Rise Biscuits & Donuts, Durham, North Carolina’s award-winning concept featuring both sweet and savory breakfast and lunch options, announced the launch of its worldwide franchise program last year. Since signing deals for a total of eight new fast-casual restaurants, the better-breakfast brand will more than triple its existing presence in the Triangle area of North Carolina by opening five new units in its home state.
The brand’s first franchisee, who signed a two-unit deal for Raleigh in 2014, has construction underway for a store in Morrisville and is set to open in late August. The second is set to open at Cameron Village in Raleigh in late August/September, with subsequent locations planned for the Sutton Square shopping center in Raleigh, a unit in Downtown Durham, and a unit in Carrboro/East Main Square, which is planned for a Winter 2015/2016 opening.
Rise partnered with Fransmart, the franchise development company behind the growth of brands like Five Guys Burgers and Fries and Qdoba Mexican Grill. Fransmart will serve as the exclusive franchise development partner.
Rise has signed development deals for eight new franchise units in its first year, and also has plans for corporate unit growth within the next year as well.
Rise fan-turned-franchisee Ty Gwennap, who owns the Morrisville location and recently attended the Pal’s Business Excellence Institute with Rise founder Tom Ferguson and manager Andy Seamans, says it was an “easy decision” to work with Rise Biscuits & Donuts once he began evaluating franchises to invest in. As a Durham resident, he was already a fan of the brand, and said in a recent interview with the Triangle Business Journal that he plans to keep Rise’s “local feel” in his store.
Rise Biscuits & Donuts is putting “gourmet food on Grandma’s biscuits.” It offers unique donut and biscuit flavors that are made fresh in-house every day, and was voted one of Food & Wine’s 25 Best Biscuits in the Country. Everything at Rise is handmade, hand-rolled, and served fresh, hot, and fast. While varieties change seasonally, popular flavors have included Pineapple Basil doughnuts, Local Peach Bull’s Eye with Graham Cracker crumbs doughnuts, and Mac ‘n’ Cheese with bacon biscuits.
