Franchise News

Leading Fast-Casual Franchise Debuts New Prototype After a Record Year of Development

Schlotzsky's®, a leading fast-casual restaurant franchise known for its bold flavors and famous sandwich, The Original®, announced today it has opened its first Design 1000 restaurant in Oklahoma City. Introduced in Q4 2020 alongside the single drive-thru Design 1800, the Design 1000 features two drive-thrus, one on each side of the restaurant. The window on the driver side is for traditional drive-thru ordering and the passenger side window is exclusively for first-party and third-party delivery pickups. Now available to existing and prospective franchisees, this prototype is a nod to the brand's commitment to off-premise access, featuring no indoor seating and a walk-up ordering window in addition to the double drive-thru.

"Over the past couple of years, we've been allocating resources and shifting focus to develop prototypes that offer increased convenience and ease of use for our guests. Design 1000 places an emphasis on off-premise ordering and takes these efforts up a notch," says Shelley Harris, Interim Chief Brand Officer of Schlotzsky's. "We know there is consumer demand for greater accessibility to their favorite Schlotzsky's menu items, so this format, which is entirely focused on off-premise access, gives consumers what they are looking for and provides franchisees with a more compact restaurant design to consider for development."

Drive-thrus have always been a hallmark for Schlotzsky's, with more than 85 percent of total business being consumed off premises. Both the Design 1000 and Design 1800 support the off-premise trend by providing superior operational efficiencies to enhance the speed of service and accuracy, while also giving current and prospective franchisees the flexibility to develop with competitive real estate. Now, with both new designs in operation, Schlotzsky's plans to gather insights and key data from these restaurants to continue to refine the prototypes for operators interested in growing with the brand. The first Design 1000 location in Oklahoma City is a company-owned and operated restaurant.

2021 was a record development year for the brand, signing 124 franchise agreements with both new and existing franchisees. Today, with 323 restaurants in 24 states and more on the way, Schlotzsky's is in the midst of aggressive expansion through conversions and new construction. Franchise opportunities remain in markets across the U.S., including Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, and other key markets in the Midwest and Southeast. For more information about development opportunities with Schlotzsky's, please visit www.schlotzskysfranchising.com.

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Schlotzsky's® is a fast-casual restaurant franchise that started in 1971 and is home to The Original® oven-baked sandwich. The brand started in Austin, Texas and the made-to-order menu options still include bold flavors and fresh ingredients inspired by the food scene in Austin. All 300+ restaurants are serving delicious hot sandwiches on sourdough buns baked from scratch each day, specialty pizzas and fresh salads. Plus, many locations offer warm, oven-baked Cinnabon cinnamon rolls. Check us out online at www.schlotzskys.com to find a store near you. Connect with us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Contacts:
Abby Leary
Focus Brands
[email protected]