D'Angelo Franchise D'evelops Presence in Orlando

D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches, New England's premier grilled sandwich concept, is "grilling" its way into the Orlando market. The company recently opened its first area Restaurant at 12014 East Colonial Drive, with plans to open 20 additional area locations in the next five years.

Since 1967, D'Angelo has opened more than 200 restaurants in the New England market. The expansion into Orlando is part of a concentrated growth plan that calls for approximately 100 new locations in the next five years, targeting markets such as New England, Florida, New York, North Carolina and Virginia. The Orlando restaurant marks the company's first location outside of the northeast under this new growth initiative.

"We are incredibly excited about our arrival in Orlando and are delighted to introduce our wide variety of menu items to local customers," said Tony Padulo, Senior Vice President of Franchise Development for D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches. "The market's strong economic base, diverse and expanding population, and northeast transplants make Orlando the perfect place to launch the expansion of the D'Angelo experience outside of New England."

Husband and wife team Russell and Jennifer Harms, franchise owners of the Orlando restaurant, have signed on with D'Angelo to bring the concept to central Florida. Russell, a former Taco Bell franchisee with more than 14 years of food industry experience, and Jennifer are slated to open two additional restaurants in 2007 and one in 2008.

"With D'Angelo's strong history and rich heritage, we are excited to bring this delicious concept to Orlando," said Russell. "We look forward to feeding the local appetite and answering the call for delicious, freshly grilled sandwiches."

To augment the market's growth, D'Angelo is seeking new franchisees with Multi-unit franchise experience to develop the D'Angelo network and commit to the development of a minimum of three units within a 2-3 year period. Prospective franchise owners should have the resources and capacity to create and manage an organization that effectively recruits, trains, retains and motivates people. Area developers with a keen understanding and background in restaurant operations and real estate development are ideal.

According to Padulo, the Orlando market has tremendous opportunity for additional D'Angelo restaurants and the company is accelerating its plans to optimize that goal in the next five years.

A leader in the more than $500 billion a year quick service restaurant market, D'Angelo has recently fueled interest in its development plans with the rollout of a new prototype aimed at improving its guests' in-restaurant experience. Featuring a fresh new décor - complete with new colors, lighting, menus and ambiance - the new restaurants are warmer, more inviting and attracting more dine-in guests. Continuing to target its core audience, adults ages 18-34, the new prototype is also drawing more women, seniors and families.

A Menu for Success
Today, D'Angelo is a market standout, differentiating itself from the competition with a menu that includes more than 44 sandwiches - grilled, toasted and cold - as well as a variety of soups and fresh-made salads. The company prides itself on the use of its own distinctive recipes and sandwiches made with the best quality meats, cheese and ingredients, and fresh signature breads. D'Angelo also has healthy sandwich options, called D'Lites, which have either seven grams of fat or less or are carb-friendly, with less than eight carbs per sandwich.

Best sellers include the steak and cheese line, featuring the "No. 9", as well as the lobster sandwich, chicken stir fry, sirloin steak tips and "Toasted Classics."

D'Angelo and D'Angelo Franchising Corp.
D'Angelo currently operates 211 D'Angelo Sandwich Shops as standalone units in tandem with Papa Gino's, a sister company. D'Angelo's strategic growth plan calls for 100 new D'Angelo locations in the next five years. Franchise Opportunities are available to qualified investors with minimum net worths of $400,000 and liquid assets of at least $127,000 per unit.