Capriotti's and Wing Zone Sign Master Franchise Agreement in Republic of India

Village Food Courts Spearheads Landmark 50-Unit Deal to Bring Popular Fast-Casual Brands Overseas

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Capriotti's Sandwich Shop and Wing Zone announced today the signing of a 50-unit Master Franchise agreement with Village Food Courts (VFC), a Village Groupe company, to expand the brand in the Republic of India. The agreement, spearheaded by VFC principles Deepak Kumar Sharma and Suraj Arora, gives the company the opportunity to launch both brands exclusively within VFC's food court venues and select delivery kitchens throughout the republic of India over the next five years.

This deal marks the first international agreement in Capriotti's history and will further grow Wing Zone's international presence from its current 30 non-U.S. locations. Already the fifth-largest economy of the world, India's population will become the global leader next year, leaving the country primed for premium food brands to make their mark on the evolving Indian food scene. Currently, the food and beverage industry accounts for ~3% of India's GDP and remains the single largest employer in the country - even though it was one of the industries most severely affected by the pandemic. During this period of global recovery, restaurant brands have unprecedented opportunities for growth.

"Over the past decade, Indians have begun experimenting with different international cuisines and there is a great demand for high-quality American brands to offer world-class food options to consumers," said Suraj Arora, Managing Partner of VFC. "Capriotti's and Wing Zone fit perfectly into our growing portfolio of premium food concepts and with our aggressive development plans, we plan to scale quickly to offer Indian consumers authentic hand-crafted sandwiches and chicken wings."

Village Food Courts is a co-fooding platform offering multiple branded food options within local shopping centers and on major highways. As a growth accelerator for food and beverage brands, Village Food Courts offer the largest omni-channel marketing platform available, along with unmatched scaling opportunities across local shopping malls, major highways, expressways and airports, plus virtual restaurant partnership opportunities.

Key consumer features of Village Food Courts include a virtual reality arcade (offering latest games & entertainment options), regional delicacies and sweets, top QSR brands offering burgers, coffee, ice cream and pizza, a weekly farmers market (certified organic produce sourced directly from local farms), on-site bakery, cold press juices & spices, honey studio (raw honey sourced directly from beekeepers), on-site fresh meats and a 24/7 convenience store (offering gourmet supplies).

"We are very excited to be working with such a great team to expand both the Capriotti's and Wing Zone brands together throughout the Republic of India," said David Bloom, Chief Development and Operating Officer for Capriotti's and Wing Zone. "We have been working closely with VFC for many months to ensure we are prepared to develop successfully and aggressively throughout the region. Deepak, Suraj and the entire Village Food Courts team are, no doubt, going to be the very best partners to help us expand our footprint outside the U.S."

Founded in 1976, Capriotti's is most famous for its 40-year nightly tradition of slow-roasting whole, all-natural turkeys in-house and hand-shredding them each morning to feature in a variety of subs. This includes The Bobbie, the shop's acclaimed best-seller, made with homemade turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mayo on a soft roll. Founded in 1993, Wing Zone is an international fast-casual restaurant franchise known for its cooked-to-order, flavor-fused chicken wings, and tenders.

Both brands are backed by a corporate leadership team that offers a continuous support program for franchise partners through online and field programs, which provides significant support for marketing, retail sales, operations, and growth strategies through every stage of their ownership. Capriotti's AUV remains impressive with the top 25 percent averaging over $1.3 million, with contributions from newly-opened stores in 2022 producing a sales average of 50 percent higher than the brand's AUV of $994,847. For more information about the Capriotti's franchise opportunity, please visit http://www.ownacapriottis.com. For more information about the Wing Zone franchise opportunity, please visit https://wingzonefranchise.com/. 

About Capriotti's Sandwich Shop
Founded in 1976, Capriotti's Sandwich Shop is an award-winning national franchised restaurant chain that remains true to its 40-year tradition of slow-roasting whole, all-natural turkeys in-house every day. Capriotti's cold, grilled, and vegetarian subs, cheesesteaks and salads are available at more than 175 locations across the United States. Capriotti's signature sub, The Bobbie®, was voted "The Greatest Sandwich in America" by thousands of readers across the country, as reported by AOL.com. Capriotti's fans can also download the CAPAddicts Rewards app for iOS and Android, where they can earn and redeem rewards. Capriotti's plans to grow to over 500 locations by 2025 and was ranked on Fast Casual's Top Movers & Shakers List each of the last three years (2020-22). For more information, visit capriottis.com. Like Capriotti's on Facebook, follow on Twitter or Instagram.

About Wing Zone
Founded in 1993, Wing Zone is an international fast-casual restaurant franchise known for its cooked-to-order, flavor-fused chicken wings and tenders. Wing Zone's award-winning flavors are available at more than 31 locations in North American and its 30 restaurants internationally. The brand plans to grow to 200 profitable restaurants by 2025. For more information, visit www.wingzone.com. Like Wing Zone on Facebook, follow on Twitter or Instagram.

Media Contact: Julianne Stevenson, Fishman Public Relations, 224-558-2510 or [email protected]

SOURCE Capriotti's Sandwich Shop