Inspire Brands, parent company of the Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Jimmy John’s and Sonic restaurant brands, has unveiled flexible development options for both traditional and non-traditional operators.
The initiative aims to work closely with operators to enable growth across different types of real estate and development opportunities.
The company is capitalising on format innovation with smaller, more efficient building prototypes, and maximising real estate efficiency by co-locating its complementary brands on one parcel of land or within an existing building or allotted space.
For standard pad sites, Inspire has introduced co-locations aimed at maximising the revenue potential of that land by enabling franchisees to develop and open a second complementary brand within the Inspire portfolio on the same piece of real estate.
The co-locations can also be developed on a smaller lot, with two brands fitting on as little as half an acre.
In high-traffic locations with a strong propensity for drive-through, small lot sizes or co-location opportunities, the company has introduced a Universal Modular design.
The module is standardised in shape and size while the branding, kitchen layout, and equipment are customised to the restaurant’s brand.
Inspire has also developed solutions to maximise the profitability of existing restaurant buildings.
Noting the shift in consumer preferences towards on-the-go options, the company points out that many legacy buildings may have more dining space than needed.
Franchisees can therefore repurpose underutilised space into another restaurant revenue opportunity.
Inspire also highlighted its attractiveness as a partner for operators in nontraditional locations such as universities, airports and travel plazas.
The multi-brand concepts share an integrated space, which could include a joint back-of-house where multiple brands can be served from the same kitchen.
Multi-brand locations require less equipment, real estate and labour, ultimately driving higher operator returns.
