Swiss Farms Plots Northeast Expansion

Swiss Farms is preparing to open its first stores in North Carolina in March, according to a published report. The new stores are part of the drive-through chain’s expansion into the Northeast after four decades of doing business in Pennsylvania, as Progressive Grocer sister publication CSNews Online previously reported.

“We wanted to expand the brand because we felt for years, they’ve been able to enjoy drive-through convenience and have a niche in the marketplace,” Rocco Fiorentino, president of Broomall, Pa.-based Swiss Farms Franchise Co., told the Charlotte Observer.

The first North Carolina store slated to open is in the Crown Point Shopping Center located on Monroe and Sardis North roads in Charlotte, with another four to follow. Franchise owner Mike Lang plans to eventually open 10 to 12 stores in the Charlotte area.

The Crown Point store will offer Swiss Farms products, as well as prepared foods. Lang said he has been working with a chef to develop recipes for the store for about a year. The drive-through location will also sell beer and wine -- the first Swiss Farms to do so. Approximately 800 items will be available for sale.