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The Meat House Poised for Significant Market Penetration Through the Official Launch of Franchise Development Program

YORK, Maine, March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The Meat House's Founding Partners, Justin Rosberg and Jason Parent, today announced that the company has officially launched a full-scale, franchise development program to accelerate the company's already dramatic market penetration. Since the start of the calendar year, The Meat House has opened new store locations in three different U.S. markets across the country and continues to secure franchise development agreements at a significantly increased rate.

"We are incredibly excited to officially share the announcement of our franchise program to all current and future customers, supporters and business partners," said Rosberg, who opened the first store with Parent in Portsmouth, N.H. "Since founding The Meat House in 2003, our team has focused on growing and establishing our brand at a steady pace in order to maintain our focus on quality, consistency and hospitality. Over the past several years, however, we have witnessed a considerable interest in our brand and business model and recognized that now is the perfect time to expand our business through a franchise area development program."

The Meat House offers customers a diverse line of expertly butchered premium meats as well as proprietary marinades, fine cheeses, fresh produce, artisan breads, prepared side dishes and other gourmet foods. The quality of these products, coupled with a unique focus on neighborly customer service that has been coined The Meat House Promise--"unparalleled hospitality in a 10 minute shopping experience"-- has positioned the company as a first-of-its kind franchise investment opportunity in the $70 billion retail meat market.

"We have benefitted from the nation's fundamental shift in dining habits. More and more, people prefer to eat at home, but yet do not want to sacrifice quality for price. We've found our customers greatly value our unique proposition of gourmet level foods and services in convenient, highly accessible locations," said Rosberg. "Our business model is very well suited to appeal to both middle and upper class families, which is very appealing to successful franchise developers."

The Meat House opened franchise locations in California, New York, and North Carolina in February, with additional stores scheduled to open this Spring in North Carolina, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Texas. Additionally, the company has territory agreements in place for over 125 stores in eleven states, with another 100 stores in six other states currently under consideration. Within the next year, The Meat House expects that this aggressive demand for its franchise model will lift the brand's annual revenue from $18 million to over $100 million.

Throughout this significant growth, The Meat House's area development program maintains strict qualifications for the selection of partners, and requires multi-unit franchise commitments. Area developers are required to open a minimum of 4-8 stores in a period of four years. The company has also entered into several large-scale agreements, for between 12-35 stores, with experienced multi-unit operators and groups that have already demonstrated excellence in regional franchise development.

"The Meat House is dedicated to maintaining scalable growth with brand integrity and business excellence," said The Meat House's Chief Business Development Officer, Tom Brown. "With that in mind, we will only enter into franchise agreements with completely committed, seasoned entrepreneurs and operators with demonstrated track records of success in restaurant operations or multi-unit franchise development."

In addition to the store requirements, all area developers are required to carry a minimum financial net worth of $1.5 million and a liquidity of $500,000. Although, franchisees should be prepared to supply and manage a significant amount of infrastructure and resources in order to fulfill their commitments, The Meat House will offer support through all phases of business operations including, site selection, talent sourcing, product purchasing and marketing.

For further information, please visit us at www.themeathouse.com.

SOURCE The Meat House