Bruegger’s Enterprises announced a new development agreement with business partners Vish, Hitesh, Nick, and BJ Patel and their company Virginia Bagels to open six bakeries in Virginia Beach and the surrounding neighborhoods. The new franchisee group joins a growing family of more than 300 bakeries in 26 states and Canada.
The partners in Virginia Bagels represent two generations of entrepreneurial spirit and bring expertise in the areas of commercial real estate, hospitality, engineering, and business development to Bruegger’s. They plan to open their first bakery in the Hampton Roads section of Tidewater in late 2011.
“The Patel family brings a diverse business background to our team,” says Jim Greco, Bruegger’s CEO. “We look forward to working with them to open our first bakery in the Virginia Beach area.”
The partners have owned and managed many successful businesses in Virginia Beach including hotels, convenience stores, and restaurants. Additionally, they own Brier Creek Pharmacy in Raleigh, known for its 24-hour on-call service and deliveries. It is in Raleigh that the group was first introduced to Bruegger’s.
“What attracted us to Bruegger’s was the company’s commitment to its local neighborhoods and its ability to provide healthy breakfast and lunch options,” Nick Patel says. “We know Bruegger’s high quality, original menu items and warm, friendly environment will be embraced by the residents of Tidewater and Virginia Beach.”
For almost 30 years, Bruegger’s has been offering its freshly baked bagels, along with a wide variety of breakfast and lunch options, to guests across the country. In March 2011, the firm joined with global bakery and restaurant company Groupe Le Duff to become the world’s second largest company in the bakery café sector. BEI’s franchise partners operate more than 100 Bruegger’s bakeries in 16 states.
