Doherty Enterprises Inc., recognized as the 70th largest privately held business in the New York Metro area by Crain’s Business, operating restaurants in northern, southern, and central New Jersey, Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, announced that it has acquired 38 Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar locations – 35 in Florida; three in Georgia – from Duluth, GA-based Gator Apple, LLC. The Company also opens its seventh restaurant concept, Noodles & Company, at The Gallery at Westbury Plaza on Long Island.
The acquisition increases its Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar locations from 62 to 100, for a Company total of 140 restaurants within four states. The deal also adds more than 2,500 new team members to Doherty Enterprises’ existing workforce of more than 7,000 employees. The newly acquired Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar locations will undergo extensive facility renovations and remodeling. The Company is a multiyear winner of the Applebee’s Franchisee of The Year and Neighbor of the Year Awards. This is largest acquisition by Doherty Enterprises since it was established in 1985.
“July 31 is an exciting day for the entire Doherty Enterprises family as we announce the addition of 38 Applebee’s restaurants in Florida and Georgia and celebrate the grand opening of the first Noodles & Company location in New York,” says Ed Doherty, founder and CEO of Doherty Enterprises. “These achievements will help us reach close to a half of a billion dollars in sales, making Doherty Enterprises a formidable name in the restaurant industry. We attribute this achievement to every member of our team believing in our mission to WOW Every Guest Every Time, WOW Our People, WOW Our Communities, WOW Our Suppliers, and by working hard to be the best food service company in the communities we serve.”
Doherty Enterprises plans to open over 20 Noodles & Company locations throughout Long Island. The company has hired approximately 60 local team members to staff its new location at The Gallery at Westbury Plaza and plans on adding hundreds of new jobs to the Long Island area in the coming years.
Doherty Enterprises operates seven restaurant concepts in four states, including: Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, Panera Bread, Chevys Fresh Mex, Quaker Steak & Lube, Noodles & Company and its own concepts, The Shannon Rose Irish Pub and Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas.
