NEW D’ANGELO FRANCHISEE TO OPEN FOUR SHOPS IN ORLANDO

A husband and wife team who recently relocated from Aruba have signed an agreement to develop four D’Angelo Sandwich Shops restaurants in and around their new home base of Orlando, according to an announcement today by the quick-service Restaurant chain famous for its grilled fresh to order sandwiches, fresh salads and hearty soups. Franchisees Russell and Jennifer Haskell Harms, who also operate two Taco Bell restaurants in Aruba, have formed Kwihi Management Corp. and are currently seeking properties in Winter Park, Lake Mary, Casselberry and the University of Central Florida area.

The new restaurants will mark the re-entry into the Orlando market following a three-year hiatus during which the company developed a business strategy for achieving a more significant presence in the region, according to Senior Vice President of Restaurant Development Vince Brown.

“This announcement marks a major turning point in our Franchise expansion program,” says Brown, “allowing us to put a stake in the Southeast that will provide a second base from which to expand along the entire Eastern Seaboard. And we’re fortunate to be launching this initiative with experienced operators like the Harms, who successfully brought Taco Bell to Aruba 14 years ago.”

Harms says the new business venture represents several milestones for him as well.

“This is a very exciting homecoming for me,” he says, noting that in addition to returning to live and work in the United States after a 15-year hiatus, he will now be reunited with a staple of his years as a New Englander. “I went to graduate school in Boston and lived there for several years afterward. Throughout that period, I was a frequent customer of D’Angelo, and more recently, I’ve returned whenever I vacation in the Boston area.”

Quality Counts

What he loved as a customer, Harms adds, he is now banking on as an investor.

“D’Angelo’s product quality has always impressed me as being far above other players in the sandwich category. They are the only quick-service sandwich shop that freshly cooks ingredients on a grill rather than using precooked ingredients, a microwave or just a toaster to warm sandwiches up. In short, the menu has real ‘crave appeal’ that keeps customers coming back with one of the highest visit frequencies in the business.”

Although the D’Angelo brand will be new to Orlando, he adds, he expects it to be well-received.

“D’Angelo offers the quality and variety of a more expensive casual dining restaurant with the convenience and price range of a quick-service restaurant,” he says. “That is a very powerful offer, but it is nothing unless it is executed properly. We will combine our experience and knowledge as successful restaurant operators to ensure that our customers’ expectations are met or exceeded every time they visit our shops. That’s how you build a brand in a new territory – one satisfied customer at a time.”

About D’Angelo and D’Angelo Franchising Corp.

Dedham, Mass.-based D’Angelo Franchising Corporation was incorporated in April 1998 and began operating and franchising D’Angelo Sandwich Shops in February 2000. Franchise Opportunities have been available via predecessors since 1988. D’Angelo Sandwich Shops specialize in great-tasting, made-to-order submarine sandwiches, hot and hearty soups and fresh salads. The company was founded on a simple, honest philosophy: Put the best-quality ingredients in the freshest bread for a reasonable price and serve it quickly. All products meet the highest standards of quality.

The D’Angelo brand was established in January 1973 by a former affiliate, D’Angelo, Inc., which operated corporately owned restaurants. There are currently 211 D’Angelo Sandwich Shops in operation as standalone units and in tandem with Papa Gino’s, a sister company.

D’Angelo’s strategic growth plan calls for 400 new 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.