Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop wants to expand in the Mid-Atlantic region, with plans calling for a new location in north Wilmington.
Long-time Capriotti’s franchise holder and Wilmington native, Kim Schneese, who is set to open her second location in north Wilmington next year. No location was disclosed, since a lease has not been signed.
Kim has been with the brand since the company’s start, growing up in the restaurants as her mother was a friend with the company’s founder, Lois Margolet.
After working in the original Union Street Capriotti’s, her mother bought the Silverside location, the fourth Capriotti’s and eventually sold it to Kim in 1997.
“I’ve had the unique opportunity to experience first-hand where the company began,” said Schneese. “This perspective has allowed me to stay true to our founding quality standards while also playing an important role in the evolution of the brand. It’s exciting to see the growth we have experienced and the innovation paving the way for Capriotti’s future.”
“Kim has been an essential part of the Capriotti’s family for many years and her growth plans show her commitment to the future direction of the brand,” said David Bloom, Capriotti’s chief development officer. “We are constantly striving to improve the brand while holding on to our founding values that our customers know and love.”
The Las Vegas-based company has also signed a franchise agreement that will bring up to three new restaurants to the greater Hampton Roads, VA area over the next three years, with the first restaurant slated to open early next year in Newport News.
The new Virginia locations will be owned and operated by a husband and wife team. Gray Coltrin has been a life-long fan of The Bobbie. Her husband, Charles, discovered the sandwich on a business trip to New Castle.
The company is also renewing an effort to expand in the Washington, D.C. area with 20 franchise locations.
Capriotti’s is most famous for its 40-year nightly tradition of slow-roasting whole turkeys in-house, and its Bobbie, a Thanksgiving-style sandwich with stuffing and cranberries.
Capriotti’s currently has more than 100 locations across the country, with a stronger presence on the East Coast and West Coast. Delaware and the Las Vegas area have its largest concentration of locations.
The company will open 15 new shops in 2017 and will grow the brand to 500 locations by 2025 through franchising, according to a release.
