Newk’s Express Café, which passed 50 total restaurants and entered several new markets in 2012, had a big year.
The fast-casual restaurant is ready to compound on this growth in 2013 with plans to open 10 new locations and sign additional multiunit operators with restaurant experience.
Newk’s also passed $100 million in sales for the first time in 2012.
Newk’s opened its first Missouri location this year in Springfield, and four more will open in the state over the next few years. The first of five scheduled Jacksonville, Florida, restaurants opened in 2012, with the second set to open in 2013.
Newk’s signed a three-unit agreement for the Dallas area this year, and the first restaurant will open in Plano, Texas, in spring 2013. Newk’s is also set to enter South Carolina and Maryland for the first time next year.
“Newk’s has really started the path to nationwide growth in the last couple of years,” says Chris Newcomb, CEO and cofounder. “This is an exciting time for Newk’s as we grow outside of the south into states like Missouri and Maryland.
“We are thrilled to bring our brand into these new areas,” he adds. “As a culinary-driven restaurant, the Newk’s menu has universal appeal, and we are very much looking forward to 2013 and beyond.”
Newk’s Express Café provides an express casual-dining experience and features a variety of made-to-order choices, including fresh-tossed salads, oven-baked sandwiches, California-style pizzas, made-from-scratch soups, and homemade cakes baked by Newk’s Bakery Company.
A selection of wines by the glass and beer is also available at select locations.
Since opening its first location in Oxford, Mississippi, in 2004, Newk’s has expanded its presence to 10 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
Newk's has more than 50 restaurants and more than 40 are franchised. Five new restaurants opened in 2010 and 15 opened in 2011. Projections call for seven restaurants to open in 2012 and 10 to open in 2013.
