Awesome Restaurant Franchise Issue: SoBol, Ruby Tuesday and Philly Pretzel Factory

SoBol:

Number of Open Locations: 12

Franchise Development Website: http://ownasobol.com/

Total Initial Investment: $174,800 - $249,500

Franchise Fee: $15,000

Headquarters: Bohemia, New York

Co-founder Jason Mazzarone first fell in love with the acai bowl trend during his time in culinary school in San Diego, California. Right away, he knew that demand for fresh, custom made bowls would be high in his hometown on Long Island in New York. So, when he returned home to the East Coast, he teamed up with longtime family friend—and professional experienced in restaurant management, real estate and construction—Jim Kalormiris to bring the delicious meal to their local community. As soon as SoBol’s flagship store opened up, customers were lining up to get their own acai bowl.

That increasingly high demand inspired Mazzarone and Kalormiris to franchise their concept. Now, the brand has 12 locations open for business with 40-plus locations sold. SoBol is expecting that rapid growth rate to continue as health and wellness continue to become more important to consumers across the country. The brand is planning to continue saturating the East Coast while expanding outside of its home base to bring its unique concept to a wide variety of communities.

Ruby Tuesday:

Number of Open Locations: 598 in 14 countries and 1 territory. 35 of those are international franchise locations, and 22 are domestic franchises.

Franchise Development Website: http://www.rubytuesdayfranchise.com/

Total Initial Investment: Variable Depending on Country of Operation

Franchise Fee: Up to $50,000

Since opening up its doors for business in 1972, Ruby Tuesday has been committed to freshness, quality and hospitality. Those focal points have made Ruby Tuesday’s one of America’s favorite brands, and a standout in the increasingly competitive casual dining industry. Every Ruby Tuesday location aims to serve the best quality food, from its handcrafted burgers to its iconic Create Your Own Garden Bar. And it’s clear that the concept is resonating with consumers across the globe—Ruby Tuesday reported $951 million in annual system revenue in 2016.

Right now, Ruby Tuesday is focusing on international expansion and is looking for multi-unit franchisees to join its system who are interested in opening up a minimum of five locations. Franchisees who sign on to develop the Ruby Tuesday brand will gain access to a strong system that sets its owners up for success by covering all areas of operations, culinary and supply chain support.

Philly Pretzel Factory:

Number of Open Locations: 157

Franchise Development Website: http://www.ownappf.com/

Total Initial Investment: $123,299 - $367,026

Franchise Fee: $35,000

Headquarters: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Originally founded in 1998 by college friends Dan DiZio and Len Lehman, Philly Pretzel Factory has grown into the largest Philly-style pretzel bakery in the world. The brand is known for its signature Philly style pretzels as well as pretzel twists, mini pretzels, rivets, pretzel dogs, cheesesteak pretzels and a wide variety of mustards. But Philly Pretzel Factory isn’t just a leader among consumers and pretzel bakeries—it’s also a leader in the franchising industry.  The brand has been named a top business ownership publication by leading publications and is experiencing consistent growth.

To foster that growth, the brand is committed to creating a system founded on loyal support. That’s why to help its franchisees get off the ground, Philly Pretzel Factory helps local owners in eight distinct areas. The brand offers comprehensive training, an online pre-opening checklist, real estate assistance, construction assistance, onsite store opening support, access to an operations manual, access to a marketing manual and inclusion on the brand’s main website. That comprehensive support system is then followed up with daily field support, a company intranet, a franchise operations committee, mystery shops, an annual convention, marketing support, purchasing power and community involvement. Together, this model is designed to ensure that Philly Pretzel Factory owners are set up for success from the moment they sign their agreement through the entire life of the franchise agreement.