Philly Pretzel Factory, Lennys Grill & Subs, and International Dairy Queen, Inc. elaborate on growth plans in the Tampa Bay area

QSR Magazine recently named Tampa one of the top medium cities for growth within the quick service industry. Due to the market's rapid population growth, it has become a highly demanded expansion area.

Three QSR brand proactively participating in these expansion efforts are Philly Pretzel Factory, Lennys Grill & Subs, and Dairy Queen.

Dairy Queen currently has three locations in the Tampa Bay area, franchisee Tra Williams says they're not stopping anytime soon. He had a goal of adding 12 stores to the Tampa market and is on his way to hitting that number within the next three to four years. The brand has one opening later this year and two more set for 2018.

According to Williams, Tampa enables growth because of its geographical limitations and loyal DQ fans. “Growth can only happen in a couple of directions,” he told Crain's Tampa Bay. “You can’t go west. As a result, that’s tearing down barriers out into the more rural, Norman Rockwell-esque communities to the east, and the folks who live there are the folks who love DQ. Our first unit was up on 301 in Riverview and it’s done extremely well. The community really supports us there. The second unit is up in Pasco County on Highway 54 near Land O' Lakes, Fla. That’s been a great spot for us. We really like to weave ourselves into the fabric of the community, and the Tampa region has really afforded us that opportunity.”

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