Perkins Restaurant & Bakery Introduces Initiatives to Help Franchisees Maximize Potential

Right now is a prime time to franchise with Perkins Restaurant & Bakery as the brand is leveraging the equity of its beloved full-service restaurant brand to blaze new trails for growth through innovation.

Backed by the seasoned leadership of Ascent Hospitality Management, which also owns Huddle House, Perkins is looking at real estate differently and maximizing the potential of every square foot by introducing new prototypes and virtual brands. Franchisees are able to capitalize on the development cost savings and the competitive advantages of offering multi-branded menu options without the additional overhead costs.

Traditionally, Perkins’ restaurants are around 5,800 square feet and built from the ground up. In a time when real estate and construction costs are at a premium, the brand is embracing the conversion of second-generation locations and opening restaurants in non-traditional spots such as travel centers and hotels to reduce development costs while continuing to grow the brand. There’s even a smaller, more compact prototype that only measures around 4,500-4,600 square feet, saving space over the previous larger model and allowing more flexibility to site selection, plus capitalizing on the off-premise revenue streams of virtual brands, additionally inflating the value of each square foot.

Flexibility in site selection is a critical part of the brand’s strategic plans. “For instance, we are doing a site in Mississippi that has multiple competitors nearby,” said Peter Ortiz, Chief Development Officer at Ascent Hospitality Management. “Normally, we don’t like to have more than one competitor but with real estate being at this level, where you have to buy it right when you see it, we are bending a little.” He said the brand works hard to reduce real estate costs and risks for its franchisees.

If all of that wasn’t enough, Perkins incorporated MrBeast Burger® and Papa Corazón's Quesadillas®–two renowned ghost kitchen concepts— into 80+ existing locations. The virtual concepts meet growing consumer demand for increased convenience and provide additional revenue streams for franchisees. The brand has also launched the bakery-only virtual kitchen concept, Bakery by Perkins. With Bakery Cafes in the United States being an $11.9 billion market segment, Bakery by Perkins is a competitive differentiator for the brand. It offers the brand’s signature bakery goods via delivery, carryout, and curbside pickup on the DoorDash and Uber Eats app.

The technology-led strategy is addressing a desire to house a second “storefront” for Perkins on delivery websites and is yielding incremental sales and profits in the stores. Since its launch, the platform is producing stronger average checks and unit volume and will be a great revenue generator for franchisees with the high-volume holiday season coming up.

Perkins’ steady off-premise sales give customers options to order through the website, delivery app, or by phone. “There’s tremendous upside in our bakery platform, and Perkins has runway to grow this category, especially through digital channels,” noted Joe Artime, Vice President of Marketing at Perkins. “Bakery is an expansive term, but even within the areas in which we have equity with the guest, such as desserts, pastries, or breakfast, there is a lot of room for exciting innovation.”

“With new menu innovations, tech platforms, and optimized prototypes, Perkins offers a strong value proposition to restaurant operators looking to incorporate a thriving full-service restaurant concept into their portfolio. And our experienced franchise development team offers hands-on support to franchisees from day one,” added Ortiz.

Founded in 1958, Perkins has grown to 290+ company-owned and franchised locations across 32 states and Canada.

If you are interested in learning how you can become a franchise owner with Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, contact us at perkinsrestaurants.com/franchising/.

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