Franchise Talk

PJ’s Coffee Of New Orleans Continues To Expand Locally And With National Franchising In 7 States

November 3rd, 2009 | Author: Jack

PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans, established 31 years ago and returned to local New Orleans ownership 16 months ago, is announcing significant expansion. Scott, Steve and Paul Ballard along with Thomas Richards, Brett Pearson, and Mark Higdon acquired the corporate operations of PJ’s Coffee in June 2008 from Atlanta-based Raving Brands. At that time, there were 44 corporate and franchised stores. Today there are 63 locations with 12 more scheduled to open over the next 6 months. The new stores are a combination of franchisee-owned and corporate operations.

PJ’s CEO Scott Ballard says the company is focused on more than just the number of coffee shops they can count. “While we continue to expand across the country, we are committed to remaining a New Orleans company,” says Ballard. “When we acquired the business last year, corporate operations consisted of fewer than 10 employees. Today we have a growing corporate staff of 28 focusing on roasting, franchising, quality control, and retail products. Together we are building and expanding the PJ’s Coffee brand,” adds Ballard.

PJ’s Coffee notes that it is now experiencing steady revenue increases following a period of eight to 10 months when revenues were flat. While so many other industries are experiencing difficulties, the coffee business seems to be holding its own. The company has finalized nearly 20 franchise agreements in the past 18 months, another sign that entrepreneurs believe in the PJ’s brand.

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