Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? It certainly is in Birmingham!
The Birmingham Business Journal reported two national franchises are poised to take advantage of the growing demand for quick service and fast casual eateries: the Egg and I and First Watch, the former of which will open in August and the latter which has plans to open three to five area restaurants within the next few years. Quick service and fast casual restaurants are the two shining spots in franchises this year and the only sector forecasted to experience growth, said Alisa Harrison, spokeswoman for the International Franchise Association. And that growth seems to stem from the current recession, she said, as households still want to eat out but are looking for more affordable options.
First Watch currently has 80 restaurants in 11 states and recently launched a franchise growth initiative after 25 years of same-store sales growth. Only seven of the 80 restaurants are not company owned but First Watch hopes to have about a dozen franchised locations open and more than 30 in various stages of development by the end 2012. “The breakfast category is growing tremendously,” said Chris Tomasso, First Watch’s chief marketing officer. “Quick-service restaurants are venturing into breakfast and bringing a higher profile to breakfast.”
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