Franchise News
Grand Rapids Business Journal: Grand Rapids Ranks as a Top City for New Businesses
Several franchise brands eye expansion in Grand Rapids because of appealing demographics
Grand Rapids was recently named one of the best cities in the U.S. for new businesses. The Grand Rapids Business Journal spoke with Buffalo Wings & Rings chief development officer Philip Schram about the brand and their development plans for the area.
According to the piece, it is Grand Rapids' older, more family-friendly demographics that make it so appealing to Buffalo Wings & Rings.
Said Schram to the Journal, “Wing joints typically are a place to watch a game and drink beer, but the food is not the most compelling reason to go there. We buy superior quality food and make 90 percent fresh, with bold flavor."
The article also mentions that while there is no hurry to find the right partner in Grand Rapids, interest is starting to pop up in Michigan.
Said Schram, “This is a fresh search. Michigan has been hurt fairly badly with the Great Recession, and we’re just starting to see the interest in Michigan. The franchisee is a critical piece of our success, and we will wait until we find the right individual; we won’t lower the standard for the selection.”
Other brands eyeing expansion in the market include Best In Class and FranNet.
You can view the entire article here.
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About the Author
Nick Powills
FollowNick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.
