Corner Bakery Cafe’s emphasis on multiunit national expansion and partnering with franchise leaders paid off in 2013 with the signing of 12 new area development agreements, adding commitments for more than 120 new cafés and raising the total to more than 300 cafés under development as the company moves forward on its goal to double its U.S. footprint in the next three years.

“Last year was the most significant in Corner Bakery Cafe’s franchising history,” says Gregg Koffler, who was promoted to Corner Bakery Cafe’s vice president of franchise sales last summer. “We plan to continue to capitalize on this momentum and have set our sights to continue our franchise development success in 2014. There is no question that Corner Bakery Cafe is the right brand in the right segment for qualified developers seeking to expand or diversify into the bakery cafe segment of fast casual.”

2013 Corner Bakery Café development signings included 16 new cafés in the Greater New York City area, 21 in Boston, seven in Oklahoma, nine in San Diego, 14 in Tampa, 10 in Northeast Florida, 13 in Phoenix, 10 in Wisconsin, 21 in Baltimore, five in Idaho and eastern Washington, and 10 in Westchester and Suffolk counties in New York.

In addition, Corner Bakery Cafe celebrated the opening of three new locations inside the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, as the chain begins targeting nontraditional venues as part of its overall national expansion strategy.

Looking ahead to 2014, company executives believe new markets represent a tremendous growth opportunity that will play a key role as Corner Bakery Café moves forward with its franchising goals. 

“Based on the exceptional success we are experiencing with both existing and new restaurants, we are convinced that now is the time to be even more aggressive in our efforts to take Corner Bakery Café into new markets," Koffler says.