A Miami Beach restaurant concept has grown quickly so far in 2021, and its expansion is just beginning.
Carrot Express, a fast-casual healthy foods chain in business 12 years, debuted its 10th location in Doral on May 5. The company opened new restaurants in Boca Raton, Doral and Miami’s Dadeland neighborhood so far this year, and plans to debut another three by the end of 2021, said Alberto Bassal, principal and creative director at Carrot Express.
The 2021 openings will be a mix of restaurants that never opened in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as some locations the company secured during that time, he said.
“We never stopped scouting for new locations,” Bassal said.
The recently opened Carrot Express in Boca Raton is an example of a location the company scouted during the pandemic, he said. It’s a second-generation space previously occupied by R1 Coffee.
Long-term, the goal is to open another 30 locations over the next three years.
Carrot Express will open corporate-owned eateries in west Boca Raton, Coconut Creek and Miami’s Brickell neighborhood by year’s end, Bassal said. The company has already secured leases for these three eateries.
He added that plans are already in the works for additional Carrot Express restaurants in Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines and Plantation to open in early 2022. The company is preparing to open its first restaurant outside of South Florida in New York City next year.
Additionally, Carrot Express is beginning to franchise once again. One new franchisee is slated to open restaurants in Hialeah, Pinecrest and Miami’s Kendall neighborhood.
Bassal said he was the company’s first franchisee, but he later joined the ownership team with Carrot Express founder Mario Laufer. His franchised location in North Miami Beach then became a corporate-owned store.
Carrot Express hopes to grow at a rate of about 10 new locations per year. The majority of those openings will be corporate-owned stores, he said, but franchise deals will help accelerate that growth.
The first Carrot Express debuted in Miami Beach 12 years ago. The company didn’t open its second location until six years ago in Miami’s Midtown.
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