1851

In 2001, Jeff Shawl, inspired by the idea of starting his own business, approached his father, Don, about restaurant concepts that looked promising.

Raised in Bristol, Tennessee, Shawl earned his accounting degree in 1992 and shortly after, began his career in Entrepreneurial Services for Ernst and Young in the Washington D.C. area. Over the next 10 years, Shawl served as a consultant and auditor, earned an MBA from the University of Tennessee, and worked in various project management roles at Philip Morris USA and iXL in Richmond, Virginia. It was there that he was <a href="http://www.mcalistersdelifranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mult-unit-franchisee-group-continues-to-expand-mcalisters-deli-throughout-the-southeast-11099" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">first introduced to McAlister&rsquo;s Deli,</a> which had opened near his iXL office.

When Shawl consulted his father&mdash;who has experience owning and operating 12 Arby&rsquo;s restaurants in the area&mdash;about concepts to invest in, the two of them partnered up with Chris Smith, a longtime friend, to embark on a road trip throughout the Southeast to research restaurants. That&rsquo;s when they landed in Alpharetta, Georgia to visit <a href="http://mcalistersdeli.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mult-unit-franchisee-group-continues-to-expand-mcalisters-deli-throughout-the-southeast-11099" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">McAlister&rsquo;s Deli</a>.

&ldquo;Based on my father&rsquo;s deep industry&nbsp;experience, we had a list of several possibilities. We traveled from corporate headquarters to corporate headquarters throughout the region, waiting for that perfect &lsquo;a-ha&rsquo; moment,&rdquo; Shawl said. &ldquo;After plenty of research and analysis, we decided that McAlister&rsquo;s Deli was the perfect concept. This was a restaurant that not only had incredible brand awareness throughout the South, but it also provided the kind of hospitality, originality and youthful energy that the three of us were seeking.&rdquo;

A year later, the three business partners founded Peak Restaurants LLC with the goal to build a lasting organization that provided something more than expected to its guests, its community and its team members. Together, they opened their first McAlister&rsquo;s Deli in the Turkey Creek development in Knoxville, Tennessee. Shawl and Smith ran the store primarily themselves to learn the &ldquo;ins and outs&rdquo; of the business.

&ldquo;We wanted to submerge ourselves in the business&nbsp;and know each aspect of the company&mdash;from the operations side to the financial side. And the only way to do that was to run the store ourselves,&rdquo; Shawl said. &ldquo;We weren&rsquo;t afraid to get our hands dirty.&rdquo;

Within 20 months, both Shawl and Smith felt so confident in the brand they had invested in that they decided to open two more Knoxville locations. The group expanded into the TriCities area in 2005, opening a Kingsport, Tennessee location. The opening week in Kingsport was, up until that time, the biggest opening sales week in the history of McAlister&rsquo;s Deli.

But Shawl and his group aren&rsquo;t ones to rest on their laurels&mdash;in fact, they identified even more opportunities for continued growth.

Today, Peak Restaurants owns and operates a total of 11 restaurants throughout East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. They employ more than 300 people, many of which have been with the company for more than a decade. In 2015, Peak Restaurants was named Franchisee of the Year at the National FOCUS Brands Convention. And most recently, the company opened a location in Blacksburg, Virginia in September 2016.

Shawl credits the brand&rsquo;s extensive support system for helping Peak Restaurants go from first-time restaurant owners to record-breaking multi-unit franchisees&mdash;an impressive feat that&rsquo;s not always easy.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Going from one to two units was huge for us, especially when you&rsquo;re used to being there six days a week. But with the help of McAlister&rsquo;s support team, we learned how to put the right team and systems in place to help us sustainably grow to 11 units and beyond. Without McAlister&rsquo;s guidance, we wouldn&rsquo;t be where we are today,&rdquo; Shawl said.

With more than 380 restaurants in 28 states, multi-unit franchisees like Shawl are helping to take McAlister&#39;s from a ubiquitous Southern favorite to nationwide brand. With an investment that ranges from $579,000 to $1,475,500, the brand is targeting areas like Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, New York and Florida for continued growth. According to Paul Macaluso, McAlister&#39;s President, with the help of its growing network of multi-unit franchisees, McAlister&rsquo;s is aiming to open 35 additional restaurants this year.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an exciting time for <a href="http://www.mcalistersdelifranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mult-unit-franchisee-group-continues-to-expand-mcalisters-deli-throughout-the-southeast-11099" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">McAlister&rsquo;s with expansion into new territories</a>,&rdquo; Macaluso&nbsp;said. &ldquo;Every one of our franchisees are incredibly supportive of the brand. We have a very unique culture that runs all the way from our corporate headquarters and is delivered by our franchisees at the unit level. They&rsquo;re passionate protectors of the brand and what we stand for&mdash;and that really is the key to strong and sustainable growth in the years ahead.&rdquo;

Mult-Unit Franchisee Group Continues to Expand McAlister’s Deli Throughout the Southeast

1851 Franchise

Fueling McAlister’s growth in Tennessee and Virginia is Peak Restaurants—a group that owns and operates 11 restaurants and counting. 


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

mult-unit-franchisee-group-continues-to-expand-mcalisters-deli-throughout-the-southeast

Image Studios

IMAGE Studios Celebrates Record Growth in 2025 With 35 Openings and 50 Units Awarded

image-studios-franchise-growth-2025

Dillas Quesadillas

Design with photo of Michael Mabry and Dillas Primo Quesadillas logo

Franchise Times: New Franchise Exec Says Dillas Is Bringing ‘Excitement’ Back to QSR Category

michael-mabry-franchise-growth

Lawn Squad

Greener, Faster, Smarter: Why Entrepreneurs Are Choosing Lawn Squad 

Greener, Faster, Smarter: Why Entrepreneurs Are Choosing Lawn Squad as a Treatment-Only Lawn Care Franchise

lawn-squad-franchise-opportunity

Jollibee

How Jollibee’s Veteran Leadership Team Is Rewriting the Playbook for U.S. Expansion

franchise-leadership-growth

Woodhouse Spas

Photo of guest checking in at Woodhouse Spas reception desk

franchise-questions-answered

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 Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

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

Buying a fitness franchise, people exercising

Boutique vs. Big Box Gym Franchises: Which Offers Best ROI in the $7 Billion Fitness Market?

buy-fitness-franchise-boutique-big-box-comparison

Pieology Pizza Enters Chapter 11 Following Costly Bid To Save Struggling Stores

pieology-pizza-files-chapter-11-bankruptcy

CNBC: McDonald’s Will Assess if Franchisees Are Offering Value for Customers Under New Standards

mcdonalds-franchise-standards-value-metric

How AI Is Transforming Restaurant Operations and Franchises

ai-impact-restaurants-franchises-human-centric-technology

Round Table Pizza Franchisees Take FAT Brands to Court Over Marketing Fund Mismanagement

round-table-pizza-franchisees-take-fat-brands-to-court-over-marketing-fund-mismanagement

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

Meet the Supplier - The Franchising Company - 1851 Franchise

The Franchising Company: Helping Aspiring Business Owners Take the Guesswork out of Franchising

the-franchising-company-franchise-consulting-firm

Scaling by Slowing Down: A Founder’s Playbook for Sustainable Franchise Growth

founder-to-franchisor-when-pause

How Top-Tier Franchises Build Systems for Employee Retention

how-top-tier-franchises-build-systems-for-employee-retention

Photo of group of dogs standing together in day care facility

Top Pet Boarding and Day Care Franchise Opportunities for 2025

top-pet-boarding-daycare-franchises

AI-related job cuts, October U.S. job cuts, American job cut record

AI-Fueled Layoffs Reshape the U.S. Job Market — And Highlight Franchising’s Resilience

ai-job-cuts-franchising-path-forward

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Eli Cohen, Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

C5 Restaurants Grows its Texas Footprint with 40 Layne’s Chicken Fingers Locations Planned Statewide

eli-cohen-laynes-chicken-fingers-texas

Paris Baguette Welcomes Zac Sulma as New Chief Operating Officer

new-coo-zac-sulma

Mult-Unit Franchisee Group Continues to Expand McAlister’s Deli Throughout the Southeast

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS