Celebrating nearly 15 years of serving classic American fare, Johnny Rockets recently signed a multi-unit franchise licensing agreement with Platinum Foods of America, Inc., which calls for 10 new restaurants planned to open throughout North Carolina over ther next 15 years. The North Carolina mulit-unit franchise agreement is one of several expansion strategies Johnny Rockets plans to undergo within the next five years.
Traditionally, Johnny Rockets enters into high-end shopping malls targeting the impulse buying customer. Based on the 1940’s and 1950’s era, Johnny Rocket’s continued popularity is linked to each restaurant’s ability to lure mall-goers in by its high-energy ambience and aroma. Johnny Rockets will continue its mall development approach while putting emphasis on extending beyond these traditional sites. Combined with its latest expansion objective, to engage in multi-unit franchise developments, Johnny Rockets will enter into airports, shopping and entertainment centers, and high-end specialty retail outlets, which also cateres to the impulse buying customer that Johnny Rockets is known to cature.
“The first North Carolina restaurant will be located in Charlotte and is planned for a January 2001 opening in the new, upscale, Rosedale Shoppping Center, followed by an opening in Raleigh and several other major cities,” says J.C. Faw, president of Platinum Foods of America, Inc. “Johnny Rockets brings a fresh, culinary approach to the North American market, with its quality hamburgers and malts combined with nostalgic decor. We’re certain Johnny Rockets will be a big hit with customers, creating its own niche in a new market.”
In addition to the North Carolina expansion efforts, Johnny Rockets has immediate plans for growth, which include eleven franchised openings in California, Maryland, Rhode Island, Florida, and Washington. The company also introduced its first cruise ship location in partnership with the Royal Carribean Cruise Line’s “Voyager of the Seas,” and has plans to embark of its mew flagship, “The Exployer of the Seas,” this month.
Founded in 1986, Johnny Rockets first opened on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Today, the hamburger and malt shop has 138 stores in 25 states and eight countries.
