Some of the biggest growth stories at Newk's Eatery are coming from existing operators who are investing in additional restaurants. Across the system, experienced franchisees are expanding through acquisitions and new development, building larger portfolios because they believe in the brand's long-term opportunity.
Greg LaFoe and Skip Russell each started with a small number of Newk's restaurants and have continued adding to their portfolios as opportunities have come along. Today, LaFoe owns six locations in Georgia and Alabama after acquiring four existing restaurants, while Russell has grown to four locations, recently began construction on another restaurant in Brookhaven, Mississippi, and is already planning additional expansion.
"I decided to expand because the timing was right," LaFoe said. “I had two stores that were doing fairly well, and I felt the need to grow. The opportunity came up when another franchisee was retiring and selling four locations. By that point I'd been with the brand for 18 years, my operating partner had been with me for five or six years, and we felt like we really knew the operations. We also had the people in place to support additional restaurants, so it felt like the right time to take that next step.”
Russell had already begun planning additional Newk's restaurants when another opportunity presented itself. Two nearby locations became available for purchase, allowing him to grow more quickly than he originally planned.
"I sold 13 Popeyes back in 2023, and that's when my son and I decided to develop Newk's restaurants," Russell said. "I doubled the size of my company because I believe in the brand. I believe in what it stands for, I believe in the leadership of the company, and I want to keep growing."
Although both franchisees brought years of restaurant experience to Newk's, they say the brand has its own way of operating. Taking the time to understand the business, build experienced leadership teams and establish consistent operations made it easier to add more restaurants with confidence.
"What stood out to us was the freshness," LaFoe said. "Everything is made from scratch in the kitchen, and the quality of the ingredients really stood out to us. We also saw the ability to grow sales in these markets with the knowledge base we already had. That made it easier for us to look at additional locations because we knew how to operate them."
That experience has already paid off. One of LaFoe's acquisitions was in Tucker, Georgia, which had generated about $1.2 million in annual sales when they took it over and is expected to exceed $2.2 million this year.
As their businesses have grown, both franchisees say Newk's corporate team has continued to provide hands-on support. From operations and site selection to remodeling existing restaurants, they credit the franchisor with helping them continue expanding rather than simply opening their first locations.
"The support staff is amazing," Russell said. "The vice president of operations has been phenomenal. If I text him or call him, he calls right back. We've spent time together touring restaurants and talking through remodels, and our field business consultant checks in with us every week. When I tell them I want to build another restaurant, they start helping me get the information I need. They make it easy to keep growing."
Neither franchisee expects their current portfolio to be their last. Both say they plan to continue expanding as long as the right opportunities come along, whether through new restaurant development or additional acquisitions.
"We're going to continue to grow our footprint," LaFoe said. “We'll keep growing as long as we're successful. I'm younger, and I have no desire to retire anytime soon. Our plan is just to keep on growing.”
Russell plans to keep growing beyond his current development agreement, whether that means building new restaurants or acquiring existing locations. He also believes Newk's has the potential to expand well beyond its current footprint and hopes to see the brand reach 500 locations in the future.
The continued expansion of operators like LaFoe and Russell gives prospective franchise owners a clear picture of how experienced owners view the opportunity. After finding success with their first restaurants, both have chosen to keep investing in Newk's Eatery by growing larger, multi-unit businesses.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/newks-eatery.
Newk’s Eatery
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Existing Newk's franchisees are investing in more restaurants through acquisitions and new development, highlighting the confidence experienced operators have in the brand.
Some of the biggest growth stories at Newk's Eatery are coming from existing operators who are investing in additional restaurants. Across the system, experienced franchisees are expanding through acquisitions and new development, building larger portfolios because they believe in the brand's long-term opportunity.
Greg LaFoe and Skip Russell each started with a small number of Newk's restaurants and have continued adding to their portfolios as opportunities have come along. Today, LaFoe owns six locations in Georgia and Alabama after acquiring four existing restaurants, while Russell has grown to four locations, recently began construction on another restaurant in Brookhaven, Mississippi, and is already planning additional expansion.
"I decided to expand because the timing was right," LaFoe said. “I had two stores that were doing fairly well, and I felt the need to grow. The opportunity came up when another franchisee was retiring and selling four locations. By that point I'd been with the brand for 18 years, my operating partner had been with me for five or six years, and we felt like we really knew the operations. We also had the people in place to support additional restaurants, so it felt like the right time to take that next step.”
Russell had already begun planning additional Newk's restaurants when another opportunity presented itself. Two nearby locations became available for purchase, allowing him to grow more quickly than he originally planned.
"I sold 13 Popeyes back in 2023, and that's when my son and I decided to develop Newk's restaurants," Russell said. "I doubled the size of my company because I believe in the brand. I believe in what it stands for, I believe in the leadership of the company, and I want to keep growing."
Although both franchisees brought years of restaurant experience to Newk's, they say the brand has its own way of operating. Taking the time to understand the business, build experienced leadership teams and establish consistent operations made it easier to add more restaurants with confidence.
"What stood out to us was the freshness," LaFoe said. "Everything is made from scratch in the kitchen, and the quality of the ingredients really stood out to us. We also saw the ability to grow sales in these markets with the knowledge base we already had. That made it easier for us to look at additional locations because we knew how to operate them."
That experience has already paid off. One of LaFoe's acquisitions was in Tucker, Georgia, which had generated about $1.2 million in annual sales when they took it over and is expected to exceed $2.2 million this year.
As their businesses have grown, both franchisees say Newk's corporate team has continued to provide hands-on support. From operations and site selection to remodeling existing restaurants, they credit the franchisor with helping them continue expanding rather than simply opening their first locations.
"The support staff is amazing," Russell said. "The vice president of operations has been phenomenal. If I text him or call him, he calls right back. We've spent time together touring restaurants and talking through remodels, and our field business consultant checks in with us every week. When I tell them I want to build another restaurant, they start helping me get the information I need. They make it easy to keep growing."
Neither franchisee expects their current portfolio to be their last. Both say they plan to continue expanding as long as the right opportunities come along, whether through new restaurant development or additional acquisitions.
"We're going to continue to grow our footprint," LaFoe said. “We'll keep growing as long as we're successful. I'm younger, and I have no desire to retire anytime soon. Our plan is just to keep on growing.”
Russell plans to keep growing beyond his current development agreement, whether that means building new restaurants or acquiring existing locations. He also believes Newk's has the potential to expand well beyond its current footprint and hopes to see the brand reach 500 locations in the future.
The continued expansion of operators like LaFoe and Russell gives prospective franchise owners a clear picture of how experienced owners view the opportunity. After finding success with their first restaurants, both have chosen to keep investing in Newk's Eatery by growing larger, multi-unit businesses.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/newks-eatery.
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