The first two locations are set to open this summer.
Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop has signed a development agreement for the Tampa Bay area in Florida, to bring 15 new stores to the market. Each location will create between 20 and 25 jobs, totalling 300 new jobs across the agreement.
The agreement has been signed with Scott Crawford and Stephen Poletta, a multi-franchisee duo with development experience.
“After our initial communication with the Capriotti’s leadership team, we were incredibly impressed with not only their industry experience but the compassion and support they offer to franchise partners,” said Crawford. “This, coupled with the opportunity to bring an award-winning brand to the Tampa Bay area and satisfy local consumers craving for extraordinary food, made our decision to invest a no-brainer.”
Crawford’s experience includes time in the food distribution industry, as well as ownership of other franchise locations in the fast-casual and quick-service space. He was drawn to Capriotti’s by its franchisee-franchisor relationships, and the concept’s food.
“During my first visit to the Kennesaw shop in Georgia, the first thing I noticed were the amazing sights and smells,” added Crawford. “I saw the giant roasted turkeys coming out of the big ovens and was met with these tantalizing smells as soon as I walked in. Then, I tried ‘The Bobbie.’ That first taste sent me back to when I was 14-years old waking up on Black Friday, making a Thanksgiving leftover sandwich. I saw myself in my mama’s kitchen, all of us eating together. Right then I knew Capriotti’s was something special.”
Capriotti’s has more than 125 locations open across the U.S., and in 2020, the sandwich brand signed 30 agreements while experiencing a jump in same-store sales growth. It also partnered with DoorDash and Grubhub, and introduced drive-thru, to further develop its contactless pickup and delivery options.
