Amsterdam Falafelshop announced plans to bring the brand’s award-winning falafel to South Florida. Local entrepreneur Ajay Patel signed a multiunit franchise agreement to launch four new shops in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and surrounding communities. He is planning to open the first location in Miami Beach early next year.
Based in D.C., the fast-growing, fast-casual franchise concept has already captured widespread admiration in the nation’s capital and beyond for its tasty falafel and authentic atmosphere.
“I am looking forward to bringing the brand’s authentic, fresh falafel to communities throughout South Florida,” says Patel, who owns and operates a chain of successful sandwich shops. “During my research, I saw many other food franchises and even some falafel concepts, but I was impressed by Amsterdam Falafelshop because it is the only one I discovered where all the fresh, colorful, flavorful vegetables, salads, and sauces were created onsite daily, Their falafel wasn’t packaged or frozen—everything was fresh. My wife and I try to avoid unnecessary preservatives, so this is what I wanted to bring to my community, at an economical cost.”
Over the past decade, Amsterdam Falafelshop has become known for its top-it-yourself falafel experience with an authentic vibe and a quirky culture beyond compare. The brand’s strategic expansion continues to catch the attention of recognized business leaders and established entrepreneurs.
“Ajay has shown how passionate he is about Amsterdam Falafelshop, and that’s exactly how we want our franchisees to feel,” says Scott Bennett, chairman of Amsterdam Falafelshop. “Our loyal fans, our employees, our franchisees, all of our stakeholders want to immerse themselves in more of Amsterdam Falafelshop. Over the years the brand has become infectious and irresistible. I am confident that Ajay will carry on this tradition.”
Amsterdam Falafelshop has garnered a global fan base and consistently tops best-food lists, receives widespread food-critic acclaim and has won over the hearts of discerning customers who have made it a top restaurant on Yelp. In addition to serving fresh-made falafel sandwiches and Dutch-style fries known as frieten, shops offer nearly two-dozen toppings for patrons to customize their falafel.
In addition to growing in Miami, Amsterdam Falafelshop is moving forward with an aggressive U.S. franchise growth plan calling for expansion into other select urban centers where the brand can maintain its originality among a diverse collection of consumers. The company is still accepting applications from qualified franchisees interested in further developing in key U.S. areas throughout the Northeast, East Coast, Midwest, and Southeast. East Coast target markets include Richmond, Virginia; Baltimore and Bethesda, Maryland; and Charlotte, Greensboro, and Asheville, North Carolina.
There are currently seven Amsterdam Falafelshop franchise locations operating—one in Annapolis, Maryland, three in Washington, D.C., two in Boston, and one in Clarendon, Virginia. The first shop in the Dallas-Fort Worth market will open in the summer of 2015. Additionally, there are two more shops planned for the Greater D.C. area, one more in the Boston market and multiple locations for Philadelphia and Dallas-Fort Worth.
