As he prepares to open a second Jeff’s Bagel Run franchise location in Charlotte, Matt Allen has more in store for the area. In a recent interview with What Now Charlotte, Allen shared that he is searching for locations in multiple areas across the Charlotte Metro area.
“We are looking to intelligently place as many stores as possible in Charlotte to get into as many communities as possible,” Allen said.
His franchise territory extends across the entire Charlotte Metro region, and he is hoping to target areas like Concord Mills, University, Midtown, South End, South Park and Huntersville next.
Allen views the Charlotte market as ideal for a concept like the New York-style bagel brand as he sees a lot of New Yorkers living in the area. However, he is working on brand recognition, and he still sees plenty of gaps in the market that a Jeff’s Bagel Run location could fill.
“We have had an awesome response in the community here in Blakeney, but we do know that there are a lot of mouths to feed in Charlotte,” Allen said. “If I drive 10 minutes from the location, nobody has even heard about us. So I know there are a lot of people who love bagels [here].”
Jeff and Danielle Perera founded Jeff’s Bagel Run during the pandemic, starting with offering deliveries — or “bagel runs” — in their local community in Central Florida. The couple opened the first location for the brand in 2021, and it has been expanding since then. The brand currently has 15 locations open, with plenty more franchise locations in development.
Jeff’s Bagel Run offers a variety of bagels, with flavors such as cinnamon sugar and asiago, spreads such as roasted jalapeño and cake batter, and a full coffee menu featuring handcrafted espresso drinks.
