Perkins Restaurant & Bakery Enters New Era of Strategic National Franchise Growth

Perkins Restaurant & Bakery (Perkins), the quintessential mealtime gathering place that has engrained itself into the fabric of communities for more than 60 years, announced that it has launched a national franchise initiative with the goal of significantly expanding its footprint in strategically targeted markets across the country.

The brand, best known for its homestyle, comfort classics and fresh-from-the-oven pies, has an established hold across the United States and Canada with more than 290 restaurants. It projects an attractive investment for proven restaurant operators given an average unit volume of $1.7 million+ and access to the $11 billion bakery segment.

“The time is now for expanding Perkins through franchising. Since acquiring the brand in 2019, we have worked to optimize the concept’s growth potential for franchisees. We’ve streamlined store level execution, ramped up marketing and menu development and gained significant cost efficiencies, so the model is primed and ready for accelerated expansion,” said Michael Abt, CEO of Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, a part of Ascent Hospitality Management, which also owns Huddle House.

“Data and market analysis have helped to pinpoint areas of interest and have guided our path as we embark on this journey of national franchise development. We look forward to aligning with strong restaurant operators who want to join us during this new chapter for Perkins.”

Plans for advanced concept innovations are already in the works with industry renowned design firm Louis & Partners at the helm. With a strong portfolio of work for previous hospitality clients such as Hilton, IHOP and Chili’s, the firm’s team will engineer a modernized look for Perkins. Objectives also include creating additional build-out options for multi-unit franchisees eager to diversify their portfolios. And the new prototype excels in serving take-out and delivery customers as well as the dine-in guest.

Currently, Perkins locations are found across 32 states in a variety of traditional model formats—free-standing, end-caps, inline, travel centers and hotels. These flexible designs allow restaurant owners to easily incorporate a Perkins restaurant location into any space, while diversifying their portfolios with a concept in the family dining segment.

From A to Z, the Perkins franchise development team provides exceptional service to effectively guide each franchisee as they enter the system. Whether the team is sharing advice on managing restaurant operations, connecting franchisees with an established supply chain support network or providing them with a robust portfolio of marketing materials to spread the word on the location consistently, they are ready to assist along the way.