BURLINGTON Vt. Bruegger's is looking to expand into the New York City market, the chain's chief executive said Friday.
Jim Greco, president and chief executive of the 280-unit bakery-cafe chain, said a New York-based franchisee plans to open 15 stores in the city over the next seven years. The first store will likely be located in midtown Manhattan, in or near Times Square, he said.
“We’re shooting for this year although it’s getting a little late in the year to hit that target,” he said. “We’re concentrating on midtown, around 42nd Street, because there’s a lot of traffic coming from the suburbs, there’s tourist traffic and also a strong breakfast and lunch business.”
As part of another 15-unit franchise agreement, Bruegger's will enter the Chicago area for the first time with the debut of a store in the suburban Oak Park, Greco said. In all, he said, Bruegger's plans to open 20 corporate and franchised stores in 2009.
“One good thing about everything going on with the economy is that it has enabled us to find sites that otherwise would be unavailable,” he said. “Some [locations] have opened up because there are a lot less people looking. The rent is cheaper. Now is the right time to be looking.”
Greco also noted that Bruegger’s would be expanding into the on-site foodservice market with four airport locations, including Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, its newest site. The chain also is in talks to open stores on the campuses of New York University and Virginia Tech.
On the food front, Greco said the chain would complete a systemwide rollout of its new line of hot and cold sandwiches by June 1 and is focusing on catering as its next big culinary initiative. The catering arm, which debuted last year, has been redesigned to include fresh breads and sandwiches in addition to the chain’s signature bagels. The program will be reintroduced in September.
Bruegger's is based in Burlington, Vt.
Contact Elissa Elan at [email protected].
