America's Next Hottest Sandwich Franchise Takes a Stand on Higher Quality Ingredients and Drives Growth 

When brands make important decisions about where to source their ingredients – like Pickleman’s Franchising does – you can bet keeping costs low is a main priority. Choosing quality ingredients doesn’t have to diminish profitability – consumers recognize and value better food – and it can lead to greater success. Customers care – and they can taste the difference.

“Would you rather have your customers come back again and again because the food you serve tastes homemade and high quality? Or because they’ve become so used to processed, preservative-filled, lab-made stuff that’s so full of filler you can barely call it food?” asked Doug Stritzel, Founder and CEO of Pickleman’s Franchising.  “We’ve proven serving better, cleaner, more carefully made food works.”

Pickleman’s is best known for its sandwiches served on proprietary bread baked in partnership with local bakeries and using only seven ingredients. Some of the fan favorites include the Turkey Bacon Club, the Italian Club, and the Chipotle Chicken which uses No Antibiotics Ever (NAE) Chicken that is custom raised for Pickleman’s. (Other favorites include tavern-style pizzas and Tomato Basil Bisque).

Last March, Pickleman’s announced that it achieved a 14.5% Average Unit Volume year-over-year growth in 2022, which helped land the brand on the QSR 50 Contenders list for the first time. The company continued its expansion, with new locations opening up to meet demand both in major markets it’s already in, and new regions like the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

One example: at Pickleman’s, salad dressing is made on-site, daily, with real ingredients like herbs, spices, mustard, vinegars and lemon juice. It’s as easy as it sounds.

But most of the biggest names in the quick service and fast food restaurant industry still  use dangerous oils and sugars, emulsifiers, coloring and preservatives intended to extend shelf life and disguise the fact that they’re made in a factory far in advance of serving.

“There are poor standards across this industry – even though these ingredients are harmful to the very people we are here to feed,” said Doug. “We have to set our own guidelines according to our own values. Making our dressings from scratch daily without chemicals is in keeping with our artisan approach to the sandwich industry. Serving responsibly sourced and created food is our mission, and we hope our example will lead more in the industry to make better decisions.”

The food press has praised Pickleman’s for its commitment to source only NAE Chicken and Pulled Pork, and also for using real butter in its top-selling, made-from-scratch chocolate chip cookies, and more wholesome additions to the menu.

Further demonstrating that Doug’s approach is good for business, an impressive 78% of Pickleman’s franchisees operate more than one unit. There are 30 units open now and over 20 more outstanding franchise development agreements. The largest five Pickleman’s franchisees all started straight out of college and now run multiple locations.

One long-time franchisee of Pickleman’s is the couple Allen and Brittany Wills. They were one of the first of the brand’s franchisees, starting in 2009, and now operate 7 successful locations, with 9 more under development.

“The foundational things we loved about Picklemans are still true today. Great flavors, good vibes, ability to grow,” said Allen. “My wife and I found it while attending Mizzou – now, living in Northwest Arkansas, our friends and family love it as well. One of my best friends is opening the Dallas market stores and we're excited for him. Our team is strong and growing– they're great sandwich makers and even better people. Things are happening with this brand and I’m excited for what’s ahead.” 

Click here to join America’s Next Hottest Brand.

SPONSORED BY:
Pickleman's Gourment Cafe
Pickleman’s has carved an untouchable market with an artisan approach. We source clean and delicious ingredients in our products and do it with a "Whole Lotta Love" for real food, our customers and our franchisees. Learn More