McAlister's Deli, a fast-casual restaurant chain, announced it has signed development agreements with three new franchise groups to open 20 locations throughout Rochester, New York, Northwest Indiana, and Chicago over the next several years.

Franchisees Josh and Peter Bruckel will open the first McAlister’s in Rochester in 2015. Over the next four years, the group will open a total of five locations in the market. Dave’s Deli LLC will open five McAlister’s restaurants in Northwest Indiana over the next five years, with the first location expected to open in the second half of 2015. And Deli Development Inc., a successful multiunit franchisee of several restaurant concepts, is planning 10 locations in the western suburbs of Chicago, including one in Naperville, which is scheduled to open in Fall 2015.

“The signing of these three multiunit development agreements allows us to expand McAlister’s into undeveloped markets with strong growth potential. The brand has experienced great success throughout Southern Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, and we look forward to further growing our footprint and fan base into the Midwest and Upstate New York,” says McAlister’s chief development officer Jeff Sturgis. “These franchise groups have successfully developed and operated dozens of restaurant concepts and businesses and we’re confident they will thrive with McAlister’s.”