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Bread Zeppelin is deflating its franchising plans for the next two years, and the reason has nothing to do with slowing sales.
The 10-unit salad chain—known for stuffing greens into hollowed-out baguettes—is saying no to most franchise requests in order to focus on company-owned growth instead. President Vincent Ginatta says the strategy is about attracting the right kind of franchisee later. “We’re adopting a more long-term position,” Ginatta told Restaurant Business. “I think we have a lot to prove. Most of the types of franchisees we’re looking for—those with experience or the wherewithal, capital, to develop a large number of units, want to see more proven.” The chain has $1.5 million in average unit volume and high single-digit comp growth, but Ginatta says they’re still optimizing the model.
Three new company-owned units are opening this year to fill out the Dallas market. By 2028, Bread Zeppelin plans to resume franchising with a proven model that attracts sophisticated, well-capitalized multi-unit operators.