Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 29 J U LY 2 2 , 2 0 2 4 F O C U S R E A L E S TAT E / C O N S T R U C T I O N / E N G I N E E R I N G A roma Joe's, a fast-growing coffee shop chain known for its AJ's Rush energy drinks, hand- crafted coffee and espresso drinks, has been on an expansion spree over the past couple of years. Aroma Joe's launched in 2000 in New Hampshire, then moved to Maine. Franchising has been the key to its growth. e company has stayed true to its roots, expanding mostly in the Northeast, in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Connecticut, but it also has franchisees in Florida. e company now has 115 locations and counting. Most of Aroma Joe's coffee shop locations are in suburban areas because it relies heavily on drive-thrus. However, it's exploring moving more into cities in 2025. Dave Tucci, president and COO, told Mainebiz that the company is looking to expand with new franchisees in the eight states it is cur- rently operating in. e company is opening new locations in Saco; Methuen, Mass; Monroeville, Pa.; Nashua, N.H.; Louden, N.H.; Cape Coral, Fla.; Berlin, Conn.; and Southington, Conn. "We have identified areas or pockets," says Tucci. "We have some locations in Florida and more in the pipeline, which is in the planning and soon-to-be con- struction phase. We have franchisees looking for sights as well. We are looking to build on that expansion in the Florida market and push further north and up the East Coast to meet our existing development in New England. We are a franchise brand, so we have to have the franchisee or the operator in place; we can't open a new location without that all in place." Determining a new location Regarding new franchise openings, Tucci said that the franchisee will need to select a site and location and then each location is validated by their real estate committee. Each location is franchised and independently owned and operated. Tucci said a lot of their growth is coming from within. Existing franchisees that have locations open are looking to grow and add additional locations to their profile. However, customer demand is also helping drive their growth and expansion. "Saco is a perfect example of franchisee growth," says Tucci. "It is the same franchisee that owns the existing location on U.S. Route 1 further south. at is a very busy location, and they were looking to grow and expand, as well as take some people away from that location and spread it out so customers aren't going through and waiting in the drive-thru line." When opening a new franchise, the company con- siders factors like a town or city's population, car traffic, demographics and location. "It is a combination of making sure you have the core requirement on the site that will make a traffic count feasible," says Tucci. "Visibility is key, and the lot needs to be big enough to accommodate parking. You also have to have a drive-thru lane that can stack up enough cars so they aren't backing out onto the road. If you can see it but can't get to it like a divided highway, you're going to drive right by it and go to the next place that is easier to get into. SALES@WAREBUTLER.COM Ware-Butler will supply products to earthwork and concrete jobs, roads/ bridges/construction jobs, grow businesses, storage units, livestock farms, health centers and commercial buildings of all types, infrastructure projects such as sand-salt sheds and municipal buildings, etc. WAREBUTLER.COM CONTACT US for your non-residential and commercial construction needs statewide in Maine. Put our statewide buying power and experienced sales team to work for you! Fabric / Pipe / Culverts / Styrofoam insulation / Construction lumber Sheet goods / Millwork / Metal roofing and siding products PRODUCTS OFFERED: AND MORE! C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E »

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