Baby Don’t You Want to Go…Sweet Home, Chicago

Frank Sinatra, one of the greatest singers of all time, once sang about my sweet home of Chicago. “Chicago, Chicago that toddling town. Chicago, Chicago I will show you around.” Although I cannot show you around the Windy City unless you plan a visit to the Midwest, I can instead tell you about it right here. According to the City of Chicago, Chicago is home to over 2.5 million residents living across 237 square miles. The Chicagoland area contains nearly 10 million people in three states including Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. Chicago is the third largest city in the United States and is the 22^nd largest metropolitan area in the world. Chicago is home to 11 Fortune 500 companies, while the rest of the metropolitan area hosts an additional 21 Fortune 500 companies. No wonder Chicago is topping the lists of brands looking to grow and expand! Here is a glimpse of the top five brands looking to join the Hub of the Midwest. Amsterdam Falafelshop Founded in 2004, “Amsterdam Falafel has become the darling of D.C., consistently topping best-food lists, receiving widespread food-critic acclaim, and winning over the hearts of customers” (Franchising USA). Inspired by the falafel shops throughout Amsterdam, Amsterdam Falafel serves up fresh-made falafel sandwiches and Dutch-style fries (commonly referred to as “frieten”). The shops also offer nearly two-dozen toppings for patrons to customize their own falafel dish. Founders Scott and Arianne Bennett are now cooking up a plan to expand nationwide. (Nice culinary pun there). Focused franchise growth plans call for expansion in major metro markets specifically pinpointing cities like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Miami, among many others. Baskin-Robbins  Baskin-Robbins is the world’s largest chain of ice cream specialty shops and they want a scoop of Chicago. (No more puns after this, promise). Baskin-Robbins was founded in 1945 by two ice cream enthusiasts whose passion led to the creation of more than 1,000 ice cream flavors and a wide variety of delicious treats. In 2013, more than 13 million ice cream cakes were sold in Baskin-Robbins shops worldwide.  "As our brand continues to develop, we're now looking for entrepreneurs in Chicago with strong financial backgrounds and a passion for their local communities to own their very own ice cream shop,” says Grant Benson, CFE, vice president of franchising and business development, Dunkin' Brands. Baskin-Robbins creates and markets innovative, premium hard scoop ice cream and soft serve, custom ice cream cakes and a full range of beverages, providing quality and value to consumers at 7,300 retail shops in nearly 50 countries. Headquartered in Canton, Mass., Baskin-Robbins is part of the Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. Buffalo Wings & Rings Established in 1984 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the sports restaurant franchise has always been committed to giving customers the absolute finest wings –fresh, never frozen, bone-in or boneless, take your pick! Over the years, the brand has pioneered and perfected the art of homemade sauces, customizable heat profiles and fresh wings, as well as grown to offer specialty burgers, gyros and salads to cater to its customers and provide options for the entire family to enjoy. With 32 consecutive quarters of positive same-store sales growth, Buffalo Wings & Rings is turning its attention to the Midwest for brand expansion. The company plans to open 25 locations and provide 1,000 jobs to the Chicago, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Cincinnati, Columbus, Louisville, Detroit and Toledo markets over the next five years. The brand already has three restaurants in Chicago, six restaurants in Cincinnati, three in Columbus and four locations in Indiana. These markets will be critical growth pieces for the brand, as Buffalo Wings & Rings continues to position itself as the No. 2 leader in the space behind Buffalo Wild Wings. MOOYAH  MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes* is a fast-casual, “better burger” concept serving mouth-watering made-to-order burgers, hand-cut French fries made from high-quality Idaho potatoes, and handcrafted 100-percent ice cream shakes. Founded in 2007, the Plano, Texas-based company only uses fresh, American lean beef and all-natural Jennie-O® turkey burgers, buns baked in house, real cheeses and toppings made from garden-fresh ingredients. “MOOYAH’s goal for 2014 is to achieve strategic and international growth, whether developing in existing markets with high demand, or introducing the MOOYAH experience to new territories,” said Vice President of Franchise Development and Operations Michael Mabry. “This twofold strategy, coupled with an exceptional product, will allow MOOYAH to truly assert ourselves as the leader in the competitive burger segment.” MOOYAH, Fries & Shakes currently has one location in Glenview, Illinois and has the capacity for 20 more locations within Chicago. Toppers Pizza* Hot off the heels of a strong 2013, Toppers Pizza (Toppers) is spurring growth in 2014 with expansive development plans for Illinois. Creating excitement within the crowded pizza segment by providing unique menu items and exceptional customer service, Toppers is looking to open seven locations in Chicagoland over the next 12 months. The 58-unit chain is on target to open at least three franchisee-owned locations and four corporate units. “Chicago is known for its superior pizza, and we’re pleased to see such high demand for our product in our existing stores in the area,” said Damon Parr, Senior Area Supervisor of Toppers. “The Chicagoland area is a prime development market for us, so we’re looking forward to advancing our reach in this great city; we want all Chicagoeans to have the opportunity to taste (and love) our mouth-watering products.”  Headquartered in Whitewater, Wisconsin, Toppers takes a unique approach to the crowded pizza segment by cooking up specialty pizzas that start with their fresh, made-from-scratch dough, smothered in real Wisconsin cheese and finished with outrageous toppings such as French fried onions, oven-roasted tomatoes, mac ‘n cheese and tater tots. These five brands are only a small glimpse of the numerous companies jockeying to call Chicago home. There is plenty of room in the sandbox for everyone and Chicago welcomes each and every one of these brands to the Windy City. I can hear Frankie singing it now…“Chicago, Chicago that toddling town. Chicago, Chicago I will show you around…”