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BUSINESS
Einstein Bagels exploring Huntington market
Einstein Bros. Bagels has its eyes on Huntington for expansion.
Purchase this photoHUNTINGTON -- A new spot for bagels and more could be on its way to Huntington.
Einstein Bros. Bagels is expanding nationally with franchises and strongly considering West Virginia, according to Kevin Kruse, vice president of franchise development for the Einstein Noah Restaurant Group.
Kruse said Einstein Bros. already has company stores in places like Pittsburgh and Columbus and licensed stores in Dayton and Lexington.
"We'd love to get to West Virginia," he said.
Kruse said the company has spoken to Huntington area prospects, but nothing is concrete.
"If we can sign someone, something could be open this year," he said.
Einstein Bros. only signs multiple-unit agreements, so anyone interested must be willing to have three franchise locations, Kruse said. He said typically those are built one each year.
Einstein Bros. Bagels is known for its bagels, made-to-order breakfast and lunchtime sandwiches, five different flavors of Darn Good Coffee, soups, salads, baked goods and desserts.
The company bakes more than 20 types of bagels every day and does not use fryers, Kruse said.
Einstein Bros. stores typically employ about 20 people, he said. The store closes daily at 5 p.m. Two-thirds of the company's sales come from breakfast.
The company has more than 320 company-owned restaurants and 100-plus licensed locations. The new franchise strategy calls for additional locations in cities and counties nearby existing company-owned restaurants in the Midwest, New England, East Coast and Southern United States. Franchising efforts began less than 18 months ago.
"It's a very exciting time for us right now," Kruse said.
He said the company is looking for existing restaurateurs or experienced business people who can get an experienced restaurant operator to be an Einstein Bros. operator. For more information, e-mail Kruse at kkruse@einsteinnoah.com.
