Noble Roman's Inc., the Indianapolis-based franchisor of Noble Roman's Pizza and Tuscano's Italian Style Subs, provided an update on the continued expansion of its popular take-n-bake (TNB) concept, both in grocery stores around the country and with the stand-alone TNB franchise concept.
The company signed four new stand-alone TNB franchise agreements in the last two weeks, bringing the total number of TNB units open or in development to 20. To date, seven of those units are open and 13 are under development or construction and expected to open during the next several months.
In addition, approximately 1,650 license agreements have been signed to date with grocery stores offering Noble Roman's Take-n-Bake pizza. Management continues to attend grocery trade shows to create awareness within the industry, including the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association trade show in Orlando in June, and as a result, interest has been steadily expanding.
"We have been extremely pleased with the initial reception to our take-n-bake concept, both for stand-alone franchises and grocery stores, and this has been reflected in the growth we've seen thus far in 2013," says Paul Mobley, chairman and CEO of Noble Roman's Inc. "Take-n-bake continues to be one of the fastest growing segments of the pizza industry, and Noble Roman's is at the forefront of this trend. We continue to grow our pipeline of franchise prospects for the stand-alone take-n-bake concept, and expect to have several others under development over the coming weeks. We have signed license agreements for approximately 1,650 grocery stores to carry our TNB product, and expect to add to our grocery network steadily in the coming months."
Simultaneously, the company's nontraditional venues other than grocery stores continues to expand, and Noble Roman's has added 30 nontraditional franchise/license agreements thus far in 2013.
The Noble Roman's Take-n-Bake concept features the chain's traditional hand-tossed style pizza, Deep-Dish Sicilian pizza, the SuperThin pizza, and Noble Roman's breadsticks with spicy cheese sauce, all in a convenient cook-at-home format. Additional menu items will include such items as fresh salads, cookie dough, cinnamon rounds, bake-able pasta, cheesy sticks, and more. The take-n-bake pizza design grew out of the rising popularity of take-n-bake generally and the company's success in licensing grocery stores nationwide to carry Noble Roman's take-n-bake pizza. The Noble Roman's stand-alone take-n-bake unit requires only 900 square feet with a minimal amount of equipment and build-out relative to a regular quick-service restaurant, resulting in a much lower investment cost. Additionally, the take-n-bake units require much less labor and other operating costs, such as utilities, making it simpler and more affordable to operate, contributing to a compelling franchise opportunity for potential franchisees.
