Construction started in late July on the first of 15 planned Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar restaurants in New England. It is part of the previously announced franchise agreement between Arooga’s Franchising LLC and The Mohegan Tribe. Located on the Norwich-New London Turnpike, adjacent to Mohegan Sun casino resort in Uncasville, Connecticut, the 9000 square foot restaurant is expected to include 100 or more television screens, a collection of sports memorabilia, a three-season dining patio equipped with fire pits and a tap room with up to 40 domestic and craft beers. Opening is targeted for early March of 2015. A/Z Corp. of Ledyard has been contracted for construction and the architect on the project is FRCH Design Worldwide of Cincinnati, Ohio. “The Tribe’s franchise agreement with Arooga’s is part of a well-considered diversification effort,” explained Kevin Brown, Chairman of the Mohegan Tribal Council. “Any good portfolio is diversified, and the Mohegan Tribe will continue to thrive through a range of businesses outside of gaming.” Just days earlier, Arooga’s celebrated its sixth anniversary at its original location. Since opening its first restaurant in 2008, the full-service casual restaurant and bar chain has grown to include eight corporate locations in Central Pennsylvania. A ninth location, in the former Ship Wreck Pub on West King St. in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, is under development to open in September.
The Mohegan Tribe – 13 Chow Hill Rd, Montville, Connecticut 06382 (860/862-6120 www.mohegan.nsn.us)
CATEGORY: Casual Sports Themed
Chain Name: Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar
Company Name: Arooga’s Franchising LP
Street Address: 55 S. Prograss Ave., Suite 2, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17109
Tel: 717/635-9464 Fax: 717/635-9246
Email: wingmaster@aroogas.com 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: Eight in Pennsylvania.
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:
BusinessType (corp., franchise, jv):
Size Req’d: 6500 to 8500 sq.ft. (Smaller format Arooga’s Draft House in urban venues)
Special Requirements (patio, drive-thru, etc):
Contact Name: Gary Huether Jr. – Co-owner, President
Keith Swade – Franchise Sales (215/450-9388)
REAL ESTATE REPRESENTATIVES:
FRANCHISE REPRESENTATIVES:
PARENT COMPANY: Arooga’s Franchising LP, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Related Chains:
Last Report: Restaurant & QSR Expansion Report #120 Last Update:
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