CB Rest Holdings of Boca Raton, Florida, was named Franchise Partner of the Year, while Buon Hospitality of Pleasanton, California, was named Franchise Developer of the Year as Corner Bakery Cafe recognized its top performing franchise partners during the company’s 2013 Franchise Leadership Conference. More than 100 franchisees, operators, and vendors converged for the three-day event held at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas.
Conference highlights included a vendor expo, awards recognition dinner, and featured speakers, including keynote speaker and restaurant industry veteran, Bill Allen, as well as a lunch speaking event with Steve Romaniello, managing director of Roark Capital Group and chairman of the International Franchise Association (IFA).
“It’s thanks to remarkable franchise partners such as these that the growth and success of Corner Bakery Cafe is possible,” says Gary Price, president of Corner Bakery Cafe. “The franchise operators honored this year consistently deliver the highest quality cafes, hospitality, and service to our guests and the neighborhoods they serve, and we are proud to recognize so many of them for their exceptional accomplishments. Many of these decisions were very difficult, as numerous franchise partners were considered in each category.”
The fast-casual chain’s 2013 top award recipients also included Scott Ridgway of the Rose Group in Newtown, Pennsylvania, who was named the Franchise Operating Partner of the Year. The Rose Group owns and operates six Corner Bakery Cafes in Philadelphia, Delaware, and Southern New Jersey.
Corner Bakery Cafe also honored top performing franchise cafes for best in sales, catering and safety. Those franchise cafe award winners included SouthGlenn Corner Bakery Cafe in Centennial, Colorado; Carlsbad Corner Bakery Cafe in Carlsbad, California; Red Butte Corner Bakery Cafe in Salt Lake City; 17th & JFK Corner Bakery Cafe in Philadelphia; and several others.
“It’s an absolute honor to recognize the franchise partners that have excelled over the past year, but it is really a testament to the core strength of Corner Bakery Cafe’s culture and franchise network,” says Mike Hislop, CEO of Corner Bakery Cafe. “As a leading brand in the fastest growing segment of the restaurant industry, our rapid and successful growth can be attributed to our commitment to partnering with respected franchise operators like the partners we recently recognized.”
