When Agustin Guzman came to the United States as a sophomore in high school, his purpose was to train as an Olympic-class swimmer.
Today, Guzman still has a completive drive, but now it’s in business ownership. His latest move was signing a new franchise agreement with Pokeworks to develop 10 locations in San Antonio.
Guzman owns one Pokeworks location in the southern Texas town of McAllen, and will soon open another in nearby Mission. His ongoing development of the poke bowl concept follows a career that’s spanned restaurants and retail since he graduated from the University of Cincinnati.
After earning an MBA, Guzman worked in consulting for several grocery companies, including McCormick, Kroger and Costco. He went on to work for Albertsons Pharmacy in Arizona, which transitioned to CVS during his time there. Guzman assisted the pharmacy brand in acquiring new locations across the region, and it attracted the attention of a quick-service restaurant brand.
Agustin Guzman is extending the reach of Pokeworks in Texas.
When Carl’s Jr. was expanding in Arizona, Guzman said the brand contacted him to gauge his interest in becoming a franchisee. Guzman and a group of partners took on the task, becoming franchisees with the concept and growing their network to nearly 250 Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants.
His success there attracted the attention of another franchise, this time in the pizza category.
“At one point, many of my colleagues were moving to Blaze Pizza, and their team wanted me to go work for them,” Guzman said. “In my due diligence, though, I found another brand, Pieology, that I liked better. We started talking, and I appreciated the quality of the brand, and became a franchisee, selling off my Carl’s Jr. locations and opening my first Pieology in 2016.”
The process of getting that first location open directly led to him discover Hawaiian brand Pokeworks.
“When training with Pieology, I came across Pokeworks for the first time,” Guzman said. “I met with their founders and really liked what they were doing and the way they support their franchisees. As you get experience as an operator, you get pickier in who you want to partner with.”
Founded in 2015, California-based Pokeworks has 73 locations across 20 states, Taiwan and Canada. Guzman said the efficiency and speed in running the brand was a factor that kept him interested in the company.
Pokeworks’ San Antonio development builds on the brand’s Texas footprint.
“Pieology and Pokeworks are both a build-your-own type of brand,” Guzman said. “That’s what the new generation wants, the customization of their food. The difference is, when you make a pizza, it still has to go in the oven. But with Pokeworks, as soon as you pay, you have your food. The operations are simple, and make for an easy way to do things.”
Guzman said his timeline is to get three open quickly in succession, and then have a longer schedule over two years for the remaining locations.
“The goal is to be aggressive,” Guzman said. “I want to open three in back-to-back months at the end of the year or at the start of 2026, and create a buzz in the market, then develop the next seven. The market is huge, and we could probably add another six easily. But we want to start with 10 to make sure we penetrate the market.”
Guzman’s confidence in the market is based on his past experience. In San Antonio, Guzman said he took over existing Carl’s Jr. restaurants and opened nearly 30 more, and the city ended up being one of the strongest in his network.
Peter Yang, co-founder and chief development officer of Pokeworks, also noted the importance of the region.
“Texas has been a target for us to grow in over the last several years,” Yang said. “This year we sold out Austin and Houston, and we had been looking for the right partner in San Antonio for quite a bit. We opened our first Texas store in 2016, and over the years, we’ve done a great job of developing our brand recognition and synergy in the major cities across the state. We want to continue that growth and solidify our position in the state as the most trusted poke brand.”
Yang said Guzman leading the development is a safe bet for the concept as well.
“He’s great at executing hospitality and holds himself to high standards,” Yang said. “He understands the importance of operational excellence within the four walls. The importance of product, service, cleanliness, and treating his team right. That’s important, because the positivity and warmth he shows his team gets passed on to the guests.”
Similarly, Guzman attributed his success to his team, too.
“The success is the people,” Guzman said. “It’s having great operators. If you have great operators who understand expectations, you can do any concept, and we hold our expectations at a higher level than what the brands ask of us.”
Jeff’s Bagel Run is continuing to expand its Florida footprint with a four-unit deal.
Quick Hits
Jeff’s Bagel Run, a Florida-based franchise, signed a four-unit agreement to continue developing the Sunshine State. The deal is with entrepreneurs Chris and McKenzie Cohen, who bring franchise experience as owners of several Huey Magoo’s restaurants. Founded in 2019, Jeff’s Bagel Run has 30 locations, mostly in the Southeast.
Related: Multi-Unit Deals Fuel Franchise Growth for Jeff's Bagel Run
Pepper Lunch, a fast-casual brand with roots in Japan, signed a pair of deals to open 12 restaurants in Texas and California. Phil Guo of PhilX Hospitality agreed to open five units in Dallas. Guo brings 25 years of ownership experience and today operates three Jinya Ramen Bar locations. The other deal is with Paul Tran, Pepper Lunch’s franchise sales director who already inked an agreement for five units in Los Angeles. His new agreement is for seven locations in the San Francisco Bay area. Launched in 1994, Pepper Lunch has more than 540 locations across 17 countries.
Healthy quick-service concept Konala signed a development agreement for the state of New Jersey with an experienced franchisee. Anthony J. Menicola is leading the effort, and brings a background as a fitness center owner who’s also developed hospitality startups. Based in Idaho, Konala was founded in 2023 and has three locations.
Pet care concept Sparkle Grooming Co. is expanding across two states with a 20-unit deal for Indiana and Kentucky.
Sparkle Grooming Co. partnered with a pair of entrepreneurs to open 20 dog grooming locations in Indiana and Kentucky. Jordan Van Royen and Derek Harper, owners of eight The Joint Chiropractic units, will develop locations in Indiana, as well as Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 2022, Sparkle has three salons.
Glo Tanning, a wellness and skincare brand, inked a seven-unit agreement with a group of entrepreneurs who will develop spas in Alabama and Mississippi. GloDawgs, a group including Anna and Jason Overstreet, and Erika and Jon Reynolds, will bring locations to four cities in Mississippi and two in Alabama. Founded in 2010, Glo Tanning has more than 100 locations.
Beans & Brews Coffeehouse is set to grow in Idaho with the signing of a three-unit deal. Partnering with the brand is Rhy Lund, a Utah resident and developer with business ties to Idaho markets. Established in 1993 and franchising since 2004, Beans & Brews has 85 locations across seven states.
Pizza chain Little Caesars plans to open stores in India with the signing of an agreement with the franchisee group Harnessing Harvest. The company brings nearly nine decades of experience in the food and hospitality industries. Little Caesars, the third-largest pizza chain globally, has restaurants in each of the 50 states, as well as 30 countries and territories.
The Wire is the place to find news of multi-unit development agreements, brought to you by Senior Writer Matthew Liedke. Want more? Sign up for the e-newsletter at franchisetimes.com/e-newsletter. To share your brand’s multi-unit deals, email details to [email protected]