BOULDER, Colo., March 4, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Doc Popcorn – innovator of fresh-popped, kettle-cooked, natural popcorn and other delicious popcorn treats – has signed a master franchise agreement to develop 10 PopShop™ locations in Japan.
The international development will be led by the FS Planning ownership group, comprised of Franchise Partners Takeshi Furuhara, Masahiro Saito and Yu Abe. The first Doc Popcorn PopShop™ location is expected to open in the cultural trendsetting Omotesando area in Tokyo. The franchise group plans to open at least one location every year over the next 10 years.
FS Planning has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the Japan food space, previously holding various roles and capacities at a variety of restaurant concepts including Maxim de Paris, Vieille Vigne, Cote de Rouge, Dominique Saibron and Radish Boy.
"We are thrilled to expand our footprint into Japan so we can introduce our fresh-popped, better-for-you snack to the country," said Rob Israel, co-founder and "Big Pop" of Doc Popcorn. "FS Planning is the perfect franchise partner for our expansion in Japan. With their strong track-record in the restaurant industry, they have a solid grasp of the local marketplace to successfully lead the brand's growth in Japan."
In addition to this international development, Doc Popcorn recently opened its first franchise location in Puerto Rico and signed a 60-unit franchise agreement in Mexico. This recent growth validates the international demand for Doc Popcorn and the brand plans to continue to partner with qualified franchise partners to expand their presence both domestically and internationally.
Since the company began franchising in 2009, Doc Popcorn has opened more than 85 locations in 25 U.S. states. As a result, Doc Popcorn is the largest popcorn retailer in the world.
In 2014, Entrepreneur magazine ranked Doc Popcorn No. 8 in its list of "Top New Franchises" and placed the company at No. 234 in its "Franchise 500," a highly-regarded list in the franchise industry. In 2013, Inc. magazine ranked Doc Popcorn No. 59 on its "Inc. 500" list, an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The snack franchise also claimed the No. 3 spot on the "Top 100 Retail Companies" list.
To learn more about franchising opportunities, visit www.docpopcornfranchising.com.
About Doc Popcorn
Doc Popcorn is committed to make every guest smile by creating the most remarkable popcorn experience on the planet. Using 100% corn oil, proprietary natural flavor blends and high-quality ingredients, Doc Popcorn handcrafts a wide variety of fresh-popped specialty flavors of popcorn. Doc Popcorn's delicious flavors also happen to be gluten-free, whole grain, wheat-free and nut-free. Other options, such as sugar-free and dairy-free popcorn are also available. Doc Popcorn started franchising in 2009 and has since been recognized as one of the hottest and fastest-growing snack franchises in the country, including a No. 59 ranking on the Inc. 500 list. With approximately 85 locations in 25 states, Doc Popcorn is the largest retailer of popcorn in the world. For more information, including franchise opportunities, visit www.docpopcorn.com.