--- title: "I Heart Mac & Cheese Signs Franchise Agreement In Long Island Expanding Presence In The New York Market" url: https://burnaze.com/article/f8c93a66-aa96-4e46-b805-6cda7f0c295e source: "Franchising.com" original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20191115_i_heart_mac_amp_cheese_signs_franchise_agreement_i.html category: "Restaurants" industry: "Restaurants" topics: ["Development & multi-unit"] published: 2019-11-15T12:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T04:10:14.448Z image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1504674900247-0877df9cc836?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop --- # I Heart Mac & Cheese Signs Franchise Agreement In Long Island Expanding Presence In The New York Market **TL;DR:** I Heart Mac & Cheese signs a franchise agreement in Long Island, expanding its presence in the New York market. The brand is known for its customizable macaroni and cheese bowls and grilled cheese sandwiches, and has recently unveiled a new vegan menu featuring plant-based options through a partnership with Beyond Meat. *originally published in Franchising.com on 2019-11-15. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20191115_i_heart_mac_amp_cheese_signs_franchise_agreement_i.html).* ## Story “I Heart Mac & Cheese is a fun, attractive concept and an affordable franchise model that is easy to operate, with support systems in place to help our partners be successful,” said Stephen Giordanella, I Heart Mac & Cheese chief executive officer and chairman. “We are thrilled to bring our popular concept into North Babylon to expand our presence throughout the state of New York. We’re also excited to introduce our new vegan menu with more choices for varying ages, lifestyles and cravings.” Husband and wife team Orison and Casandra Wiggins will manage operations for the brand’s newest location. Most recently, Orison is a technology entrepreneur and Cassandra is a teacher who works directly with ENL students. “My wife and I are excited to join the I Heart Mac & Cheese brand and continue spreading the word about this incredible restaurant throughout Long Island and beyond,” said Wiggins. “We have two young sons – ages 3 and 7, and mac and cheese has been a staple in our household. We were originally attracted to the brand due to the uniqueness of the concept and the opportunity to operate a turn-key franchise business model that provides great food.” I Heart Mac & Cheese is well-known for custom, build-your-own macaroni and cheese bowls and grilled cheese sandwiches. Guests select a pasta, bread, quinoa, broccoli or cauliflower base along with seven different proteins, vegetables, and cheeses. Most recently, the brand unveiled a new vegan menu featuring plant-based options through an official partnership that was launched with Beyond Meat®. Gluten-free options are also available. Sesame ginger, mango habanero, buffalo, BBQ, and pesto are a few of the delicious dressings and sauces available to mix in or top off each creation. In addition to customized options, the menu includes specialty chef special items like Baked Chicken Parmesan, Baked Meatball Parmesan, The Cuban, Pepperoni Pizza, and Lobster & White Truffle Mac, among others. Guests can pair their meal with the perfect side of Tomato Soup and finish it with a selection of desserts such as Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies and Marshmallow Treats. A unique franchise concept in the restaurant industry with no fryers, grease trap systems or hood systems, I Heart Mac & Cheese requires a low investment and can be opened in a small space, such as a mall kiosk or food court. Shopping malls, sports venues, areas close to colleges and universities, and high-traffic pedestrian areas are also ideal locations. With a home office in South Florida, I Heart Mac & Cheese offers franchise owner training, marketing support and ongoing development opportunities to ensure each location’s success. Earlier this year, I Heart Mac & Cheese was ranked by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top new franchise opportunities in 2019. Several other locations have recently been announced, with upcoming openings in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, New York and Texas. I Heart Mac & Cheese is a fast-casual concept specializing in customizable, made-to-order macaroni and cheese bowls and grilled cheese sandwiches. Also, on the menu are lifestyle choices with quinoa, broccoli or cauliflower bowls, as well as gluten-free pasta. In 2019, the brand unveiled a new vegan menu featuring plant-based options through an official partnership that was launched with Beyond Meat®. The menu combines award-winning recipes resulting in a grown-up approach to this classic childhood dish. Guests in search of an easy-to-eat treat can enjoy the brand’s newest menu item, Mac Bites, that are baked, bite-size portions perfect to eat while you are on the go in flavors like Bacon Cheeseburger, Buffalo Chicken, The Cuban, Lobster and Classic. The first location opened in 2016 in Fort Lauderdale. Florida locations include Pembroke Pines, Jupiter and Boca Raton. Additional locations are slated to open in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, New York and Texas. In 2017, the company launched its franchising program nationwide and has franchisee locations in Florida in Coral Springs, Davie, and Tallahassee and in New York in Patchogue and Bayside. ## Entities - Franchising.com (publication) - Restaurants (sector) - franchise expansion (topic) - Entrepreneur (publication) - franchise agreement (topic) - new york (location) - Beyond Meat (company) - Long Island (location) - fast casual concept (topic) - vegan menu (topic) - new york market (topic) --- Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20191115_i_heart_mac_amp_cheese_signs_franchise_agreement_i.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/f8c93a66-aa96-4e46-b805-6cda7f0c295e).