Corner Bakery Café bullish on expansion

Dallas -- Corner Bakery Café in 2013 signed 12 new area development agreements with franchisees, adding commitments for more than 120 new locations and raising the total to more than 300 cafes under development as the company moves forward on its goal to double its U.S. footprint in the next three years. Currently, Corner Bakery has more than 160 company-owned and franchised locations in 17 states and Washington, D.C.



"Last year was the most significant in Corner Bakery Cafe's franchising history," said Gregg Koffler, VP of franchise sales. "We plan to continue to capitalize on this momentum and have set our sights to continue our franchise development success in 2014.”



Corner Bakery Café’s development signings last year included 16 new cafes in the greater New York City area, 21 in Boston, seven in Oklahoma, nine in San Diego, 14 in Tampa, 10 in Northeast Florida, 13 in Phoenix, 10 in Wisconsin, 21 in Baltimore, five in Idaho and eastern Washington state and 10 in Westchester and Suffolk counties in New York.



In addition, Corner Bakery Cafe celebrated the opening of three new locations inside the world's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, as the chain begins targeting non-traditional venues (NTV) as part of its overall national expansion strategy.



Looking ahead to 2014, the fast-casual brand is currently looking to expand to new markets in Alabama, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, and Tennessee.



"Based on the exceptional success we are experiencing with both existing and new restaurants, we are convinced that now is the time to be even more aggressive in our efforts to take Corner Bakery Cafe into new markets," Koffler added.



"We are coming off one of our most successful years in the company's history. Twelve new development agreements representing more than 120 new cafes is a huge milestone for our brand," said Gary Price, Corner Bakery Cafe president. "Additionally, 2013 was a record-breaking year for the brand's catering business, further solidifying our standing as a widely-recognized industry leader in catering services. All of this would not be possible without our new partnerships with experienced franchisees, new and continuing menu innovation and an increased focus on local catering efforts within our communities."