After a year of research and reorganization, Spicy Pickle Franchising is set to unveil a new look and feel for its Spicy Pickle Sandwich Company brand.
A new image, new store design and revamped menu will be launched in May at the Spicy Pickle in River Oaks, Texas, a suburb of Houston. The re-launch comes as the company positions itself for continued rapid growth.
Spicy Pickle Sandwich Company specializes in fresh, gourmet-style offerings made with fine artisan breads, baked fresh daily and piled high with top-quality meats along with a wide choice of eight cheeses, 22 toppings, and 14 proprietary spreads to create healthy, delicious panini and sub sandwiches with flavors from around the world.
There are currently more than 30 locations of Spicy Pickle Sandwich Company in 10 states. Over the past several months, the company has invested more than $1.5 million in restructuring the organization and repositioning the brand to become a leader in the fast-casual restaurant category.
“Over the past year, we have conducted extensive research with our guests, our franchisees, staff and board members, culinary experts, supply chain resources, and advertising agencies,” says Spicy Pickle Franchising CEO Mark Laramie. “Our goal was to identify what customers liked, how our brand was being perceived, and what we could do to improve.” That research and development culminated in the creation of new Spicy Pickle Sandwich Company concept.
The new concept was unveiled last night at a private VIP event at the River Oaks franchised location in Houston. The new Spicy Pickle look includes a reconfigured “open” food preparation area, a warm new interior color palate featuring “pickle” green and burnt orange, walnut tables and chairs, fresh tile flooring and carpeting, all designed to make the dining experience comfortable and inviting.
A revamped menu brings back perpetual customer favorites with a host of fresh new Panini and sandwich offerings. All ingredients are always fresh, and there are no processed foods to be found.
In addition to revamping the look and the menu, Spicy Pickle Sandwich Company has also embraced technology as a pillar of branding and advertising for the future. The website has been redesigned to reflect the brand’s updated image. In May, the company will also launch online ordering and mobile marketing.
The new look, menu, and online presence have positioned the company for a period of rapid expansion. “Before we began our aggressive growth efforts, we wanted to ensure that we had the brands well-positioned, the concepts cost-effectively modeled, and the staff adequately committed in order to reach our goals,” Laramie says. “This has been accomplished, and we are now in the process of conducting many formative conversations with interested development candidates in North America and beyond.”
Houston-area developer of Spicy Pickle Restaurants, Peter A Forastiere, sees tremendous value in the brand re-launch. “When my sons and I wanted to start a business together we investigated several concepts. We chose Spicy Pickle because of the unique menu, low entry cost, excellent support, and ample territory selection," he says.
"Our customers love our product, and now with the recent revitalization of the brand, this an excellent time for new franchisees to join our group. The new restaurant design, new food presentation and enhanced media plan is all designed to increase revenues, margins, and profitability," Forastiere says. "Our partnership with Spicy Pickle has been a good one and we look forward to a long and prosperous relationship."
