FRESH CONCEPT

Situation: Popular North Carolina-based Bear Rock Cafe called on us to build awareness and help the restaurant grow from regional favorite to national franchise in the very competitive quick-casual dining segment.

Bear Rock was positioned as the “Mountain Fresh” franchise in all communications to grab attention among prospect franchisees. A strategy that fueled customer traffic in existing markets as well as those rolling out nationally in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and elsewhere.

Results: Appropriately aggressive media relations launched the Bear Rock story nationally. Messaging focused on the fresh, mountain lodge-inspired interior design, the fresh menu, and the value of the restaurant concept to franchisees.

Coverage in national media from Boston to Denver, including BusinessWeek, resulted in increased brand awareness to fuel franchise interest. Within two years, Bear Rock expanded from a handful of locations to more than 30 in seven states, with more than 170 franchise agreements under development.