Grabbagreen, the healthy, fast-food concept headquartered in Arizona, announced its first franchisee of the new year, marking 26 franchises agreements to date. Grabbagreen has signed Houston franchise group MarivelHeidi LLC to its growing restaurant enterprise. The new franchisee is led by area entrepreneurs Marivel Hernandez and Heidi Henderson, who will develop three Grabbagreen locations in the Houston market over the next several years, opening their first Grabbagreen in downtown Houston by the end of the year.
Grabbagreen was founded in 2013 by Keely Newman and Kelley Bird. Unimpressed with the number of healthy options they had for their families on the go, Newman and Bird were inspired and turned their vision into a reality, opening the doors in 2013.
Grabbagreen has experienced rapid growth spreading across the U.S. since announcing their franchise opportunity in April. In 2015 alone, the chain signed 23 franchise agreements signed and more than 175 development agreements, with restaurants slated to open over the next several years in Arizona, Texas, California, North Carolina, Colorado, Idaho, New Jersey, and Tennessee.
“It's an exciting time for Grabbagreen, with the expansion into new territories and even more on the horizon," says Keely Newman, founder and CEO. As the fourth-largest city in the U.S., Houston has a sizable and diverse population with a thriving economy. Grabbagreen will offer both local residents and visitors healthy food on-the-go."
With three company-owned Arizona locations, Grabbagreen is the first fast-food concept of its kind serving organic food items, antibiotic- and hormone-free beef, poultry, fresh-pressed juice and smoothies in the country. Grabbagreen is prepared fresh, made-to-order and provide a delicious experience for customers and a variety of flavors to meet dietary needs. Grabbagreen offers a full selection of grain and green-based bowls with fresh hormone-free and antibiotic-free proteins provided by local farms, fresh-pressed juice, handcrafted smoothies, and açai bowls, breakfast, and healthy kid-friendly items.
"This new deal reinforces that the demand for this concept is growing," says Kim Cramton, vice president of operations and franchise development. "In addition to single-unit operators, we continue to attract growth-minded, experienced restaurateurs that are looking for a fun, lucrative investment. When we met Hernandez and Henderson from MarivelHeidi, we were immediately impressed by their passion behind our healthy food concept. The deal to develop in Houston, reinforces our grown plans in the South and we are looking forward to providing the community great-tasting, healthy meal options that meet the demands of their busy lifestyles."
