Fast Casual Wing Concept Signs Agreement with Philadelphia-based Hospitality Company Igniting Statewide Expansion
June 24, 2021 // Franchising.com // PHILADELPHIA – Hoots Wings, best-in-class wing concept, announced the signing of a sixteen-unit deal for locations in the greater Philadelphia area. Owned and operated by HOA Brands, parent company to Hooters, the fast-casual wing concept has plans to build on this momentum and bring an additional 50 locations to key markets across Pennsylvania – via strategic franchise partnerships – in in the next five years.
This agreement adds to the exponential growth that hoots wings has planned nationwide, having recently announced its development plans for the state of Texas along with development on the East Coast in New Jersey.
The new multi-unit deal sets the brand up to add 16 locations within 20 miles of Philadelphia by 2026 – with the first one or two locations planned to be opened by the end of 2021.
Behind this agreement is ANZ Hospitality, LLC, a Philadelphia-based hospitality company with over 20 years of experience in hotel operations and hospitality management, led by Co-founder and CEO, Chirag Patel and his wife Nilita Patel, CFO of ANZ Hospitality. ANZ Hospitality has owned and operated various hotel and motel establishments, and the company is eager to dive into the QSR space – seeing immense growth potential with hoots wings.
“Hoots has established itself as a leader in the QSR wings space”, said Patel. “With Hooters backing and the rapid growth of the QSR industry, being a part of the early development stages of growth for the brand was the perfect opportunity for ANZ. This deal with hoots wings aligns with ANZ’s goals for progression, while bringing our success with employee relations and career growth to the Philadelphia community – we’re excited to help accelerate hoots’ expansion efforts in the state of Pennsylvania.”
ANZ Hospitality’s current plan for the 16 locations is to purchase existing restaurant spaces and renovate them into hoots wings’ efficient, high-functioning restaurant spaces. This plan speeds up the length of time between lease-signing and grand opening, allowing for a smoother, quicker process for opening locations and cutting development costs in half.
“Hoots’ goals for development goes further than simply growing our number of locations,” said Sal Melilli, CEO of HOA Brands. “We want to bring hoots wings’ unique wing concept to our fans in Pennsylvania, but we also want to bring jobs to the community as well. ANZ Hospitality specializes in providing employment and support in the communities they serve – with this deal alone they’ll bring between 200-300 jobs to the area – and we’re excited to see their vision and success in the industry enacted through hoots wings in Philadelphia.”
