1851

<p>Nothing sparks passion in Americans quite like really great food. From taste and texture to service and value, we&#8217;re always on the hunt for the next best thing. So, when we find a brand focused on quality, we tend to stick with it.</p><div>That&#8217;s exactly what customers have been doing at <a href="https://www.newks.com/franchise/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=focus-on-food-qa-with-newks-eatery-chief-development-officer-2627" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Newk&#8217;s Eatery</a> since it was founded in 2004. Since the beginning, Newk&#8217;s founding team of Don Newcomb, Debra Bryson and Chris Newcomb have had one steadfast rule: never compromise on quality. That means nothing at Newk&#8217;s is ever pre-chopped, pre-sliced or pre-packaged.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>It takes a lot longer, and can cost a lot more to make that restaurant model work. But, here&#8217;s the funny thing: customers love it. And, that&#8217;s kept them coming through the doors in droves. <em>1851 Franchise Magazine</em> sat down with Chris Cheek,&nbsp;Newk&#8217;s Eatery&#8217;s chief development officer, to find out what the fast casual brand has done to position itself for unprecedented expansion in 2016.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong><em>1851 Franchise:</em></strong><em> You&#8217;ve seen rapid expansion at Newk&#8217;s in just a decade of operation. What&#8217;s made the brand so successful, so quickly?</em></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong><em>Chris Cheek:</em></strong><em> &#8220;</em>Newk&#8217;s Eatery was founded in 2004 in Oxford, Mississippi by the same family that started McAlister&#8217;s Deli in 1981. They sold that brand in 1989 because they wanted to put an even bigger mark on the future of the fast casual concept. Newk&#8217;s is the result. We are more hospitality driven, more food driven, in an open kitchen concept, but still in a fast casual setting. We have unique flavor profile, where everything is made from scratch. Nothing is ever pre-cooked. You won&#8217;t ever find a microwave, heat lamp or fryer in our restaurants. But, you&#8217;ll always find staff focused on service. They bring the food to your table. They clean up your table. That business model has really resonated with our customers.&#8221;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong><em>1851: </em></strong><em>Has that customer support driven your ability to attract quality, qualified potential franchisees?</em></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong><em>CC:</em></strong> &#8220;There&#8217;s no question that it has. We encourage our franchisees to go check us out on Yelp. That&#8217;s rare. We have fanatic fans that respond to the crave-able menu we&#8217;ve created, and that passion shows. We&#8217;ve had people take sandwiches on plane flights in order to get them back to a spouse. You don&#8217;t see that from every brand out there.&#8221;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong><em>1851:</em></strong><em> What can a potential franchisee expect from a partnership with <a href="https://www.newks.com/about-us/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=focus-on-food-qa-with-newks-eatery-chief-development-officer-2627" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Newk&#8217;s Eatery</a>?</em></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong><em>CC:</em></strong> &#8220;They can expect unparalleled corporate support. We are focused on brand awareness, and growing that fanatic fan base. But, we also believe it strong quality of life for our franchisees. We don&#8217;t do breakfast, which is a contrast to some of our competitors. We believe those morning hours are good prep time for our restaurants, and the work being done at those hours is a lot better than it would be in the middle of the night for breakfast preparations, because we refuse to compromise on our promise of making everything fresh. But, that doesn&#8217;t hold us back with potential franchisees. In fact, it&#8217;s just the opposite. Our franchisees generate the same or better revenue in two dayparts than others do in three.&#8221;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong><em>1851:</em></strong><em> Who is your ideal franchise candidate?</em></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>&#8220;Like many fast casual concepts, we are searching for existing multi-unit operators. But, above all, we want to speak with driven, entrepreneurial minded individuals. Right now, we are focused on growth in the Southeast U.S., and we want to grow in a disciplined way. We are targeting major metropolitan areas in and surrounding places like Dallas/Fort Worth, Raleigh-Durham, Charleston, Orlando, Tampa, New Orleans, Houston, and Nashville.&#8221;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong><em>1851:</em></strong> <em>What are your plans for growth in 2016 and beyond?</em></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>&#8220;We currently have 85 total locations, and we&#8217;ve already added 10 new locations so far this year. But, we&#8217;re focused on even more rapid expansion ahead. We plan to have 100 locations by the end of this year and up to 240 open locations by the end of 2018. We&#8217;ve already developed our second generation prototype that includes modern elements and treatments, and an open kitchen as a focal point in the middle of the restaurant. We have one of these prototype locations under construction now in Lafayette, Louisiana and a second location scheduled to open before the end of the year in Raleigh-Durham. So, stay tuned for even more great developments in the year ahead.&#8221;</div>

1851 Franchise

The high-quality restaurant brand aims for rapid expansion leading to 2018.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

Focus on Food: Q&A with Newk’s Eatery Chief Development Officer

focus-on-food-qa-with-newks-eatery-chief-development-officer

TruBlue Home Service Ally

Why TruBlue is the Ideal Franchise for Multi-Unit Owners: Scalable Growth With a Purpose

why-trublue-is-the-ideal-franchise-for-multi-unit-owners-scalable-growth-with-a-purpose

Onigilly Japanese Kitchen

Koji Kanematsu Turned a 2,000-Year-Old Japanese Staple Into One of the Most Scalable Restaurant Franchise Models

koji-kanematsu-turned-a-2000-year-old-japanese-staple-into-one-of-the-most-scalable-restaurant-franchise-models

Lindora

Celebrating the Nurse Behind the Mission: How Melinda Endricks Is Powering Lindora’s Growth and Impact Nationwide

celebrating-the-nurse-behind-the-mission-how-melinda-endricks-is-powering-lindoras-growth-and-impact-nationwide

Sola Salons

Sola Salons Targets Chicago for Strategic Franchise Growth

sola-salons-targets-chicago-for-strategic-franchise-growth

Melting Pot

Photo of Melting Pot white chocolate fondue

How Melting Pot Franchisees Drive Year-Round Success Through Strategic Promotions and Local Marketing

melting-pot-franchise-year-round-success

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands - 1851 Franchise

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands

doordash-acquistions-deliveroo-sevenrooms

Crumbl Franchise Investment - TSG Consumer Partners -  1851 Franchise

TSG Consumer Partners Takes Minority Stake in Crumbl, Signaling Franchise Growth Potential

crumbl-franchise-investment-tsg-consumer

Yum Brands Reports Strong Q1 Results with Big Boost from Taco Bell

yum-brands-reports-strong-q1-results-with-big-boost-from-taco-bell

QSR: McDonald’s Gains Momentum With Chicken Innovation, Value Deals and Franchisee Support

mcdonalds-franchise-recovery-chicken-strategy-value-deals-2025

The Future of Franchising: Trends and Predictions for 2025 and Beyond

the-future-of-franchising-trends-and-predictions-for-2025-and-beyond

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: Building Your Brand’s Growth Machine

ultimate-guide-to-selling-franchises

franchise supplier award design with Locate AI logo and 1851 Franchise badge

Franchise Real Estate Services | Locate AI — Emerging Leaders in Franchise Support

locate-ai-emerging-leaders-in-franchise-support

Franchise Financial Reporting, Analytics and Business Intelligence | Qvinci

Franchise Financial Reporting, Analytics and Business Intelligence | Qvinci — Emerging Leaders in Franchise Support

franchise-financial-reporting-analytics-and-business-intelligence-qvinci-emerging-leaders-in-franchise-support

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How to Clarify Your Positioning – The “Why You/Why Now”

the-ultimate-guide-to-selling-franchises-how-to-clarify-your-positioning-the-why-youwhy-now

Layoffs Surge to Pandemic-Era Highs, Opening Doors for Franchise Growth

layoffs-surge-to-pandemic-era-highs-opening-doors-for-franchise-growth

Franchisee spotlight image with Randy and Sandy Craft, Children's Lighthouse logo on blue background

The Crafts’ Successful Journey from New Parents to Children’s Lighthouse Franchisees

the-crafts-successful-journey-from-new-parents-to-childrens-lighthouse-franchisees

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Amy Lepke and family and Papa Murphy's logo

After 14 Years as a Stay-At-Home Mom, Amy Lepke Returned to Papa Murphy’s — This Time as an Owner

papa-murphys-franchise-amy-lepke

Franchisee Spotlight with Micki Waters and Papa Murphy's Logo

Work Mom: How Micki Waters Became a Mother Figure to Her Entire Papa Murphy’s Team

work-mom-how-micki-waters-became-a-mother-figure-to-her-entire-papa-murphys-team

District Taco Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-district-tacos-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Franchisee spotlight image with photo of Robert Trujillo and UWRG logo on blue background

How Robert Trujillo Expanded His Construction Business With UWRG

how-robert-trujillo-expanded-his-construction-business-with-uwrg

Focus on Food: Q&A with Newk’s Eatery Chief Development Officer

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS