WOWorks this week announced some hefty franchisee incentives.
The St. Petersburg, Florida-parent to six brands, such as Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, and Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, on Thursday unveiled a three-tier incentive program designed to make development more accessible for individual entrepreneurs, and to reward multi-unit operators prepared to grow at scale. The plan also encourages co-branding, which has long been a strategy for the platform company.
The incentives are available for a limited time, through the first quarter of 2027. And the benefits depend on the number of units the operator commits to develop.
“Restaurant development is not one-size-fits-all, and our incentive program reflects the different ways entrepreneurs want to grow,” said Kelly Roddy, WOWorks CEO, in a statement. “Whether someone is opening their first restaurant or expanding an established multi-unit portfolio, we are creating a more flexible path into the WOWorks system. For larger operators, the ability to mix and match brands and earn back the franchise fees on their first three locations makes this an especially compelling opportunity to build a diversified restaurant portfolio.”
The incentive tiers include:
Small Owners: For those looking to open one to two locations, franchisees pay half of the standard franchisee fee at signing, and receive a 50% reduction in royalty fees for the first six months after opening.
Medium Owners: Franchisees looking to open three to five locations pay half the standard franchise fee at signing and receive a 50% reduction in royalty fees for the first year after opening. Operators can mix and match participating WOWorks brands within their development agreement.
Large Owners: Franchisees opening six or more locations pay half the standard franchise fee at signing, which is refunded for their first three locations, resulting in a net $0 franchise fee for those restaurants. They also receive a 50% reduction in royalty fees for the first year across all locations and may mix and match WOWorks brands.
In addition, the co-branding option includes a Buy One, Get Two offer in which operators can add a second participating WOWorks concept to the same location without paying an additional franchise fee.
Roddy offered some detail about the co-branding strategy earlier this year.
James Walker, WOWorks’ chief growth officer, said co-branding is one of the distinct advantages of the group’s platform.
“Instead of asking franchisees to invest in an entirely separate location to diversify their offering, we can help them bring two complementary concepts together under one roof,” he said in a statement. “This program lowers a key barrier to entry and gives operators more flexibility in how they approach their markets.”
In addition to Saladworks, Frutta, and Garbanzo, the WOWorks brands include The Simple Greek, Barbaritos, and Zoup! Eatery. Brand operators collectively operate about 240 restaurants nationwide. WOWorks is a subsidiary of Centre Lane partners LLC.
