---
title: "Fast Casual: I Heart Mac & Cheese Opens 1st Franchise Unit"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/c96d92f7-97ce-4029-8746-a64138410b33
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/fast-casual-i-heart-mac-cheese-opens-1st-franchise-unit-2706335
category: "Fast casual"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Fast casual"
topics: ["Development & multi-unit"]
published: 2018-04-20T16:11:26.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T04:08:53.405Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/7709093a08becb81cbd7c04428573b622133.jpg
---

# Fast Casual: I Heart Mac & Cheese Opens 1st Franchise Unit

**TL;DR:** I Heart Mac & Cheese has opened its first franchise location in Yukon, Oklahoma, as part of a five-unit deal with its first franchisee, Genevieve Prieto. The brand plans to open additional corporate-owned and franchisee-owned locations throughout South Florida, Long Island, and New York.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2018-04-20. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/fast-casual-i-heart-mac-cheese-opens-1st-franchise-unit-2706335).*

## Story

According to an article on fastcasual.com, the restaurant brand opened its new franchise location earlier this week in Yukon, Oklahoma. It is the first unit of a five-unit deal with Genevieve “Genny” Prieto, the brand’s first franchisee.

I ♥ Mac & Cheese was established in Fort Lauderdale in 2016. Since then, the brand has opened a number of additional corporate-owned locations, including units in Parkland, Pembroke Pines and Coral Springs. In 2018, the brand plans to open additional corporate-owned and franchisee-owned locations throughout South Florida, Long Island and New York.

“We are thrilled Genny has chosen to expand the I ♥ Mac & Cheese presence in Oklahoma City," said Stephen Giordanella, I ♥ Mac & Cheese’s CEO and chairman, in a company press release. "We know these new restaurants will satisfy a growing consumer demand in the local communities. Genny has solid business experience and has proven to be a successful franchisee with her time at Domino’s."

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- unit expansion (topic)
- restaurant opening (topic)
- franchisee (topic)
- Domino's (company)
- Yukon, Oklahoma (location)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/fast-casual-i-heart-mac-cheese-opens-1st-franchise-unit-2706335). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/c96d92f7-97ce-4029-8746-a64138410b33).