HoneyBaked Ham Looking to Come to Concord

The HoneyBaked Ham network of stores is hoping to expand into the Northeastern region of the United States, including Concord and the Granite State, during the next 18 months, according to the director of franchise development.

The company, which has about 400 stores, including 186 franchisees, has not previously been offering the opportunity to start a store in this part of the country, according to Melissa McFarlin. However, corporate changes with the heirs that own the company has created a new opportunity and now, the company was looking to expand.

“It’s why there isn’t a big saturation (of stores in the area),” she noted. “So we’re actively seeking franchisees.”

The chain was founded by Harry Hoenselaar who invented the spiral-slicing machine and after not having success with the invention, started his own store. The company has been franchising since 1996, with family members splitting off sections of the country to run. One member has decided not to participate in the business and that has opened up the opportunity for franchising in New England, New York, and New Jersey.

Many family members, including grandchildren of Hoenselaar, are active in the business, she said.

According to McFarlin, the stores are a combination café, retail store, and caterer, selling the company’s hams and turkeys, as well as other items, including its popular glaze. The café offers sandwiches, soups, salads, and desserts. The catering line offers box lunches, deli trays, and other projects. The multi-use business offers “a great opportunity” to satisfy customer needs, she said, whether it was a sandwich in the café, a bulk order for an office, food for dinner that night, or a special occasion.  

The company provides the bulk of the food so there isn’t much restaurant experience or heavy duty cooking needed for franchisees.

“What’s great about our stores is that there’s minimal prep and cooking going on in the store,” she said.

McFarlin hopes to have new stores in New Hampshire – Concord, Manchester, and Keene, and possibly more – to join a location that is currently in Nashua on Daniel Webster Highway by the end of 2015.

Potential franchisees need to meet certain financial requirements including having net worth of around $350,000, and a cash position of at least $120,000, since bank financing will probably be involved in the start-up process.

McFarlin said the company would be looking for people that knew and were connected to the community and had an understanding of business acumen with “a go-getter personality.”

Currently, there are some franchisees that own more than one location. Some own two, she said, or as many as seven. 

For more information visit HoneyBaked.com.