Consumers know Edible^® for its delicious, floral-inspired fruit creations, but savvy entrepreneurs know the longevity, history of innovation, and name recognition that comes along with the brand.

Edible^® founder and CEO Tariq Farid bought his first business—a flower shop in East Haven, Connecticut—at just 17 years old. A natural and enthusiastic entrepreneur, he soon introduced flower-style arrangements made completely of fresh fruit. The idea caught on like wildfire, and 22 years later, he leads a powerful global brand with more than 1,000 franchise locations. In recent years, Edible^®—formerly Edible Arrangements—rebranded to better reflect its updated offerings including smoothies, miniature fruit topped cheesecakes, cookies, cupcakes, tea, popcorn, nuts graze boards, and its signature gourmet chocolate-dipped fruit.

As the world’s leading gift and treat destination, Edible^® is looking for franchisees to develop in a variety of key markets. “We have 450 franchise opportunities remaining and available over the next few years, with 150 that will be developed in nontraditional spaces such as airports and military bases,” says Patricia Perry, vice president of franchise development at Edible^®.

While other brands are focusing on expanding drive-thru services, Edible^® is on a different track. Instead, the brand is improving its in-store experience. Since Edible^® products are perfect for gifting, Perry explains, customers want a sensory and interactive experience with the products before they buy them.

As such, most new locations have a smaller footprint with an open floor plan that brings the back-of-house operations front and center on the retail floor. Customers can watch their arrangements being crafted and pick out containers and accessories like balloons, teddy bears, and a wide assortment of other items, all in person. End-cap locations with drive thrus will be pursued by the brand as well.

“From a brand perspective, we focus on how to improve the customer experience, ensuring we have the right product mix, the right location, and the right franchisees,” Perry says. “So many new product categories have launched; from whole fruit boxes to our delicious Edible Bakeshop^™ items and now even grazing boards. People want more customization and visibility into how their products are created, so the newly designed stores accomplish this.”

An added bonus: As an omnichannel concept, delivery is embedded into Edible’s^® business model, and, as a result, the brand has seen significant year-over-year increases in systemwide sales, even during very uncertain times. The brand also has a robust, user-friendly e-commerce platform and its own shipping network, which provides additional options to reach customers during COVID. Edible^® wants to open franchises in several target markets including Alaska, California, Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, and the Midwest.

“We seek out potential franchisees who are experienced in retail or foodservice operations. They must be passionate about Edible^® and have strong connections with their local communities,” Perry says. “We want consumers and businesses to know Edible^® is available for all their gifting and treat needs, and we look forward to helping them celebrate what’s good in life.”

For more on franchising with Edible^®, visit ediblefranchise.com.