Swig developing 250 units | Fast Casual

Swig, which launched multi-unit franchising six months ago, has signed 250 franchise units across seven emerging markets — Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri and Idaho — with the first Arkansas, Idaho and Missouri stores opening later this year. This achievement marks the halfway point toward Swig’s goal of committing 500 franchise units by the end of the year.

“The swift expansion of Swig’s franchise network underlines the strong market demand for our category and the effectiveness of our franchise model,” Rian McCartan, CEO of Swig, said in a company press release. “This achievement validates Swig as a strong national brand and a reliable franchise partner. This milestone is a testament to the strength of our brand, the hard work of our team, and the confidence our franchise partners have in us. Our growth is accelerating, and we are well on our way to reaching our goal of 500 franchise units.”

The 250 units are comprised of 12 franchise partners, who will ensure enhanced collaboration and communication and help maintain the quality of experience and culture the Swig customer is accustomed to, said David Smith, a managing partner at the Larry H. Miller Company, which purchased a majority interest in Swig in 2022.

“We have hand-selected the best franchise partners who share our vision and will help launch our national expansion. We are excited for more customers and team members across the country to have the opportunity to experience Swig and its offerings,” he said in the release. “The executive team at Swig has developed the operational expertise and built a strong brand that is poised for the next level of growth, and we are confident in their ability to execute the plan.”

Swig projects that by year’s end, it will reach its target of 500 committed franchise units and 70 corporate-owned locations.

“Swig has always been in a position to franchise, but we felt early on that building a solid team, infrastructure, and having the necessary proof that this brand worked in multiple geographies was ours to prove,” Andrew K. Smith, managing partner of Savory Fund, a shareholder and board member of Swig, said in the release. “We are now there, as Swig has performed better than any of us would have anticipated in new markets. Swig is the original dirty soda pioneer, and it is their time to re-create this segment as the undisputed leader.”

Utah-based Swig has 54 stores in five states.