Multi-Brand Operator To Develop 98 McAlister's Deli Restaurants

Guillermo Perales is no stranger to mega deals. His Sun Holdings, Inc., company oversees more than 1,000 franchise locations throughout the country, including Burger King, Arby's, Golden Corral, CiCi's, Krispy Kreme, T-Mobile, and more.

Now the Dallas-based mega operator has signed a 98-unit agreement with McAlister's Deli. As part of the deal, Sun Holdings affiliate Best Choice Restaurants will spearhead McAlister's Deli's growth in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas, in addition to developing 47 restaurants over the next seven years. The company consolidated several franchises to get to 51 locations throughout the four states: 36 in Texas, eight in Florida, four in New Mexico, and three in Louisiana.

The agreement marks Perales' entry into the fast-casual restaurant space. "We recently opened our 1,000th location and have been looking for a best-in-class fast casual restaurant brand to add to our rapidly growing portfolio. As a segment leader with strong unit-level economics that consistently outperform competing brands, McAlister's Deli exceeded our criteria and was the obvious choice," said Perales, founder and CEO of Sun Holdings, Inc.

"We are honored to be able to expand our impact in the communities we serve by offering great tasting food as well as contributions to education and meals for the underserved." The agreement is one of the largest single transaction franchise deals in McAlister's Deli's history. The brand currently has more than 450 restaurants in 27 states.