Huddle House celebrated its 50th anniversary with one of the chain’s strongest years of growth ever, signing 21 new franchise agreements, opening eight new restaurants, completing 41 remodels and adding four new company operated restaurants through the acquisition of existing locations.
In addition, as the 2014-2015 fiscal year closed on May 2, Huddle House recorded its 17th consecutive month of positive same-store sales increases.
The new signings include the first Huddle House locations for New Jersey as well as the addition of new restaurants in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Overall, new franchise and development agreement signings were up 23.5 percent over the previous fiscal year and new construction starts finished 140 percent ahead of the previous fiscal year.
Huddle House now has more than 400 restaurants open or under development nationwide and is on track to open more than 100 new restaurants over the next three years. The growth will be accomplished primarily through franchising by both single-unit and multi-unit investors in a range of market sizes, including urban areas, small towns, travel centers, and convenience sites. In addition, Huddle House is offering incentives to new franchisees who take over and remodel existing stores.
“The results continue to prove that the remodeling program as well as other initiatives introduced over the past few years are paying off both in the performance of our restaurants as well as franchise growth,” says Huddle House CEO Michael Abt. “Demand for Huddle House franchises has never been stronger.”
Typically open 24 hours, Huddle House serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day. The menu offers a mix of Southern-inspired comfort food, including its signature Big House breakfasts, crispy hash browns, creamy grits, golden waffles, and fluffy omelets, all made to order. Other favorites include Big Bold Burgers, Big House sandwich platters, country fried steak with green beans, and marinated grilled chicken with sweet potato fries.
