Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop is continuing its rapid growth in new markets across the country. The brand has announced its most recent development agreement to open 12 shops in the greater Miami area over the next decade. With a mixture of brick-and-mortar locations and ghost kitchens, Capriotti’s is seeking to reach a wide variety of customers in the area as consumer preferences continue to evolve to include greater off-premises dining.
Site selection is already underway for the first two locations in the Miami and Broward areas. The expansion will be spearheaded by experienced hotel developers, and father-son duo, Marco and M.J. Roca of Reveille Hospitality, a Miami-based firm specializing in hospitality development and consulting. Marco Roca Sr. has completed more than 1,500 hotel deals throughout his nearly 40 years of industry experience, while M.J. (Marco Junior) brings extensive real estate finance knowledge and a deep understanding of the south Florida real estate markets. While the recently signed deal includes 12 Capriotti’s locations, the goal is to achieve 30×30: 30 open locations by 2030.
“We’re starting with Miami because the area is already incredibly receptive to gourmet hospitality culture,” says Marco Roca Sr., whose experience includes working as Chief Development Officer for both Hard Rock Hotels and Caesars Entertainment. “Miami is quickly growing into a global gateway, and we believe it’s the perfect match for Capriotti’s sophisticated yet affordable sandwiches and menu.”
The Rocas have made their first two executive hires: Peter Juvelis and Rubi Macias. Peter is an experienced restaurant owner/developer/operator who successfully exited his concept “Taco Bar” in Ft. Lauderdale. Rubi is joining from the Four Seasons Surfside, where she won employee of the year for her excellence as a manager at Le Sirenuse. The Rocas, Juvelis, and Macias are all proudly Mexican and believe that their cultural heritage has primed them for success in the hospitality industry.
This announcement comes on the heels of enhancements to the Capriotti’s menu and operational innovations amid the pandemic, which includes new menu rollouts like Impossible Cheesesteak and Wagyu Beef, introducing virtual kitchens, and more. The new menu launches have earned Capriotti’s first-place recognition in Franchise Update Magazine’s Marketing Innovation Awards and recognition in the magazine’s Products & Services Awards. Capriotti’s also introduced ghost kitchen franchise opportunities in select markets, allowing franchise partners to more rapidly penetrate urban markets and capitalize on third-party delivery. To date, the brand has inked deals for five franchised locations for a total of seven under development. With goals to open 15 more shops by the end of 2020, Capriotti’s currently has 112 open locations, and more than 180 in progress.
“The Capriotti’s brand is in a position to grow – even amid a pandemic – and, that’s a testament to our value proposition to both loyal CAPaddicts and franchise partners,” says David Bloom, Vice President of Franchise Development. “We’re so grateful to have connected with Marco and M.J. to capitalize on our nationwide growth momentum and bring it to Southern Florida.”
Founded in 1976, the Las Vegas based franchise is most famous for its 40-year nightly tradition of slow-roasting whole, all-natural turkeys in-house and hand-shredding them each morning to feature in a variety of subs. This includes The Bobbie, the shop’s acclaimed best-seller, made with homemade turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and mayo on a soft roll.
With the top 25 percent of shops averaging $1.1 million average unit volume and an initial average investment of $376,000 with high growth potential, Capriotti’s is a profitable and rewarding franchise investment. The brand is backed by a corporate leadership team that offers a continuous support program for franchisees, called CAPMastery. This online and field program provides significant support to franchisees for marketing, retail sales, operations and growth strategies through every stage of their ownership. Looking ahead, Capriotti’s focus will be to continue being an extraordinary franchise, whose franchise partners earn exceptional returns by selling the best tasting, highest quality food.
