Corner Bakery Cafe Opens First New Jersey Location with Franchise Partner, The Briad Group

Corner Bakery Cafe Opens First New Jersey Location with Franchise Partner, The Briad GroupCorner Bakery Cafe introduced its unique fast casual dining experience to residents of the Northeast with the opening of a new cafe in the Promenade Shops at Clifton in Clifton, N.J. on November 15. This cafe is the first of 35 planned locations to open within eight years in the region by franchisee The Briad Group, a leading hospitality company based in Livingston, N.J.

“New Jersey is a new state for the brand, and we are eager about the opportunity to continue our expansion in this region of the United States,” said John LaBarge, vice president of franchise business at Corner Bakery Cafe. “The Briad Group has been a leader in the hospitality industry for almost 24 years. Their experience and established reputation in the area makes them an ideal partner for introducing the Corner Bakery Cafe concept to our neighbors in New Jersey.”

“When we approached our franchise endeavors in the past, we’ve selected brands that fall within the quick-service, casual dining and lodging categories,” said Brad Honigfeld, Founder and CEO of The Briad Group. “Our 35 planned Corner Bakery Cafe locations will expand our portfolio to include the quickly growing fast casual category, which fits well between our Wendy’s and T.G.I. Friday’s franchises and allows us to reach a new group of consumers in the state.”

Since launching the Corner Bakery Cafe franchise program in 2006, CBC Restaurant Corp. has signed development agreements representing over 175 committed franchise locations including The Briad Group, more than doubling the current Corner Bakery Cafe system over the next four years. This swift growth can be attributed to Corner Bakery Cafe’s strong unit level economics, as well as the proven success of the brand since its inception in 1991.

The Briad Group opened its first Corner Bakery Cafe location in Clifton, N.J. on Monday, November 15. The remaining 34 cafes will open during the next eight years in Long Island, N.Y. and northern New Jersey. The Briad Group was founded in 1987 when it opened a Steve’s Ice Cream/Carnegie Deli in Princeton, N.J. Today, The Briad Group owns and operates restaurant and hotel franchises including 43 Wendy’s, 70 T.G.I. Friday’s and several Marriott and Hilton brand properties in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Pennsylvania. In the coming years, The Briad Group has plans to open 15 to 20 more hotels within the Marriott and Hilton brand family. The many combined years of experience of Founder and CEO Brad Honigfeld, President and COO Rick Barbrick and Senior Vice President and CFO Dave Cahill have made The Briad Group one of the fastest-growing franchise operators in both the restaurant and hotel industry.

Known for its innovative menu featuring a wide variety of made-to-order egg scramblers and oatmeals for breakfast, flavorful sandwiches, savory panini, homemade soups, signature salads and pastas for lunch and dinner, freshly baked sweets for dessert and an extensive catering menu, Corner Bakery Cafe has been delighting guests nationwide with fresh, handcrafted selections in a welcoming and cozy atmosphere for almost 20 years. Guests can also stay connected with free Wi-Fi.

From a small bread bakery on a corner in downtown Chicago to a national cornerstone of fast casual dining, Corner Bakery Cafe opened its first location in 1991 and now operates more than 115 locations across the country. In October 2006, CBC Restaurant Corp. launched a strategic franchise development program. One of the most competitive in the industry, the program is designed to attract potential franchise partners who have relevant multi-unit restaurant experience and have received “best-in-class” recognition within the industry.