A Leader in Specialty Coffee Signs Seven Unit Franchise Deal in Northwest Indiana
An innovator in the specialty coffee segment providing fresh, premium blends and award-winning roasts for 40 years, Gloria Jean’s Coffees – U.S.A. has signed a multi-unit development agreement with a new franchise partner, Raed Naser. The agreement will bring at least seven new locations to the Northwest Indiana region and parts of Southern Chicago, beginning with a drive-thru in Crown Point, Indiana slated to open in early June.
This agreement builds upon Gloria Jean’s Midwest presence where there is a growing demand for the unique coffee beverages and high-quality flavored beans the brand is known for. The largest mall-based retailer of specialty coffee in the world, Gloria Jean’s is reinvigorating its growth strategy by exploring a wider scope of real estate opportunities and pursuing middle America markets primed for the unique specialty coffee concept.
“With a refreshed brand image and four decades of experience in the specialty coffee industry, Gloria Jean’s is in growth mode and uniquely positioned to own a larger share of the segment, especially in rising suburban markets like Northwest Indiana and Southern Chicago,” said Laina Sullivan, Gloria Jean’s Coffees’ Director of Franchise Development. “We’re thrilled to welcome passionate franchise partners like Raed to the Gloria Jean’s family during this exciting brand evolution. As we pursue strategic growth outside of malls and move into regions where customer demand for exceptional specialty coffee is high, we see tremendous opportunity to introduce Gloria Jean’s to new guests around the country.”
With a simple operations model and relatively low cost of entry, Gloria Jean’s Coffees presents an ideal franchise choice for both new and experienced franchisees who possess an entrepreneurial spirit, a creative local store marketing mindset, and a passion for serving an amazing cup of coffee. The flexibility of Gloria Jean’s Coffees store design allows franchisees to adapt their coffee houses to a broad range of formats and real estate parcels to suit each individual market. General store format options include kiosk locations, a variety of coffee house models and drive-thru stores.
“When searching for the perfect coffee concept to grow my franchise portfolio, Gloria Jean’s stood out in many ways including providing excellent franchise support, ongoing product innovation and creative consumer marketing,” said Naser. “The entire executive team was very hands-on during my onboarding process and worked closely with me to develop a plan that was tailored to my business goals. I’m confident that Gloria Jean’s and its unique products will do very well in Northwest Indiana where high-quality coffee experiences are lacking; and I’m especially excited to open our drive-thru location in early June.”
Serving gourmet coffee in the United States since 1979, there are currently 58 locations in operation with several scheduled to open by year’s end. Gloria Jean’s sources 100 percent of its coffees directly from exotic locations across the globe, with every bean roasted in its Southern California headquarters which includes a test kitchen for ongoing R&D and a complete roasting and processing facility managed by the company’s fulltime master roaster. With a commitment to the guest experience, Gloria Jean’s was ranked a top three national coffee chain in customer service, along with Starbucks and Peet’s Coffee, in a recent consumer survey conducted by Newsweek.
The company is currently awarding area development agreements to passionate franchisees interested in growing with an established coffee concept that continues to resonate with today’s consumers. Click here to learn more about Gloria Jean’s Coffees’ franchise opportunities and what makes the brand a standout concept in the competitive specialty coffee segment.
Gloria Jean’s Coffees – U.S.A. is an innovator in the specialty coffee segment, providing customers fresh, premium blends and award-winning roasts. Gloria Jean’s Coffees was founded in 1979 in a small town outside Chicago by the company’s namesake, Gloria Jean Kvetko. What began as a small gift shop soon became a nationwide and later international franchise concept, and the brand now boasts over 900 stores worldwide. Retail Food Group – USA (RFG), a multi-brand retail food franchisors and leading wholesale coffee roasters, acquired Gloria Jean’s Coffees in 2014 with plans to grow the brand through franchising. Gloria Jean’s delectable menu also offers ice-blended chillers, mochas, lattes, hot cocoa, a variety of baked goods and pastries, whole beans and retail merchandise. An established brand on the rise, Gloria Jean’s was included in Franchise Times’ 2018 Top 200+ Franchise Chains, and the company also took home nine awards at the prestigious 2018 Golden Bean Competition, the world’s largest coffee roasters conference and contest honoring the best coffee roasters in North America. For more information on Gloria Jean’s Coffees, visit www.gloriajeans.com. To inquire about franchise opportunities, visit www.gloriajeans.com/franchise.
