ROCKFORD (WREX) — Beef-A-Roo, a 55-year-old, Midwest fast-casual restaurant brand, has caught the notice of NEXT Brands and Development, a strategic manager and growth accelerator of franchise brands.
NEXT acquired the franchising rights to Beef-A-Roo in 2021.
NEXT Brands and Development’s experienced restaurant leadership enhanced the brand’s operational efficiencies, optimized restaurant build-outs, and added more multi-channel experiences to connect with franchisees, customers and communities to ready the restaurant chain for franchising.
NEXT Brands and Development’s experienced restaurant leadership enhanced the brand’s operational efficiencies, optimized restaurant build-outs, and added more multi-channel experiences to connect with franchisees, customers and communities to ready the restaurant chain for franchising.
Now primed for franchise expansion, while still leveraging its five decades of proven restaurant success, Beef-A-Roo plans to grow from an eight-unit regional chain to reach 50 units in markets across the Midwest and Southeast in the next three to five years.
“Over five decades, Beef-A-Roo built a traditional restaurant in a fast-casual setting perfect for the modern consumer, making the brand a fit for most Midwestern and Southeastern markets,” says Austin Capoferi, President of Beef-A-Roo Franchising and NEXT Brands and Development.
“To kick-start the franchising process and take away some stress associated with opening a restaurant, Beef-A-Roo plans to get a few locations up and running and then franchise them out so new franchisees – effectively, letting them get into restaurant ownership much quicker with just having to learn the business model and create brand awareness in their area.”
Beef-A-Roo’s franchising efforts also include a newly developed and innovative container model restaurant that can be shipped directly, be ready to operate, and require half of normal staffing requirements, resulting in the ability to open and be operating in less time than traditional brick and mortar.
Capable of revenue through dine-in, drive-through, delivery, take away, and catering sales channels, Beef-A-Roo will open its first container restaurant in Rose City, MI later this year.
New franchisees work directly with Beef-A-Roo Franchising leadership, location development team and trainers to effectively operate a highly efficient restaurant through a turnkey program with premium franchisee profit-centric systems.
Additional Beef-A-Roo corporate support includes a comprehensive 3-week initial training program, site selection and lease negotiation, construction management, purchasing and procurement, menu research and development, ongoing business and employee training, traditional and digital marketing initiatives, plus other benefits to help manage all aspects of the restaurant.