Expansion Roundup: Saigon Hustle, Killer Burger, Others Make Plans

Diverse concepts—from a 5-year-old Vietnamese fast-casual with two units to a 21-year-old snack chain with over 400 units—are spreading out across the globe.

Here are some of the latest announcements to hit the wires:

• Saigon Hustle: The Vietnamese concept is partnering with Savory Fund and Virentes Partners Group to accelerate its expansion across the Southeast. The partnership kicks off with a 24-unit franchise deal across Florida, Tennessee and the Carolinas. Further, Virentes Partners Group invested in Saigon Hustle corporate. The chain—which joined Savory Fund’s portfolio in 2021 after winning the firm’s Million-Dollar Restaurant Launch— currently has two stores in Houston.
• Killer Burger: The 26-unit chain, which operates in the Pacific Northwest and Texas, opened its newest franchised location in Bend, Ore. The unit, the third under franchisee Cascade KB, is part of broader expansion plans to bring 10 additional Killer Burger restaurants to Boise, Southern Idaho, and Northern Utah markets. The group, which also operates 25 Papa Johns stores, is positioned to become one of Killer Burger’s largest franchise partners.
• Wetzel’s Pretzels: The brand is headed to Ecuador as part of a new partnership with Judsarfood S.A. Announce. This marks the brand’s first presence in Ecuador, plus introduces a product category not currently offered in the local market, says the release.
• Riko’s Pizza: The nine-unit concept is putting down roots in a new state as it starts to focus on the East Coast. Its newest—a 5,000-square-foot full-service restaurant and bar—will open this fall in Carolina Beach, N.C. “The Carolinas present numerous key growth markets for Riko’s, and there is perhaps nowhere better for us to start than this first location in the booming coastal town of Carolina Beach,” says Carl Bachmann, president and COO of Riko’s Pizza.

The Skinny

Other brands sharing growth news this week include: Bobby’s Burgers by Bobby Flay, which is Canada bound; Eggs Up Grill, which will open its 100^th unit next month; FAT Brands, which brought another co-branded Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery to Sanford, N.C.; and White Castle, which will open its fourth freestanding unit in Central Florida in about a year.