is targeting cities across Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Texas for franchise expansion.
For more information, please visit: https:// www.southernclassicchicken.com/franchising.
PAriS BAguEttE To DeVeLoP firsT canaDian LocaTion in ToronTo
Canada will get its first taste of this famed international bakery cafe franchise in June 2022, with as many as 100 more stores to follow. It’s time to say “bonjour!” to a new lineup of bakery cafes in the north.
Canada will get its first Paris Baguette when the internationally beloved bakerycafe opens its flagship location in the heart of downtown Toronto in June 2022.
Already a far-flung pastry empire, Paris Baguette has nearly 4,000 bakery cafes scattered around the globe, including locations in Paris, New York, San Francisco, London, Singapore, Seoul and more. The company plans to have as many as 100 franchise locations in Canada by 2030, including additional cafes in Toronto, as well as locations in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Quebec.
“It’s taken far too long for this beloved brand to enter Canada,” said Jack Moran, CEO of Paris Baguette Canada. “With a flagship location in Toronto as a starting position, we believe Canadians will quickly realize why the rest of the world is so passionate about Paris Baguette.”
With plans to open 100 stores in the next nine years, Canadian franchisees are excited about the prospect of bringing the popular brand to their city. Paris Baguette is an attractive brand for franchising across the world — including during periods of uncertainty like those experienced by restaurants in 2020.
For more information about franchising with Paris Baguette Canada, please visit: https://canada. parisbaguettefamily.com/
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, one of the nation’s hottest coffee franchise concepts, continues to deliver on its aggressive franchise growth plan with today’s announcement of four new franchise partners who will open 10 new Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii cafes near Dallas, Texas; Alexandria, Va., Orange County, Calif. and Rochester, Minn.
All four franchisees are currently seeking or finalizing initial locations with projected store openings to begin as early as January 2022. The agreements signed for the Northern Virginia, Southern California and Rochester, Minn. locations are multiunit, multi-year development agreements with Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii. The new franchise partners include: North Dallas, Northern Virginia, Inland Empire and Rochester. “We’re excited to welcome these new franchisees to our ‘ohana (family) and know that they will all be amazing ambassadors of ‘Aloha Spirit,’” said Scott Snyder, CEO of Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii. “The addition of these new locations not only validates initial success with our national expansion strategy, but also demonstrates the brand’s appeal and demand away from traditional destination locations.”
All of the new franchisees cited Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii’s leadership team, rejuvenated brand, product quality, commitment to the community and the strong feeling of ‘ohana as deciding factors in their decision to franchise.
“We were attracted to the vibe and energy of Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii along with its true and honest team,” said Richard Lee, who, along with Michelle Lee, will be operating in Northern Virginia. Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii’s plans to open 150 new locations over the next 5 years. Franchises are available throughout the United States as the brand expands in various markets on the mainland. Bojangles, one of the nation’s leading restaurant franchises famous for its chicken and biscuits, announced today the signing of a franchisee agreement with newly formed franchise group Cedartown Chicken, LLC (“Cedartown”), led by restaurant development industry veteran Greg Vojnovic and a team of former Popeye’s executives.
former PoPeYes execuTiVes acquire seVen exisTing BojAnglES rEStAurAntS anD DeVeLoP aDDiTionaL 11 in WesTern georgia
Under the agreement, Cedartown has acquired seven existing Bojangles locations in western Georgia from Robinson Holdings, a former franchisee. In addition to the acquisition of the restaurants, Cedartown has signed an agreement with Bojangles to develop 11 new restaurants in the same area.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Cedartown to the Bojangles family,” said Jose Costa, chief growth officer for Bojangles. “This group knows the QSR business, knows chicken and knows development. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with them across Georgia and portions of Alabama, as well as many additional markets.”
In 2021 alone, the brand has signed franchisee agreements to open more than 100 stores in target markets. Signed deals this year include an expansion agreement with longtime franchisee Jeff Rigsby to open 45 new stores, including 15 in the new market of Columbus, Ohio, a deal with Chaac Foods Restaurants to open 40 new stores, with 15 in Orlando, Florida, and an agreement with two new franchisees in Dallas and Houston.
For more information about development opportunities, Jose Costa, at jcosta@bojangles.com or (704) 940-8752, or visit bojangles.com/franchising.
franchising usa what’s new!
iSlAnd Fin Poké To oPen firsT georgia LocaTion
Island Fin Poke, a fast casual restaurant famous for its Hawaiian style build-your-own poké bowls, is happy to announce the opening of its first Georgia location in Peachtree City.
Located at 100 N Peachtree Pkwy., the new restaurant will be owned by husband-and-wife duo Matt and Toyyah Heller. This is the first Island Fin Poké location the couple intends on opening in the area, with plans to open additional locations in the near future.
With the restaurant opening slated for mid-September, the new Island Fin Poké will serve healthful poké (pronounced “poh-kay”), which is like sushi in a bowl. Guests can choose from responsibly sourced ingredients and create their own customized poké bowl, choosing from over eight proteins, 25 different toppings, glutenfree house-made sauces, and specialty mix-ins. The endless possibilities allow guests to get creative and try something new every visit. The Peachtree City restaurant will also feature indoor and outdoor patio seating, along with third-party delivery and curbside pickup options in the near future.
A former Marine, and recently retired Delta Airlines IT professional, Matt Heller looks forward to bringing Island Fin Poké to Peachtree City, a community that is very friendly to local Delta Airlines employees.
For Toyyah Heller, an emergency room nurse and Army National Guard veteran, it was the family-centric culture and high-quality of the brand’s bowl creations that attracted her to Island Fin Poké.
The opening of the brand’s first Georgia location marks a significant milestone in Island Fin Poké’s continued expansion throughout the U.S.
For more information, visit www.islandfinpoke.com
thE dolly llAmA inKs firsT 3 franchise DeaLs WiTh husBanD & Wife oPeraTors
The dessert concept known for its unique take on waffle cones piled high with unique ice cream flavors and toppings, has recently announced its three franchise deals for Tyler, Texas, Jacksonville,
Florida and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. These franchise deals mark the first for The Dolly Llama, which currently operates three corporate locations across greater Los Angeles, since partnering with DCV Franchise Group in 2019, but pausing for the better part of 2020 due to COVID-19.
All three deals will be fuelled by husband and wife duos, keeping with the brand’s family-friendly and mom-and-pop identity. In Tyler, Texas, franchise partners are Trenton and Joy Judson, with their daughter Isabelle as the official taste tester. In Jacksonville, Florida, Josh and Wendy Popkin will open the brick-and-mortar shop located in the seaside town of Ponte Vedra Beach, and Jeff and Liliana Vasquez will be running the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania concept. All three franchisees plan to open in early 2022, and the newest brick & mortar locations will carry the same playful and unique “Instagrammable” style that has helped cement the concept’s popularity in Southern California. Founders Eric Shomof and Samuel Baroux, who first opened the concept in 2017, look forward to working with the families to bring the modern and hip dessert shop outside of California. “We’re thrilled to be bringing our hand-crafted and artisanal waffles and desserts across the country, and we have the utmost confidence in these families to pioneer this massive brand milestone,” said co-founder Eric Shomof. “The Dolly Llama was built with family in mind, and we hope to continue this trend of couples starting their very own The Dolly Llama together.” https://www.thedollyllamala.com/
SCEnthound oPens firsT grooming “scenTer” in coLoraDo
Scenthound, the brand famous for its wellness-based dog grooming and routine care services, is happy to announce the opening of its first Colorado location.
Located at 7529 South University Blvd., the new business will be owned and operated by local husband-and-wife duo, Jim and Christy Boswell. Christy, a seasoned operations professional in the HR consulting industry for over 20 years, looks to set a new standard for routine dog care in the Centennial community and surrounding areas. Working alongside her husband Jim, a professional in the finance industry for over 20 years, with 10 years of franchising experience under his belt, the couple is looking to use their new business to capitalize on the recent nationwide increase in pet ownership. This will be the Boswells first “Scenter” in the area, with plans to open at least two additional locations in the south metro suburbs in the near future.
“To say we are excited about opening our new Scenthound location in Centennial is an understatement at best,” said Christy. “The brand’s laser-like focus on promoting the health benefits of routine pet care is something we hope to replicate with our new location. Denver is an area well known for very high levels of dog ownership and dog friendly businesses and we cannot wait to begin contributing to such a lovely community.”
The opening of the Centennial location marks a significant milestone for the Scenthound brand as it enters a new territory and continues its national expansion.
“Scenthound was first started as a way of offering comprehensive grooming services that cater to all dog breeds,” said Scenthound CEO Tim Vogel. “As we continue to expand nationally and enter new markets, we rely on the proactive efforts of local franchisees such as Christy and Jim to carry on our core mission.” Waters Edge Wineries®, an innovative urban winery franchise system, today announced the sale and relocation of its Oklahoma City winery, which will re-open this fall in Moore, OK under the leadership of new franchise owners Mara and Mike English.
husBanD-anD-Wife Duo oPening neW WAtErS EdgE WinEry & BiStro in moore, oKLahoma
Waters Edge Winery & Bistro of Moore will continue to provide an immersive experience rooted in traditional winemaking combined with the popular wine bar concept. “We are so proud of the success achieved at our Oklahoma City location and are excited to see continued growth within the market in a new spot, with fresh new leadership,” said Ken Lineberger, president and CEO of Waters Edge Wineries. Loyal guests of the original Oklahoma City location, Mara and Mike have been wine club members since 2016 and visited the location nearly every weekend. Their passion for winemaking and love for the brand, as well as their entrepreneurial spirit, led to the decision to invest in the franchise themselves.
“When we first heard that the previous owner was going into retirement, my husband joked that I no longer would have a place to work as we spent several Sundays here catching up on administrative work for our other businesses while enjoying a glass or two of wine,” said Mara. “However, quickly thereafter, we realized this was an opportunity to expand our business endeavors into an industry we are truly passionate about, and we cannot wait to grow this business within our community.” Waters Edge Winery & Bistro of Moore, OK, is an independently owned and operated franchise location of Waters Edge Wineries, a California-based innovative urban winery system bringing the cultural experience of wine to communities across the country.
For more information on Waters Edge Wineries® or for franchising information, contact 909-GOT-WINE, email Sales@WatersEdgeWineries.com. or visit WatersEdgeWineries.com
