H&H Bagels expanding with 70 locations in pipeline
New York City-based H&H Bagels has reached a new milestone in its nationwide expansion efforts.
The bagel chain has reached 70 confirmed franchise locations in its development pipeline, with its latest three agreements positioning the brand to open 20 additional locations, including five in Miami, five in Raleigh-Durham/Chapel Hill, five in San Diego, and five in Orange County, Calif. Forthcoming openings for H&H Bagels include locations in major markets such as Boston, Dallas, Washington D.C., Chicago, several cities across Florida, and more.
The planned growth signals strong momentum for H&H Bagels, which opened its first franchise location in Boca Raton, Fla. in September of last year.
“We’re incredibly excited to continue growing H&H with these truly exceptional franchising partners in Miami, Southern California and North Carolina,” said Jay Rushin, CEO of H&H Bagels. “With the success of Boca Raton, and Santa Monica on the horizon, we’re looking forward to sharing the New York City bagel experience with more communities nationwide this year.”
The franchise group behind the expansion across San Diego and Orange County is AKL Bagels, LLC, is led by a team of experienced franchisees, including Kurt Kuyper, who has over 30 years of experience in franchise operations for well-known brands including Krispy Kreme, where he launched over 120 locations in the United States and served as the director of operations for Krispy Kreme Australia, Taco Bell, Krispy Kreme, El Pollo Loco, and Rita’s Italian Ice.
Additional team members include Jimmy Albano, who has over 20 years of experience in franchise management (including serving as majority partner and daily operator for multiple Krispy Kreme locations), Jay Lowder, a fitness industry veteran and founder of an equipment maintenance company, and Stuart Lowder, a film, animation and visual effects production professional.
The Miami franchise group is led by Dylan Levin. Previously a senior manager of strategy and operations at GoPuff, Levin helped roll out new business models like alcohol delivery for the delivery service.
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Founded in 1972 on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, H&H Bagels has become a New York City staple, making appearances on television shows like “Sex and the City” and “Seinfeld.” It currently operates seven locations across the New York City area and one location in Boca Raton.
