FROM THE WOLF DEN

1) Beem Light Sauna Is On The Rise

My most recent podcast is with Cynthia May, founder & CEO of Beem Light Sauna! 

Cynthia is a repeat guest on the show, as I spoke with her over a year ago when they had just a few locations open (but 80+ in development). 

I’m a big fan of this brand for a few reasons (one of them being that they are a Krokit client 😉). But additionally, they have a laser focus on their niche in the wellness space (light therapy), an efficient model that relies on memberships, AND they are proving that they can not just award franchises, but also get them open!

The brand should have roughly ~60 locations open by the end of 2023!

Cynthia and I chat about the brands growth, what it’s been like transitioning to this phase of scaling and supporting, and what her vision for the future of the brand is!

Check out our conversation here.

2) Qdoba Zee’s Sign With Captain D’s

Large multi-unit deals are a rarity for quick-service seafood concept Captain D’s.

When multi-brand franchisees Keith Johnson and Kevin Davis approached the company, though, Captain D’s was open to taking the road less traveled and signed its largest agreement to date. 

The 26-unit deal, signed in May, will have the duo opening locations in Indianapolis, St. Louis and North Carolina.

Read more here.

3) My Recap of the IFE Convention

I went to the IFE convention in NYC for a day and walked the floor. It was my first franchise expo since pre-covid. 

I went undercover of course, but it was interesting being at a franchise convention as a non-franchise development professional. 

A few things were clear to me after walking the floor:

• I don’t think these conventions generate meaningful prospects for franchisors (the floor felt empty for the 3 hours I was there0
• There are many concepts / booths that all feel the same – you need to get creative if you want to stand out
• These conferences are best for networking / research more than anything else

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EXTRA SAUCE 💥

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers to Expand Texas Footprint with 20-Unit Development Deal
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers® is expanding its footprint in Texas with a 20-unit development deal in Houston. The agreement comes from franchise group Lone Star Custard, comprised of John, Nick, and Joe DePinto – three brothers who were raised just outside of Dallas. In addition to the 20 restaurants in development, the DePinto brothers also acquired 18 existing restaurant locations in the Houston market as part of the deal.

Lone Star Custard is well-versed in the Freddy’s business model since embarking on their franchising journey with the brand in 2022. Prior to this agreement, they had 24 successful restaurants open throughout Texas, including locations in the San Antonio, Austin, and Rio Grande Valley markets.

Slim Chickens Signs 20-Unit Deal Across the Southeast
Slim Chickens announced today it has inked a deal for 20 locations for several counties in Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

Spearheading the new stores is an established multi-unit operator backed by over 30 years of restaurant industry experience in casual dining and quick service across nine states, making it one of the largest franchisees in the Southeast. Now expanding its portfolio with Slim Chickens, the group is thrilled to partner with a brand that has a strong market presence, exceptional leadership, and proven success in unit sales across all restaurant segments.

TGI Fridays looks to hotels for casual-dining growth
TGI Fridays, the casual-dining brand, has opened a new restaurant in the Hilton Garden Inn in Hollywood, Calif., the company announced this week.

The Dallas-based company said the new hotel restaurant is “core to the brand’s transformation strategy – offering hotel guests a quintessential Fridays experience while creating a model that’s focused on operational value and efficiency within the hospitality industry.”