Hawaiian Bros is set for growth across Southeastern states with the signing of a 34-unit agreement. Franchisee group MRCO, led by partners Amin Ferdowsi, Imaan Ferdowsi, Shareef Aminmadani and Shabnam Aminmadani, will open stores in Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina. The MRCO group has a franchise history spanning more than 45 years with nearly 85 Taco Bell restaurants in its portfolio. Hawaiian Bros, launched in 2018, has 70 units across 12 states.
Pennsylvania-based 76 Fence signed its largest agreement to date to build a presence across the Dallas metro area. The brand inked a deal for 38 territories with Bob Wolf, a business strategist and tax planner. Wolf’s plan is to open four to five territories at a time every 180 days. The fence installation company was founded in 2018 and began franchising in 2024. It has a presence in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Facial franchise Glo30 began franchising in 2023 and has 25 locations open.
Glo30, a skincare studio concept, is increasing its footprint in North Carolina with 25 more locations. Franchisees Chris Pelnik and Dan Camp signed an agreement to open the studios in Raleigh, North Carolina, and other markets, adding to the brand’s presence in Charlotte. Pelnik and Camp bring experience in the wellness space, having owned several Club Pilates studios. Founded in 2012, Glo30 has grown to 25 locations.
Scenthound, a dog wellness brand, is expanding in North Carolina and Virginia with the signing of a 20-unit agreement. The deal is with Dr. Jaime Pickett, a veterinarian who also has experience as a franchisee with Banfield Pet Hospital and Papa Johns. Founded in 2015, Scenthound started franchising in 2019 and has more than 140 locations.
Farmer Boys, a California-based fast-casual concept, signed a 10-unit agreement for the Phoenix market. Existing franchisees George and Joseph Sadek, who own 12 California locations, are expanding their network with the brand with the new deal. Founded in 1981, Farmer Boys has grown to nearly 100 locations.
Vicious Biscuit is looking to Midwest markets for future expansion.
Fast-casual breakfast concept Vicious Biscuit is entering Indiana with a 10-unit agreement. The deal is with a group of partners operating as Biscuit Boys. The team includes local entrepreneurs David Dessner, Steve Wise, Scott Liberman and Neda Smith, who will open units in the Indianapolis metro area. Launched in 2017, Vicious Biscuit has 10 locations.
Related: Jersey Mike’s Franchisee Bringing Vicious Biscuit to Virginia
Slim Chickens is entering Connecticut markets with a deal for 10 locations across Hartford and New Haven. Leading the development is the Nehal Inc., an operator with 15 years of franchise experience with Subway and Wayback Burgers. Beginning in 2003, with a location in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Slim Chickens has grown to more than 300 restaurants.
Dog care brand K9 Resorts inked an eight-unit deal for the Chicago market. The agreement is led by David Bear, owner of Bear Family Restaurants, which has 25 McDonald’s restaurants in its portfolio. Bear is partnering on the effort with his wife, Nicole, and his cousin Gary Dayan. The concept, founded in 2005, has more than 40 resorts nationwide.
Smalls Sliders is building up its footprint in Florida markets with the signing of a six-unit agreement. Entrepreneurs Joe Sloboda, Stanley Tsung and Gustavo Bursztyn, with their company Stacked Hospitality, will open the restaurants in Fort Lauderdale and surrounding suburbs. Smalls Sliders, backed by 10 Point Capital and former NFL player-turned investor Drew Brees, has 42 locations.
Currito, a health-centric fast-casual concept, is continuing to build up units with young franchisees like Yogesh Patel in Chicago.
Currito is set to more than double its presence in the Chicago market with the signing of a five-unit agreement. Entrepreneur Yogesh Patel will build on the brand’s footprint of three locations in Chicago, bringing experience as a partner in a group that owns more than 100 Wingstop restaurants. Currito, a healthy fast-casual concept, is based in Cincinnati and has 22 units.
California-based hot chicken concept The Red Chickz is expanding on the opposite coast with a territorial development agreement in New Jersey. New franchisee and entrepreneur Jordan Modi will open locations in the East Brunswick, Edison, Metuchen and New Brunswick markets. Established in 2018, The Red Chickz started franchising in 2021 and has grown to six units across California.
Nail care concept MiniLuxe inked a three-unit deal to grow in Fairfield County, Connecticut, with the first set to open before the end of 2025. Teaming with MiniLuxe is Vera Lexmond, who had a career in retail in the Netherlands before becoming a founding member of the electrical installation company Enstall. Established in 2007, MiniLuxe has 24 company-owned studios in North America and is working to grow its franchise system.
Cousins Maine Lobster will expand into Indiana with a deal for a pair of food trucks. Brothers-in-law Hussein Kourani and Al Obaid will operate the trucks in Fort Wayne, Gary and South Bend. The duo has a professional background in law enforcement as sheriff deputies. Founded in 2012, Cousins Maine Lobster has more than 60 mobile units.
Rita's Italian Ice is looking to new markets for future growth.
Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard is continuing its development of the Dallas market with a three-unit deal. Entrepreneur Carrie Booth, who’s held business roles in leadership, customer experience and community engagement, plans to open the locations in partnership with her family. Founded in 1984, Rita’s has more than 575 locations.
Barry Bagels is expanding into Iowa markets with the signing of a 20-unit agreement. The brand was established in 1972 and has 23 locations in the Midwest, with the majority in Ohio markets. Along with Iowa, the brand is also looking to grow in Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida and the Carolinas. The company did not disclose the names of the franchisees leading the Iowa development.
International News
Dairy Queen inked a trio of international expansion agreements for markets in China, Taiwan and Qatar. For Macau, China, and Hong Kong, Shanghai Dairy Queen Limited will open 60 locations. Shanghai Dairy Queen Limited will also partner with SFB Corporation to develop 100 Dairy Queen units across Taiwan.
In Qatar, meanwhile, the company Al-Majid Jawad W.L.L. will open 15 Dairy Queen locations by 2030, adding to its existing portfolio of 10 units in the country.
Playa Bowls is ramping up its international expansion with a master franchise agreement for Canada. The brand signed an agreement with Eat Up Canada, led by restaurant industry veterans George Heos and Alex Gerzon. The two have experience with Boston Pizza, KFC and Taco Bell, and Eat Up Canada is the master franchisee for Pokeworks in that country. The two, who initially opened eight Canadian Playa Bowl units, plan to lead the effort to open 160 locations in the country. An acai bowl concept, Playa Bowls was founded in 2014 and has grown to more than 300 units in 27 states.
Related: Playa Bowls to Expand Into New Markets Under Sycamore Partners
Anytime Fitness is set to enter Saudi Arabia with a master franchise agreement signed by Abfit, led by investing partner and general manager Raed Alarabi Alharthi. The first location is expected to open in early 2026 and at least 60 are to be developed over the next six years. Anytime Fitness, with more than 5,600 clubs, is part of the Purpose Brands portfolio, which also includes Orangetheory Fitness, Basecamp Fitness, The Bar Method and Waxing the City.
Fat Brands is looking to develop Great American Cookies together with Marble Slab Creamery utilizing co-branded units.
,FAT Brands, parent company to Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery, is set for development in Iraq with a buildout of 10 co-branded stores. Helming the effort is Eric Wilson, a 27-year-old U.S. military veteran who served in Iraq. The two concepts are two of 18 in the FAT Brands portfolio. The company has more than 2,300 units worldwide across its brands.
Bonchon, a South Korean restaurant brand with a focus on chicken, inked a deal to develop Puerto Rico. Local restaurateur and new franchisee Erick Muro will open six locations across the market. Bonchon first opened in the United States in 2006 and today has 150 locations nationwide.
Choice Hotels International is entering African markets with the signing of a three-unit deal for hotels in Kenya and a master development agreement for an additional 15 properties in the region. The development is helmed by Aniket Shroff, an existing franchisee with locations in the United States. Choice Hotels has more than 7,500 hotels across 22 brands in 47 countries and territories.