Newk's Fresh Perspective On Casual Dining And Impeccable Palate Builds One Of The Nation's Fastest Growing Restaurant Franchises In Just 10 Years

JACKSON, Miss., Feb. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The fast-casual Newk's Eatery restaurant brand that began as a small, locally-owned sandwich shop in the college town of Oxford, Miss. a decade ago, has grown into one of the nation's fastest growing franchise restaurant chains, with 66 units across 13 states. Now, as Newk's marks its 10^th Anniversary and prepares to open 15 restaurants in 2014, the owners have set their sights on opening a total of 200 restaurants by 2019, a goal that will further bolster the company's position among Technomic's 50 top fast-casual chain restaurants nationwide.

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Newk's original restaurant concept and its menu are the inspiration of Chris Newcomb, who has both a natural acumen for all things culinary and a palate that serves to perfect ingredient combinations. In fact, most of the restaurant chain's most popular menu items are the result of longstanding family recipes finding their way onto the menu. The recipe for Newk's signature white barbecue sauce, which is featured on The Newk's Q sandwich, is so coveted that the company prepackages the spices to protect the integrity of the recipe. 

Newcomb's success in the fast-casual restaurant segment began 25 years ago when, together with his father, Oxford dentist Dr. Don Newcomb and family friend Debra Bryson, they built the McAlister's Deli brand. After selling that concept in 1999, Newcomb dabbled in franchise ownership while developing plans and perfecting recipes for a culinary inspired concept that would set the bar for freshness in the fast-casual industry. In February 2004, the team of three launched a restaurant concept with a streamlined menu of freshly prepared hand-tossed salads, oven-baked sandwiches, California-style pizzas and made-from-scratch soups prepared in an open view kitchen and delivered tableside in an upscale, family-friendly dining room. The concept is centered around the Newk's Roundtable, which is featured in the center of every restaurant and offers complimentary toppings and add-ons. These "fresh-casual" hallmarks have driven the success of the Newk's brand, yielding nine company-owned and 57 franchise-owned restaurants.

"Many of our franchisees are seeing double-digit year-over-year growth," said Newcomb. "Through seasoned, multi-unit franchise expansion, we will solidify Newk's position in the Southeast and expand contiguously into new territories." Newk's has sold the rights to more than 100 new restaurants opening over the next four years, including development plans in the lower Midwest, Texas, the Carolinas and Maryland, and expects to reach 200 locations within five years, he added.

"The industry will see two kinds of growth from Newk's Eatery over the next 10 years – both further penetration where the brand is established and spreading out into new markets," added Newcomb. "One thing that will remain constant through that change is our culture – one that is based on the values on which this company was built: freshness, quality ingredients and an exceptional customer experience."   

SOURCE Newk's Eatery

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