McAlister's Deli® Aims to Attract New Franchisees in Pennsylvania as Chain Expands

Award-winning fast casual restaurant continues expansion with plans for multiple new locations

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Aug 09, 2016, 09:00 ET

ATLANTA, Aug. 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- McAlister's Deli^®, a leading fast casual restaurant chain known for its Famous Sweet Tea and recently ranked as one of consumers' favorite chains by Restaurant Business, today announced it is looking for new partnerships with experienced multi-unit franchise owners as the brand continues its expansion into Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania represents an important part of McAlister's growth strategy and we're excited about the brand's continued expansion into the region," said Jeff Sturgis, McAlister's Vice President of Franchise Development. "The McAlister's Deli brand has become a top choice for some of the most successful multi-unit franchise owners in the country, so we're excited to watch the brand grow in these areas due in large part to the talent of our franchisees."

As the company looks to open additional locations in the area, they are actively seeking qualified franchisees to develop in the areas in and around Pittsburgh and Erie. Currently, McAlister's has one location in the state of Pennsylvania – on the Pennsylvania State University campus. "The Pittsburgh and Erie markets are directly in the path of our existing growth with our recent and future opening in Ohio, and Western New York, specifically, Buffalo and Rochester. These openings have increased the awareness of McAlister's in these markets and the time is right to seek additional expansion in this region," said Sturgis.

McAlister's had a successful year of franchise growth in 2015 with $548 million in system-wide sales, the opening of 27 new restaurants – some in new markets, including Chicago, Rochester, and Orlando – and nearly 60 commitments for new restaurants. This growth is fueled by both existing franchisees as well as new partnerships with experienced multi-unit franchise owners with notable portfolios.

McAlister's currently operates more than 361 franchised locations in the U.S., across 28 states. The company has attracted a record number of franchise inquiries in recent years due to its quality leadership, healthy sales to investment ratio, and exceptional company performance.

To learn more about franchising opportunities with McAlister's, please contact (888) 855-DELI (3354) or [email protected], or visit www.mcalistersdelifranchise.com.

About McAlister's
Founded in 1989, McAlister's Deli® is a fast casual restaurant chain known for its sandwiches, spuds, soups, salads, desserts and McAlister's Famous Sweet Tea™. In addition to dine-in and take-out service, McAlister's also offers catering with a selection of sandwich trays, box lunches, desserts, a hot spud bar and more. With numerous industry accolades, the McAlister's brand has more than 361 restaurants in 28 states. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. For more information, visit www.mcalistersdeli.com.

About FOCUS Brands Inc.
Atlanta-based FOCUS Brands Inc., through its affiliate brands, is the franchisor and operator of more than 5,000 ice cream shoppes, bakeries, restaurants, and cafes in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 60 foreign countries under the brand names Carvel^®, Cinnabon^®, Schlotzsky's^®, Moe's Southwest Grill^®, Auntie Anne's^® and McAlister's Deli^®, as well as Seattle's Best Coffee^® on certain military bases and in certain international markets. Please visit www.focusbrands.com to learn more.