Dave’s Hot Chicken and Fatburger were among the restaurant franchises to strike growth deals in recent days. Here’s a look at 12 brands hitting the expansion trail.

Dave’s Hot Chicken

A restaurant that originally opened as a parking lot pop-up in 2017, Dave’s Hot Chicken is now opening its first location in New Jersey. The fast casual currently has over 60 locations in the U.S. and Canada, and had more than 700 units committed since their franchise initiative was announced in 2019, according to a release.

The New Jersey location will be in Passaic County, in the West Belt Plaza shopping center in Wayne, New Jersey, near the Willowbrook Mall. Winter 2022 has been set as the tentative opening date.

Super Chix

With the fourth store to open systemwide in 2022, Super Chix is debuting its third restaurant in Alabama. The restaurant will be in Madison, located in the Town Madison Shopping Center.

“The Town Center Shopping Center is the perfect location for the new SUPER CHIX thanks to its easy accessibility and location in this prominent shopping center just off the Madison Blvd. and Zierdt Rd,” CEO Darryl Neider says.

The next openings will be in Knoxville, Tennessee and Flowood, Mississippi.

Shipley Do-Nuts

Shipley Do-Nuts is entering the Orlando, Florida, market in 2022, signing a franchise agreement with MLD Hospitality LLC. MLD Hospitality will begin with five locations in Orange County, but leader Michael Burns thinks the Orlando market could have up to 50 Shipley locations in the future.

Shipley first started selling its “do-nuts” in Houston in 1936, and is focusing on Florida as a growth market, according to a release. Other locations are currently open Bradenton, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee, and the company has a multi-unit deal to open three locations in the Tampa-bay area. 

More than 350 new locations in Florida, Maryland, Georgia, Tennessee, Colorado, and Texas have agreements in place to open in the next five years

Apóla Greek Grill

Southern California-based Apóla Greek Grill announced its first franchise location in Riverside.

“This is the first of many huge steps that Apóla Greek Grill will take as we expand and share the delicious recipes that have been passed down through our family over generations,” says founder Yianni Kosmides.

Majid Zahedi, a restaurateur for more than 30 years, is set to head the franchise.

“I love this concept because the recipes and flavors are so familiar to my culture and being able to serve food with fresh ingredients stands out from most other franchise opportunities,” Zahedi adds in a statement.

Main Squeeze

Conscious Capital Growth announced it partnered with Main Squeeze Juice Company. It’s planning a rapid expansion of the Louisiana-based juice concept in the U.S. and eventually worldwide.

“What attracted us to Main Squeeze is that the concept is clearly a game-changer and the team is driven to help people get healthy and stay that way. The success they are experiencing proves they have a winning formula. Now it’s time for accelerated expansion, and that’s where we come in,” Heather Elrod, managing partner, says in a release. 

Main Squeeze currently has 30 locations open and more than 50 in development, using this partnership with Conscious Capital Growth to fast-track expansion and franchise sales.

TOUS les JOURS

French-Asian bakery café chain announced that its new location is open for business in Omaha, Nebraska. This marks the 18th state the brand has locations in, and the first in Nebraska. The new Nebraska store will be helmed by Aron Yang, who plans to open more locations in the state. 

“I am eager to introduce locals to the brand’s wide array of bakery offerings, and I am confident that TOUS les JOURS will become a go-to bakery destination within the Omaha community,” Yang says.

TOUS les JOURS has franchised more than 70 stores in the U.S. and over 1,650 bakeries around the world.

Mountain Mike’s 

California-based pizza chain Mountain Mike’s announced that its second location in Reno, Nevada, is now open. 

This new restaurant is owned by Dalvir Singh, Manpreet Rai, and Kamaljit Singh, who already own three other Mountain Mike’s franchises in Nevada and California. The new franchise is located in Keystone Plaza, a few blocks away from the University of Nevada.

Fatburger

The parent company of Fatburger, Buffalo’s Express, and 15 other concepts, FAT Brands Inc., struck a development deal that will result in 10 new franchised locations in Puerto Rico.

The franchised locations are set to open in the next five years with Franchisee Conceptos Restaurants leading the deal.

“Quick-Service and fast casual concepts continue to gain popularity in Puerto Rico, and we are thrilled to be able to make our debut on the island with a partner like Conceptos Restaurants,” says Taylor Wiederhorn, CDO.

The Human Bean

Coffee chain The Human Bean has opened a new drive-thru in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Guy Mann and his daughter Danica Mann are owning and operating this location. This is their first location, and the first The Human Bean in Cheyenne.

Naf Naf

Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grille is expanding into Texas, with the Frisco location set to open on July 12. This location will soon be followed by openings in McKinney and Las Colinas, Texas. 

These first three Texas locations will be opened by INAA Restaurant, LLC, led by president Amirali Didarali. Didarali will be joined by operating partner Aamir Rajan, previously at Chipotle. 

“Thanks to my background with Chipotle, I know the hallmarks of a great brand and I’m able to spot one that’s worth investing in,” Rajan says. “I fell in love with Naf in Chicago and saw how much potential the brand has, so I wanted to bring its fresh and flavorful food to Texas.

JARS

Celebrity chef Fabio Viviani’s dessert concept JARS has signed its first multi-unit franchise deal to open 10 locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin, Texas markets.

These Texas locations were franchised by Jason and Tejal Wible ahead of the grand opening of the JARS flagship location in Chicago.

“This multi-unit deal is an important milestone for JARS as we look to expand to hundreds of locations nationwide over the next several years,” JARS founder Fabio Viviani says.

The fast-casual dessert concept is hoodless and ventless, and doesn’t require a pastry chef. This means “strong unit economics including streamlined systems and low labor costs,” a release said.

Floozie Cookies

After launching its first location in London’s Covent Garden, then Dubai and Harrods in London, Floozie Cookies is expanding to the U.S. with franchise opportunities in all 50 states, according to a release. 

The plant-based brand founded in 2020 by pastry chef Kimberly Lin offers vegan stuffed cookies that grew popular after the first location opened in London, the release said. 

“I’m thrilled to continue growing our footprint working with new partners in the U.S, and continue developing the brand,” Lin said