April 18, 2008 // Franchising.com // The Smiling Moose family of deli-style restaurants is bringing its unique interpretation of fresh, ingenious food to hungry new communities. Experiencing exceptional growth in Colorado, this innovative, fast-casual deli-style restaurant chain has grown from four to nine locations since last year with five more company stores and several franchise locations in development for 2008.
"The Smiling Moose Delis are on target to continue growing by leaps and bounds in the coming months," says Director of Development Larry Hill. "In fact, in the near future we have plans to expand beyond Colorado into Montana, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota and Indiana."
The remarkable growth of Smiling Moose is in large part a result of the delicious food. The menu consists of whimsical and diverse options including crisp, hearty salads, tasty breakfast choices, savory soups, cold and hot sandwiches, healthy wraps and much more. Some of the favorites include "The Morning Moose," a delicious combination of ham, bacon or sausage with scrambled eggs and melted cheese on a toasted bagel or Kaiser Roll and the "Quirky Turkey," a savory wrap featuring a combination of sliced turkey breast, coleslaw, tomatoes, Swiss cheese and 1000 Island dressing. Recently, "The Mighty Mo," one of Smiling Moose's signature sandwiches helped Smiling Moose win "Best Sandwich Shop" honors from Vail Daily's Best of the Vail Valley 2008.
The continued growth is not only a result of delicious food, a great concept and exceptional customer service, but also a commitment to each store's success through effective franchise support and company policies. For instance, Smiling Moose does not markup its goods or services, but instead passes all negotiated rebates back to the stores and the Brand Development Fund. As a result, all stores, both Company and Franchise, have the same supply costs. Smiling Moose also offers an exclusive territory around each store to reduce competition and promote goodwill. From the ground up, Smiling Moose is committed to supporting each new franchisee from the first day they open their doors to the time when they become their community's destination deli.
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