Philadelphia – October 21, 2026 -- PrimoHoagies has signed seven new franchisees in 2026 and has roughly 10–15 existing restaurants available for acquisition, most of them in greater Philadelphia and South Jersey. The Italian specialty sandwich chain is courting qualified operators who want to enter established markets and build toward multi-unit ownership.
The system counts about 80 franchise owners, 20 of them multi-unit operators, and more than 120 restaurants. This year's recruits include operators with backgrounds in national restaurant franchises, airport concessions and real estate.
Retiring franchisees open acquisition routes in legacy markets
Some longtime owners are preparing for retirement after decades with the brand, creating ownership transitions in established neighborhoods. Angela Coppler, Senior Vice President of Development, called buying an existing unit "a practical starting point for building a larger portfolio." She said select restaurants can carry a lower initial investment than new construction, depending on the transaction and required improvements.
Alvin Patel, who has multi-unit experience with Dunkin', Saladworks and Frutta Bowls, is in training and expects to close on an existing restaurant in early November. In Raleigh, North Carolina, Dev and Falguni Patel entered the system by acquisition. They also own Wayback Burgers units, convenience stores with delis, fuel sites and real estate, and are exploring more PrimoHoagies locations.
Patrick McCoyd, a franchisee for nearly 20 years, partnered with his son Ian to acquire the Lansdale, Pennsylvania, restaurant. Ian previously managed the family's Newtown unit.
New openings in Delaware and Pennsylvania rank among the system's top performers
Dapyr Enterprises opened its first PrimoHoagies in Middletown, Delaware, on July 21. The family also operates a home care company and a Philly Pretzel Factory franchise, and it noticed that pretzel customers were buying PrimoHoagies catering. The Middletown unit has performed in the system's top quartile since opening.
Mike and Marianne Corrado opened in their hometown of Quakertown, Pennsylvania, on July 1. The restaurant is already among the system's top 10 performers.
Philadelphia International Airport hosts the brand's first airport restaurant
The Grove, Inc., in partnership with M2 Concepts, LLC, opened the unit in February in Terminal A-East. The concessions operator worked with the PrimoHoagies team to adapt the format to an airport, including a breakfast menu.
A 1,100-square-foot prototype enters development at five sites
The smaller design is meant to improve labor efficiency and throughput while widening real estate options. Ordering and payment areas are separate from pickup to serve in-store guests, mobile orders and delivery.
The first two projects are planned for Bluffton, South Carolina, where McCoyd is in permitting, and Huntersville, North Carolina, with franchise partners Kartik Ramakrishnan and Naveen Patlolla. Ahead of the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference, the company is inviting experienced operators to explore acquisitions, new development and nontraditional sites.