Zips Signs 10-Unit Development Agreement For Raleigh/Durham Area
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Zips Signs 10-Unit Development Agreement For Raleigh/Durham Area

New Franchisees Ron and Rose Cappello Will Bring Same-Day, Affordable Garment Care to Wake and Durham Counties and Chapel Hill, with First Site Set to Open in Spring 2022

September 23, 2021 // Franchising.com // SAVAGE, Md. - ZIPS Dry Cleaners - an aggressively expanding dry cleaning franchise offering same-day, one-low-price dry cleaning - announced today that it has signed a development agreement with a new franchisee group, RR2 Clean Raleigh LLC, to open 10 full-service and dropoff/pickup satellite locations throughout Wake County, Durham County and Chapel Hill, N.C., within six years. Franchisees Ron and Rose Cappello of Apex, N.C., expect to open their first unit in Wake County in Spring of 2022.

News of ZIPS’ planned expansion in Raleigh follows the announcement earlier this year of an eight-unit deal with a separate group for the Charlotte area. The Raleigh stores will be the first ZIPS units for the Cappellos and mark the first development commitment secured under the leadership of President/CEO Bob Barry, who joined ZIPS this past May.

“We’re excited to have our first deal in place after a relatively quiet period brought on by the pandemic and our transition to new leadership,” Barry says. “We’re very proud that we’ve remained viable and appealing throughout this chapter and look forward to celebrating with our franchisees as we spread across North Carolina and continue our aggressive expansion into other key markets throughout the country.”

Ron Cappello, whose background includes 30 years in commercial real estate with a focus on retail, will oversee development and day-to-day operation of the ZIPS business. A loyal ZIPS customer during his time living in the Philadelphia area, he was surprised upon moving to North Carolina in early 2018 to find that there were no affordable dry-cleaning options.

“We could not find any professional dry cleaner in the Raleigh area at a reasonable price similar to a ZIPS operation,” he says. “So I contacted ZIPS and told them I was interested in developing their franchise operations here. There’s definitely a need for affordable, professional dry cleaning that appeals to all demographics and income levels.”

Cappello says three factors governed the couple’s decision to make a multi-unit development commitment with ZIPS. One was the opportunity to join a robust and well-established organization as opposed to going it alone: Where independent, mom-and-pop businesses might struggle to compete in the $10B+ segment, ZIPS offers sophisticated technology and a comprehensive system consisting of marketing, training, development and operational support. Second was the explosive population and industry growth taking place in the Raleigh-Durham area, giving rise to an ever-increasing pool of potential customers. Third was the experience and commitment of the ZIPS corporate team.

“This is the future of dry cleaning,” he says. “ZIPS is a professionally run franchise system offering service and value to everyone. This market is booming and people in all professions and from all walks of life need a reliable, affordable and convenient way to care for their garments and make sure they always look their best. We’re confident ZIPS can help us capitalize on the demand for these services. They have the systems in place plus the experience to put them to use effectively, with many members of the corporate team having been in the industry for 10 to 20 years. There’s also a real sense of commitment to the franchisee’s success among the whole team. We really appreciated that Bob Barry personally spent a day driving around the market with us.”

ZIPS’ Director of Business Development Abhi Parikh says the company is looking to expand into several other key areas of North Carolina as well as other strategic U.S. markets. He explained that the company’s drop-store program, which lets franchisees who already have full-service ZIPS locations open satellite stores where customers can drop and retrieve their items with the same quick turnaround and low prices as at full-service locations, will facilitate multi-unit growth in these markets.

“The drop store strategy brings us closer to more customers while enabling franchisees to expand into smaller locations with lower up-front equipment investment and streamlined staffing needs,” he explains. “With our dual full-service/drop store offering, we’re making it easier than ever for growth-minded investors to expand quickly and cover a full market. We’re eager to find more ambitious investors to help grow our system and are currently seeking franchise partners in Winston-Salem and Greensboro in North Carolina, as well as in Texas, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and other parts of the country.”

About ZIPS Dry Cleaners®

ZIPS Dry Cleaners® launched in the early 2000s when eight of the Baltimore-Washington Metro Area’s premier dry cleaners decided to band together as a unified brand offering same-day service at a single, low price. These founding stores combined more than 200 years of dry-cleaning experience and business expertise, allowing them to create a streamlined process designed for easy replication by owner-operators whether they are experienced independent dry cleaners or newcomers to the business. Today, there are nearly 70 ZIPS locations throughout the United States, with another 150 slated to open in the next several years. Franchise opportunities are available in select markets throughout the United States. For more information, contact Director of Business Development Abhi Parikh at aparikh@321zips.com or (717) 495-7995.

SOURCE ZIPS Dry Cleaners®

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Media Contact:

Greg Pitkoff    
GRiP Communications LLC    
greg@gripcommpr.com
(718) 404-9277

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