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Roy Rogers® Opens Two New Locations In Pennsylvania Travel Plazas

By: Roy Rogers Family Restaurants |  2 Shares     261 Reads

Western-Themed Quick-Service Chain Partners with HMSHost to Bring Motorists a Refreshed Offering, Targeting Non-Traditional Development as Part of a Broader Expansion Effort

July 30, 2020 // Franchising.com // FREDERICK, Md. - Roy Rogers Restaurants announced today that it has opened two new franchise locations in travel plazas on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in south central Pennsylvania. The South Midway Travel Plaza in Bedford, Pa., and the Highspire Travel Plaza in the Harrisburg suburb of Middletown, Pa., are both operated by HMSHost, Roy Rogers’ largest franchisee. HMSHost previously operated Steak ‘n Shake restaurants in both locations.

The new restaurants are the first to open under the quick-service restaurant chain’s relaunched expansion program, which was announced in January and centers around growth via franchising. They feature many of the latest brand standards that most recently appeared in four remodeled Roy Rogers restaurants in Maryland, including digital menu boards, new artwork and updated design and imaging. They also will serve up the majority of items found on the traditional Roy Rogers menu, including: burgers such as the famous Double R Bar Burger; roast beef sandwiches made with slow-roasted-on-premises, top (inside) round USDA Choice roast beef; fresh, never frozen, hand-battered and breaded fried chicken; and popular limited-time offers.

Executive Vice President Jeremy Biser said that upgrades throughout the concept have helped Roy Rogers enjoy stronger performance amid the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, which in turn gave both companies the confidence to proceed with the openings at this time.

“We have spent the past 18 to 24 months retooling our entire offering and have seen that endeavor bear fruit in the form of some of the strongest sales numbers we’ve seen in quite a while,” said Biser. “We feel our brand is well-suited for both traditional and non-traditional development, such as these new travel plaza locations, and we’re excited to further strengthen our partnership and relationship with HMSHost.”

Michael Price, vice president of development at HMSHost, said that the company’s longstanding relationship with Roy Rogers, the brand’s legacy and popularity in Pennsylvania, and the investment that has been made in strengthening the menu and overall offering made Roy Rogers a perfect choice to fill the two spaces.

“Our goal is to assemble an exciting and satisfying selection of food concepts in every venue we operate that at once boast mass appeal and are ideal for on-the-go dining,” Price said. “We are very impressed with the menu and design upgrades Roy Rogers has made and with many operational enhancements behind the scenes and feel our turnpike traveler client base will respond very favorably to the availability of the brand in our plazas.”

Biser said that travel plazas and other non-traditional sites will be a focus area as Roy Rogers moves forward with its expansion efforts. The brand is also interested in working with multi-unit operators to develop traditional locations through area development agreements, especially if they have units that are closed or failing and are looking to replace them with a strong concept that has a proven and flexible operating model and well-established following. Roy Rogers is currently focusing on growth in the Mid-Atlantic region and plans to expand available development territories throughout the East Coast by early 2021.

About Roy Rogers® Restaurants

Based in Frederick, Md., Roy Rogers® is a chain of western-themed quick-service restaurants offering broad appeal across multiple dayparts and generations. The company is famous for serving up a “Triple Threat” – three popular main dishes including USDA choice top round roast beef, hand-breaded, fresh fried chicken and great-tasting burgers – and for its famous Fixin’s Bar®, where guests can customize their orders with a variety of fresh produce, condiments and signature sauces.

Founded in 1968, Roy Rogers currently consists of 23 company-owned restaurants and 26 franchise restaurants in six states. Qualified franchise investors are now being sought to develop the beloved brand.

About HMSHost

Global restaurateur HMSHost is a world leader in creating dining for travel venues. HMSHost operates in more than 120 airports around the globe and at more than 80 travel plazas in North America. The company has annual sales of more than $3.5 billion and employs approximately 41,000 associates worldwide. HMSHost is a part of Autogrill Group, the world’s leading provider of food & beverage services for people on the move. With sales of €4.7 billion in 2018, the group operates in 31 countries and employs over 60,000 people. It manages more than 4,000 stores in more than 1,000 locations worldwide.

SOURCE Roy Rogers® Restaurants

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