Floridian bagel concept Jeff’s Bagel Run announced franchising in March, just three years after opening its first store, and one year after being named one of America’s Best Bagels at Bagelfest in 2023. Currently, the company operates three stores in central Florida, with five more on the way, Jeff’s Bagel Run also recently hired uBreakiFix cofounder Justin Wetherill as president, to take the brand into its next phase of growth.

“Jeff's Bagel Run is a scratch bagel bakery creating the freshest bagels each day.  Nothing is ever frozen or shipped from a commissary to the store,” a representative for Jeff’s Bagel Run said in a statement. “The bagels are mixed, proofed, boiled, topped, and baked in the store all morning long.  Fresh at Jeff's Bagel Run doesn’t just mean your bagel was baked today it means it was baked in the last hour.”

The goal is to have 25 stores open by the end of the year, focusing mainly on the Southeast in markets including Houston, Charleston, Atlanta, and Charlotte, with a mix of franchising and corporate stores.

The average store is 1,200-1,500 square-feet and average check is $15 per person.

As the pickleball craze continues to sweep the nation, Indoor Active Brands just announced the opening and franchise launch of indoor entertainment concept, The Pickle Pad. The Florida-based pickleball-themed activity space will not only offer 20 different game and activity options for guests, but will also feature a chef-driven restaurant, Crave Social Eatery, which will offer a full-service restaurant and bar, with options like sandwiches, pizza, smoothies, and charcuterie.

The first Pickle Pad location is slated to open this spring and is actively seeking qualified candidates to help spread the concept to major markets throughout the country, with a particular emphasis on the Southeast and Midwest. Although franchisees have not yet been announced, more locations are slated to open in 2024 and 2025.  

“The Pickle Pad is a unique twist on the fast-growing sport that creates a diverse portfolio and allows for multiple revenue streams through the Crave Social Eatery restaurant and a wide variety of social and yard games in addition to multiple courts,” a representative for The Pickle Pad said in a statement.

Roots Chicken Shak, the flagship concept owned by celebrity chef Tiffany Derry and Tom Foley-created T2D Concepts, launched its innovative franchising model in January. The franchising program utilizes an owner-operator model that considers core values and commitment to hospitality excellence over a potential franchisee’s net worth or credit score. The owner-operator will be extended the development funds needed to pay their restaurant and will pay that back over time.

“As a black female, I understand and empathize with the challenges of breaking into and becoming successful in the hospitality industry,” chef Derry said in a statement. “That's why this endeavor is so important—to be able to provide under-resourced individuals the opportunity and resources to build a better life for not only themselves, but also the communities they live in."

Roots Chicken Shak is a chef-driven fast-casual restaurant known for its duck fat-fried chicken brined in a proprietary spice blend, and elimination of food waste.

The company will be announcing its first franchisee that will operate in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The plan is to grow “with intention,” with a few franchisees awarded in the first year, and growth becoming more exponential by years three to five. 

Roots Chicken Shak’s stores have an average size of 1,200-1,500 square feet with an average check of $14.75.

Sambazon — known as the primary player in the acai space and owning 50% of the acai imported from Brazil — is making its way into the foodservice retail business. Although the company already operates a handful of nontraditional locations in airports and one traditional location in San Diego, Sambazon Acai will be franchising for the first time, using a menu of acai bowls and smoothies to showcase the authentic Brazilian quality of the tropical fruit.

“The product is sold at more than 30,000 retail supermarket locations… and pioneered the domestic market for the superfood,” a representative for Sambazon said. “At the heart of every bowl and smoothie is Sambazon’s certified organic and fair trade açaí, wild harvested and produced in Sambazon’s two advanced, eco-friendly processing facilities in Brazil, upholding the highest standards and ensuring açaí quality and traceability, ‘from the palm of the tree to the palm of your hand.’”  

Currently the retail brand has eight stores but has multiple franchising deals in the works that will be announced soon. Sambazon hopes to open 75 locations by 2026 and 300 by 2030, focusing on the Southwest and Southeast regions.

The average location size is 700-1,300 square feet, and the average check is $15-$17.

Vicious Biscuits is a Southern breakfast-focused upscale fast-casual eatery cofounded by former McAlister’s Deli exec. George McLaughlin, that serves up cleverly named biscuit creations like, “Silence of the Hams” and “The Sea Biscuit,” alongside beignets, hush puppies, and bowls.

In partnership with Pivotal Growth Partners, Vicious Biscuit has big plans to grow beyond its current seven locations. Already, there have been 43 franchisee agreements signed in multiple major markets, with the majority of the locations opening in Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Salt Lake City, and Mississippi.

“The Vicious Biscuit experience starts with the ease of ordering at the counter and smoothly transitions to a more personalized service once guests are seated,” a representative for the Vicious Biscuit said. “The attentive staff delivers the freshly prepared meals to the table, and thanks to regular check-ins, provides guests the option to order additional items and drinks without having to stand in line again.  This unique approach, blending fast-casual efficiency with thoughtful, sit-down service, ensures that every visit is not just about great food, but also about exceptional hospitality and a memorable dining experience from a guest's perspective.”

The average restaurant size is 3,000 square-feet.

Zunzi’s and Zunzibar — Savannah-based sister concepts that specialize in sandwiches and wings, and a beachy sports bar, respectively — first announced franchising in 2022.  However, the four-unit concept, cofounded by Chris Smith, announced its first franchisee recently with Tom Horton, who was once Five Guys’ largest franchisee. Horton has agreed to open three locations (with two located in South Carolina and Florida), as part of Zunzi’s five-year plan for aggressive expansion.

“Our food and drinks are fantastic-- When we make them right, they will make you say, ‘Sh*t Yeah!’” Smith said. “We are passionate about our sandwiches, wings, chips, and frozen and hand-crafted cocktails… we believe operational excellence is the number one way to make our team say excel. When they are saying, ‘Sh*t Yeah!” our fans say it too, so will our franchisees, communities we operate in, vendors, and investors. We take this so seriously that we charge every customer 2.6% on their check for a ‘Sh*t Yeah!’ promise fee: If they leave without saying it, we will refund their order, and issue a gift card for the same value.”

Currently, the company has 10 franchising deals being negotiated in Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia. By next year, they hope to have seven locations and $20 million in sales, and in five years, hope to have 40 locations and $150 million in sales. The average restaurant location size is 3,000 square-feet, and the average check is $40-$5.