The Recently-Established Platform Company’s New Acquisitions and Innovations Inspire Rapid Franchise Development in 2024
SOUTH ELGIN, Ill., Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Craveworthy Brands, the platform company behind Wing It On!, The Budlong, Krafted Burger + Tap, Genghis Grill, BD’s Mongolian Grill, Flat Top Grill, Lucky Cat Poke Co., Pastizza, Scramblin’ Ed’s, and Soom Soom Mediterranean, wraps its first year in operation as a platform company with milestone brand acquisitions, investments in cutting-edge technological innovations, and strong performance marks that are set to ignite nationwide growth in the year ahead. 2024 aims to be a monumental year as Craveworthy Brands cements itself as a distinguished name in the culinary world.
After officially activating its franchise development program for Genghis Grill, Wing It On!, and The Budlong in May of 2023, Craveworthy Brands’ franchise pipeline has been flooded with an impressive volume of inbound leads in the last 5-6 months to over 50 serious candidates worth an estimated $3.3M in potential deals. Over the past year, Craveworthy Brands’ veteran development team prioritized enhancing platform-wide processes and growing in-store sales to redefine what success can look like for budding QSR concepts. Now, the team has set aggressive development goals to strategically award 125 franchise locations by year-end.
On a mission to revolutionize the QSR industry, Craveworthy Brands grew and diversified its portfolio of brands in 2023 with the acquisitions of Wing It On!, Genghis Grill, BD’s Mongolian Grill, and Flat Top Grill. Additionally, Craveworthy Brands became a franchisor partner of Soom Soom Mediterranean and launched two new virtual brands, Pastizza and Scramblin’ Ed’s, building on the success of its 43 Lucky Cat Poke Co. virtual locations. By investing in emerging brands and optimizing the operational systems behind them, Craveworthy Brands acted on its mission to revolutionize QSR franchising by catapulting unique concepts into a new realm of productivity and profitability.
Recognizing the need for dynamic leadership, Craveworthy Brands welcomed Jeremy Theisen on board as the company’s Chief Growth Development Officer, who has been instrumental in propelling all portfolio brands to new heights. The growing team also appointed Kim DeCarolis as SVP of Strategic Growth and Warwick McLaren as VP of Digital Technology. Lastly, Greg Creed, former CEO of Yum! Brands, joined Craveworthy Brands’ advisory board, helping to guide overall strategy and decision-making processes.
“Our focus in 2023 was redefining Craveworthy Brands’ processes and assembling a stellar leadership team with more than 200 years of combined industry experience,” said Gregg Majewski, CEO of Craveworthy Brands. “We’ve refined every element of how these brands run, and now we’re ready to support success not only within our platform, but in the lives of every individual team member, franchisee and customer. We look forward to tapping into wide-open territories and bringing the Craveworthy experience to communities nationwide.”
The platform company projects $1 billion in systemwide sales within approximately five years and plans to acquire more brands, open 17 corporate locations, and open 60 virtual restaurants in 2024 – all this alongside its prioritization on franchise development.
The success of Craveworthy Brands has not gone unnoticed, with several concepts receiving notable award wins, including Genghis Grill named one of Franchise Times’ Top 400 Restaurant Franchisors, Wing It On! named to the “Lunchbox Top 30 Hottest Restaurant Brands” list and earning the title of “America’s #1 Buffalo Sauce” for the second year running, and both Wing It On! and The Budlong ranking among Entrepreneur Magazine’s Hottest Franchise Trends going into 2024.
“From day one, the guiding vision behind launching Craveworthy Brands has been bringing together a team and a portfolio that reflects our name – truly Craveworthy. Seeing our ideas and hard work materialize into tangible success has been nothing short of remarkable. As we move into another year, I’m excited for the new challenges and triumphs that await,” added Majewski.
Eager to bring new owner-operator franchise partners under its umbrella, Craveworthy Brands is actively seeking growth-minded individuals who are hungry for success and ready to plug into the platform’s systems to ignite growth and opportunity.
For more information about Craveworthy Brands please go to www.craveworthybrands.com. For more about the franchise opportunities, please visit www.craveworthybrands.com/franchising.
About Craveworthy Brands
Craveworthy Brands, the parent company of Wing It On!, The Budlong, Krafted Burger + Tap, Genghis Grill, BD’s Mongolian Grill, Flat Top Grill, Lucky Cat Poke Co., Pastizza, Scramblin’ Ed’s and Soom Soom Mediterranean, is dedicated to invigorating and supercharging legacy brands while nurturing and growing emerging brands. The company brings together diverse, but complementary brands and an accomplished leadership team. In addition to running and growing great restaurant brands, Craveworthy is active in the communities it serves and creates unique career opportunities for its team members. Bridging the distinctive individuality of its brands with a shared culture and spirit of collaboration, the company’s goal is to create truly unique and craveworthy experiences every day, every shift and at every turn. Learn more about Craveworthy and its brands at CraveworthyBrands.com.
SOURCE Craveworthy Brands
