Londie Nicole was a new mom almost four months ago when she lay in bed wondering how she could better support herself and her family when she started surfing the internet for research of a new opportunity. She wasn’t looking for the Peach Cobbler Factory and had actually never heard of it, but emailed them to inquire about franchise opportunities.
She got a call from Greg George, franchise specialist and partner of the Peach Cobbler Factory restaurant chain, and was surprised by her first question, and it pretty much sealed the deal.
“He asked me if I had children,” she said. She thought it was a deal breaker, but it was quite the opposite since George told her it was the perfect opportunity. George said in an interview this week that he believes he has found a once in a lifetime home run with the channel. And, as proof, he indicates the store that Nicole should open after the first of the year at 301 E. Martin Luther King Boulevard.
“He already has over 22,000 followers on Facebook,” he said. “It’s going to be a chain of 1,000 stores, I believe. And I’ll tell you why: because you can’t buy our products anywhere else. You can’t find 12 cobbler flavors and get a scoop of ice cream on it. It’s like ours. You can’t do it. Or, five flavors of banana pudding – chocolate chip, red velvet cake, original, Nutella and strawberry – or a cobbler-stuffed cinnamon roll and it’s everything we offer. “
“It’s a very simple menu, but we sell 6,000 Cobbler’s Books at each location 8 ounces at a time.”
As of now, Peach Cobbler Factory can be found in 10 states with 40 locations. The first was opened in Nashville by Tamira and Juan Edgerton, who moved to Nashville from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. They started selling their shoemakers at the local weekend market and quickly bought a food truck. And, then a second, and then they opened up a place of brick and mortar.
“Everyone kept asking questions about the franchise and then I walked in,†said George.
To open the store downtown, Nicole had to find a location, but she had a ready-made solution. She also owns Levelz Salon, which happened to be on MLK, which she thought was a better location for a fishing shoemaker factory with its proximity to UTC and downtown workers.
“I got fired and moved the salon to Brainerd Road,†she said with a laugh.
Having never been to a peach shoemaker factory, Nicole said she had to travel to Louisville, Ky. To learn more about the restaurant and the franchise. This trip further confirmed his desire to open the first in Chattanooga.
“I love the product,†she said. “It can be sweet, but there are sweet levels and something for everyone.”
But she points out that the main reason she opens the store is for her daughter, True Faith.
“Without her I wouldn’t have done it,†she said. “She is my reason.”
Contact Barry Courter at [email protected] or 423-757-6354.
Quick bites
– What: Peach Cobbler Factory, 301 East Martin Luther King Blvd.
– Hours: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
– Favorite menus: The restaurant will feature 12 flavors of cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream, the cobbler stuffed cinnamon roll and five flavors of banana pudding.
