I Heart Mac & Cheese, a South Florida-based fast-casual restaurant concept specializing in customizable, made-to-order macaroni and cheese bowls and grilled cheese sandwiches, announced it will open their first Atlanta location. The fast casual concept has signed a new franchise agreement that will be owned and operated by franchisee Ramon Rivers. Rivers has inked a deal for an Atlanta location, tentatively slated to open in February 2023. With this deal, Rivers will be bringing a number of job opportunities.

Rivers is very excited to bring the first I Heart Mac & Cheese to the Atlanta area. “Atlanta links as one of the most exciting cities in the US. As Atlanta continues to spread influence it’s interesting to see how many variations of mac and cheese and how we can cater to someone’s specific taste. We want to continue with the I Heart Mac and Cheese family to take mac and cheese to the next level. There seems to be no stopping America’s Favorite Comfort food that I Heart Mac and Cheese offers,” said Rivers. 

Led by CEO and chairman Steve Giordanella, the brand launched its first location in 2016 and their headquarters in Boca Raton, FL. The company’s unique franchising program has fueled nationwide brand growth. “Entering a new market is exciting every time, especially for our brand as a rapidly expanding franchise concept,” says Steve Giordanella, “With the reemergence of the dine-in experience post COVID-19, it’s great to see our franchisees open the first stores in their states. We see a bright future ahead for I Heart Mac & Cheese.”

I Heart Mac & Cheese, the fast-casual concept specializing in customizable made-to-order macaroni and cheese bowls and grilled cheese sandwiches, has set enormous goals for 2022 as the franchise finished 2021 with tremendous growth performance. The restaurant concept signed 47 franchise agreements in 2021 and will be opening over 75 stores in 2022. I Heart Mac & Cheese will also be opening new locations in over ten new states, marking the franchise’s first locations in those states. The benchmark deals will bring I Heart Mac & Cheese locations into Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas. The fast-growing brand wants to keep the drive going by targeting new markets nationwide. Their tremendous growth also contributed to the Franchise selling two corporate stores.