How Gourmet Sandwich Brand ‘Wichcraft Offers a Premium Franchise Opportunity Piled High With Innovation

For too long, the sandwich has carried far-from-culinary connotations, even amidst the infusion of artisanal offerings into the fast-casual space over the last decade. But as the cultural focus on healthier, more sustainable eating began to align with increased purchasing power from the millennial consumer, a gap in the fast casual marketplace became apparent to those with the vision to fill it.

Enter ‘Wichcraft founder, celebrity chef and seven-time James Beard Award winner Tom Colicchio. After the eventual judge of Bravo’s Top Chef cut his teeth at iconic New York City establishments like Mondrian and the Quilted Giraffe, Colicchio co-founded the Michelin-rated Gramercy Tavern in 1994. It was there that Colicchio met fellow innovative chef and lover of unexpected flavor combinations, Sisha Ortúzar, in 1997. Sensing an opportunity to bring the creativity, liveliness and chef-level quality of fine dining to a wider audience, Colicchio founded Crafted Hospitality in 2001 before launching premier sandwich concept, ‘Wichcraft, with Ortúzar in 2003.

Since making its debut in New York City’s Flatiron District, ‘Wichcraft has grown to five locations and become a Big Apple staple that lays claim to the best sustainably-sourced and made-to-order sandwiches, salads, small plates and other gourmet menu items in the city. How?

“By serving not just a sandwich, but a healthy, creative and environmentally-conscious meal,” said ‘Wichcraft president Dan Guaricci. “It’s a premium-quality meal between two slices of bread. It’s a meal our guests can feel good about ordering, crafted from bold-yet-balanced flavors they can’t find anywhere else.”

The 15-year-old ‘Wichcraft seems to have demonstrated some real magic by anticipating the market trends of the modern consumer long before competitors did.

According to Technomic’s 2018 Consumer Trend Report, health and sustainability concerns are defining the sandwich segment: “While older consumers really hone in on value and convenience when deciding where to order sandwiches, more 18- to 34-year-olds than older consumers consider factors such as healthfulness, special-diet accommodations and the use of sustainably sourced ingredients in their purchasing decisions,” said Anne Mills, Techonomic’s Senior Manager of Consumer Insights. Last year, Inc. reported that a significant stake-holding majority—73%—of global millennials will pay more for sustainable products—and that number is growing. The prominent market research firm Nielsen deemed 2018 “The Year of the Sustainable Shopper,” predicting that the sustainability market will reach $150 billion by 2021. Nielsen also found that sustainable product sales in the U.S. have grown 20% since 2014, and that millennials report that they are more likely to pay more for products with ingredients that are environmentally friendly, organic or natural.

Sound familiar? ‘Wichcraft brand stands alone in its segment thanks to its commitment to genre-defying sandwiches crafted from antibiotic-free meats, locally-baked bread and sustainable seafood sourced from family-owned fisheries.

But an exceptional offering with steadily increasing demand isn’t the only element bolstering ‘Wichcraft’s superb position in the sandwich segment; the brand also enjoys a leadership team as jam-packed with talent as its sandwiches are with flavor.

In addition to Colicchio, the team includes Chef & Culinary Director, Dave MonDore—whose masterfully marinated Chicken & Cauliflower sandwich was named The Best Sandwich in America by Restaurant Hospitality in 2017—as well as Deloitte alumna Maryrose Galvez as Director of Finance. ‘Wichcraft President Guaricci himself has served in executive leadership roles in the foodservice industry for nearly a decade.

“The ‘Wichcraft executive team is uniquely composed of passionate professionals who know what it takes to develop a top-tier sandwich brand in the most competitive market in the nation,” said Guaricci. “Now, we’re looking for franchisees who demonstrate that same passion.”

‘Wichcraft’s leadership has identified key growth markets along the eastern corridor of Massachusetts down to North Carolina for strategic franchise development. Franchisees signing on with the brand in this East Coast/Mid-Atlantic region—home to high office-worker traffic—will enjoy first-mover advantage while contributing to the brand’s competitive growth goals: 10 locations sold before the end of 2020 and 25 open by the end of 2021.

Franchisees joining the ‘Wichcraft system can expect best-in-class support from Colicchio and the ‘Wichcraft team. In addition, they will join a concept which has managed to drive innovation across the fast casual industry while simultaneously proving its model: The average gross sales of reporting ‘Wichcraft locations in 2018 totaled an impressive $1.35 million.

“There couldn’t be a better time to become a franchise partner with ‘Wichcraft,” said Guaricci. “Our brand is leading the charge in terms of defying and redefining the fast casual space, powered by the ever-growing demand of a conscientious consumer. That’s a recipe for success.”

‘Wichcraft currently has five restaurant locations opened, including three legacy locations and two refreshed, 2.0 locations. The brand has a confident and established timeframe for the future, with a clearly stated goal of 10 locations purchased before next year and 25 locations by the end of 2021. The investment range to open a ‘Wichcraft is $927,500 to $1.194 million, estimated with New York City costs, with a $45,000 franchise fee. For more information about franchising opportunities with ‘Wichcraft, please visit https://www.wichcraftfranchise.com/.