First Indiana Location Slated to Open First Week of February in Jeffersonville
The news in 2017 just keeps getting better for Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries.
Fresh off the heels of moving up 99 spots in ENTREPRENEUR’S Esteemed 38th Annual FRANCHISE 500, the All-American, retro-themed diner, highly-decorated in its industry and the franchising community, is spreading its wings with more expansion plans, this time in Kentucky and southern Indiana.
Hwy 55 today announced it has signed a master franchise agreement with Eddie Miller to bring more than 45 locations to Kentucky and 5 locations to Southern Indiana in the next 10 years. The first location is scheduled to open the first week in February in Jeffersonville, Indiana in the East Bridge Center, 5420 Highway 62, right across the Ohio River from Louisville.
Miller has deep roots in Louisville, having lived and worked in Louisville nearly his entire life. Early on in his career, he obtained his CPA license while working in public accounting and has a diverse business background ranging from management in the healthcare and insurance industry to investment advising and more recently serving as the Chief Financial Officer of a privately-owned Information Technology Company in Louisville.
After going through a difficult time in his life, events that caused Miller to do some soul searching of sorts, he was introduced to Hwy 55.
“I heard Kenney Moore [Hwy 55 president and founder] on the radio being interviewed and telling amongst other things, the story of how he spent nearly 25 years becoming an overnight success,” said Miller. “I was intrigued by what I heard and decided to investigate Hwy 55. One thing led to another and later I became the Master Franchisee for Kentucky and Southern Indiana.”
Hwy 55 boasts a fresh, All-American diner experience with fresh, never-frozen burgers, premium sliced cheesesteaks piled high on steamed hoagies, and frozen custard made in-house every day. With its open-grill design, the kitchen’s dedication and care when hand-crafting meals is front and center.
“Hwy 55 is not a franchise concept, it’s a true American success story,” said Hwy 55 president and founder Kenney Moore, who flipped every burger himself in the early days and recently published a book, Behind the Drive, which details his own journey from growing up poor to now owner and founder of America’s next great burger joint. “Eddie has the business background, drive and enthusiasm to be a perfect fit for Hwy 55. All of our master franchisees also operate their own locations so they have skin in the game. It’s core to the brand, a highly effective business model and vital to the continued success of Hwy 55.”
Celebrating its 26th year in business, Hwy 55 has 135 locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Ohio, West Virginia, Denmark and the United Arab Emirates.
Hwy 55 has sold the rights to more than 1,000 franchise locations around the world. In addition to Kentucky and Southern Indiana, Hwy 55 has also signed franchise agreements for Texas, West Virginia, Louisiana and western Virginia in the past year. The brand plans to open approximately 25 locations in 2017.
Hwy 55 has not only resonated well with the burger-loving public, the restaurant and franchising industries have taken notice as well. Hwy 55 won BurgerBusiness.com’s “Best Burger” in 2012 and in 2016, Franchise Business Review named Hwy 55 one of the best restaurant franchises in the country. The brand also was recently named a top 500 franchise in the United States by Entrepreneur magazine and a “Next 20” restaurant brand by Nation’s Restaurant News.
Hwy 55, a retro-themed diner that features fresh, never-frozen hand-pattied burgers, house-made frozen custard, and other classic favorites in a unique open-kitchen setting, was founded in Goldsboro, North Carolina in 1991. Hwy 55 reflects founder Kenney Moore’s commitment to authentic hospitality and fresh food. Widely known in the state for its fresh food and service that exceeds expectations, the chain won BurgerBusiness.com’s “Best Burger” in 2012. It also was recently named a top 500 franchise in the United States by Entrepreneur magazine and a “Next 20” restaurant brand by Nation’s Restaurant News. HWY 55 currently has 135 locations in 11 states, Denmark and the United Arab Emirates. Like Hwy 55 on at https://www.facebook.com/Hwy55burgers or follow us at https://twitter.com/hwy55burgers. For more information, visit https://www.hwy55.com.
