Shortly after signing franchise agreement in New Jersey, Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar is heading for New York, with its fourth multi-unit franchise agreement and its sixth state. In mid-June, the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based full-service casual restaurant and bar entered into a multi-unit franchise agreement with JGJO Development Co. LLC to open a minimum of ten locations in Nassau/Suffolk Counties in Long Island and the Queens areas of New York. The JGJO agreement, under the direction of Chairman and CEO Joseph A. Alagna, Jr. and Stephan A. Stein, gives the Arooga’s brand a total of 44 units, ten corporate and 34 franchise locations, either built or under contract. Alagna and Stein are the principals of Joseph Gunnar & Co., the Wall Street brokerage and investment banking firm, and the general partners of Buttonwood, a private equity venture capital fund. “We are thrilled to partner with Arooga’s and are anxious to bring the exciting Arooga’s experience to the Long Island, New York marketplace,” said Alagna. “We spent more than two years researching dozens of casual dining platforms and are convinced that Arooga’s does it best.” JGJO is positioned to hit the ground running as two of its limited partners, who will oversee daily operations, are seasoned former multi-unit general managers of a nationally prominent and successful casual dining restaurant chain. Arooga’s currently has nine, soon to be ten corporate locations in Central Pennsylvania, and it opened its first franchise location in Uncasville, Connecticut adjacent to the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in March as part of a 15 location multi-unit agreement with the Mohegan Holding company. Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar is a full-service casual restaurant and bar with a sports and entertainment focus that combines exceptional food and beverages, with unique concepts, and proprietary operational strategies.
CATEGORY: Casual Sports Themed
Chain Name: Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar
Company Name: Arooga’s Franchising LP
Street Address: 55 S. Progress Ave., Suite 2, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17109
Tel: 717/635-9464 Fax: 717/635-9246
Email: [email protected] Website: www.aroogas.com
Menu Specialty: Burgers, hoagies, subs, grilled wraps, hot dogs, wings, chili, ribs, soups, salads, flatbread pizzas, etc. with a rotating selection of 30 or more craft, imported and domestic beers along with spirits.
Introduced: Launched in mid-2008 and introduced a franchise program in 2013.
No. of Locations: Ten corporate in Pennsylvania and 34 franchise locations, either in operation, construction or under contract
Areas of Operation: Initial development efforts focusing in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, and Delaware. Franchises are also available in Connecticut, West Virginia, Rhode Island, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.
Types of Location: End caps, Freestanding
BusinessType (corp., franchise, jv): Corporate, Franchise
Size Req’d: 5000 to 8000 sq.ft. with 7000 sq.ft. being ideal
Special Requirements (patio, drive-thru, etc): Outdoor patio, Minimum 50 ft. width, Visibility from major artery, Traffic of 30,000 or more vehicles daily, minimum 125 parking,
Contact Name: Gary Huether Jr. – Co-owner, President
Keith Swade – Director, Franchise Development (215/450-9388)
REAL ESTATE REPRESENTATIVES: Nikolas S. Sgagias ([email protected]), NAI CIR Global, 1015 Mumma Rd., Lemoyne, Pennsylvania 17043 (tel:717/761-5070 ext 154, mobile: 717/439-9453, fax: 717/761-6132)
FRANCHISE REPRESENTATIVES:
PARENT COMPANY: Arooga’s Franchising LP, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Related Chains:
Last Report: Restaurant & QSR Expansion Report #137 Last Update:
NOTES, NAMES & NUMBERS: