Quick casual sub sandwich franchise Jersey Mike’s Subs opened its 1000th restaurant in mid-October. Jersey Mike’s started as one sub shop at the Jersey Shore in 1956 serving authentic premium sliced subs on freshly baked bread. “It may have taken us 40 years to get to 1000 restaurants but Jersey Mike’s expects to double that in the next four years, reaching 2000 locations by 2019,” said Founder Peter Cancro. He added that on October 14th, the company actually opened five locations, so they will all share the honor of being the 1000th store. The restaurants sharing the milestone are: Manny Hernandez and his team at 600 E. Ben White, Austin, Texas; Sterling and Meghan Sublett and their team at 1101 Grindstone Pkwy, Columbia, Missouri; Jim McGaha and his team at 3003 North Delta Hwy, Eugene, Oregon; Zach Carroll and his team at 3201 Edwards Mill Rd, Raleigh, North Carolina; and Alicia Rosenfield-Layton and Duane Layton and their team at 1537 W. Broadway Rd., Tempe, Arizona. The chain currently has more than 1500 locations open and under development nationwide. (Jersey Mike’s Subs – 800/321-7676 www.jerseymikes.com)
In September, Billy Gardell, who plays Mike on the Mike & Molly TV series and his brother, Brian, opened their first Gardell Bros Brick Oven Pizza at the Villages of Hunter’s Creek on Village Park Dr. in Orlando, Florida. Along with a selection of specialty pizzas, the restaurant also offers a selection of appetizers, premium wines and craft beer on tap. (Gardell Bros Brick Oven Pizza – 407/704-6867, www.gardellbrospizza.com)
January is the target opening for the first Wahlburgers restaurant in Florida. The first of a 20-unit agreement with local restauranteur Manny Garcia and Davgar Holdings LLC, the unit will be in the former Simply Purr location in the SunTrust Center at Church St. and Orange Ave. in downtown Orlando, according to reports in the Orlando Business Journal. The Boston-based burger specialty chain anticipates opening up to 150 locations over the next five years. (Wahlburgers – 781/749-4972 www.wahlburgersrestaurants.com).
Bar Louie, the Addison, Texas-based casual restaurant and neighborhood bar, has named Jill Szymanski as Director of Franchise & Real Estate to support the company’s strategic franchise growth plans in markets across the United States. In her new role, Ms. Szymanski will be responsible for driving franchise sales in Bar Louie’s existing and emerging markets throughout the country. She will also lead corporate real estate development for the central division of the business. With 20 years of corporate and franchise real estate experience, Ms. Szymanski is an industry veteran having worked for international retail companies and emerging concepts, such as Applebee’s, Burger King, Haagen Dazs and TITLE Boxing Club, among others. During that time, she also owned a retail flower shop and restaurant. “We believe that Jill’s background and expertise will play a key role in strengthening our organization’s overall strategies,” said CEO John Neitzel, “and are confident that Jill’s fresh approach to corporate and franchise real estate will help to further develop our aggressive goals of expansion.” Bar Louie currently has 99 locations across the country. (Bar Louie - 214/845-4800 www.barlouieamerica.com)
East Coast Wings & Grill is entirely revamping it food and bar menu and it will be available system-wide on November 4th. Known for its wide variety of buffalo wings, casual dining restaurant is adding several new innovative creations to its menu. Some noteworthy items on the new lineup include: ECWG Breakfast Club, a burger featuring a seasoned char-grilled Angus patty topped with melted American cheese, crispy bacon, fried egg, a mini buttery Belgian waffle and of course, even more bacon. Stacked atop crisp, shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes, this breakfast haven is served with a side of sweet maple syrup to complement the savory entrée. Essentially breakfast in a bun, the Breakfast Club is perfect for guests seeking their breakfast fix at any hour. Fish Tacos is another addition. The fish tacos begin with flaky Pollock cooked golden brown and are assembled with fresh pico de gallo, crunchy shredded lettuce, perfectly ripened avocados and aged shredded cheddar cheese. Layered over three, warm soft flour tortillas, the tacos are completed with a cilantro lime crema. Cinnamon-o-mania Cookie Skillet will satisfy the sweet tooth. The skillet involves oatmeal raisin cookies baked fresh on a skillet, topped with vanilla ice cream drizzled with a chocolate hazelnut dressing and sprinkled cinnamon sugar. The new bar menu features specialty drinks that speak to brand’s wide variety of flavor and freshness, including: Back Draft Mary, an upgraded alternative to a traditional Bloody Mary that combines Firefly ‘White Lightning’ Moonshine, a splash of ECW Spiked Bourbon Street Sauce and a dash of Monin Habanero-Lime. It is then shaken with Finest Call Loaded Bloody Mary mix and served in a Blue Cheese-rimmed glass topped with a Spicy Chicken Wing. Then there’s Smoke’n Rita, a top contender among the reformulated margarita recipes emphasizing fresh ingredients, this margarita mixes Sauza Blue Reposado 100 percent Blue Agave Tequila and Citrus Sour with DeKuyper Triple Sec. Bartenders will mix it up with ECW Bourbon Street Sauce and season the glass rim with Peppadew. Based in North Carolina, East Coast Wings & Grill includes more than 80 locations nationwide currently operating or in various stages of development. (East Coast Wings & Grill - 336/760-4985 www.eastcoastwings.com).
The five-year-old Westchester Burger Company will open its fifth location and first in Connecticut early in the new year, according to reports in The Patch. Based in Westchester County in New York and with locations in White Plains, Rye Brook, West Nyack and Mt. Kisco, the casual concept will open in the 4000 square foot, former Rizzuto’s Restaurant location at 1980 West Main St. in Stamford. Sean Mirkov at RHYS Commercial Real Estate represented the tenant in the lease transaction. (Westchester Burger Company-904/358-9399 www.westchesterburger.com), (RHYS Commercial Real Estate-Sean Mirkov, 203/652-8720, smirkov@rhysre.com).