Mr. Peachy is the Peach Cobbler Factory’s mascot.
This article is part of “Where Are They Now?”—an ongoing series in which Franchise Times reporters Megan Glenn and Emilee Wentland catch up with emerging brands.
At The Peach Cobbler Factory, there are many options in addition to its namesake dessert. In fact, CEO and co-owner Greg George’s favorite is the peanut butter and jelly “Pudd-N” shake. Co-owner Larry Johnston is more traditional.
“I guess I’m old fashioned, because both my grandmother and my mother made it and it was one of the things that attracted me to the company,” Johnston said. “My favorite’s the peach cobbler. It really is.”
The company serves a variety of flavors of cobblers, cookies, banana puddings, shakes, brownies and cinnamon rolls, among other desserts.
Two years ago when Franchise Times reported on the franchise, The Peach Cobbler Factory had just 15 locations open. It’s since hit 100.
“I gotta say this little start-up has been very inspiring to me and a lot of fun,” Johnston said. “Greg has been a very effective and inspirational leader. He’s put together a tremendous team that’s accomplished more than I ever thought they would.”
The appeal, Johnston said, is the quick sign-to-open time fame. The initial investment for a brick-and-mortar Peach Cobbler Factory ranges from $157,444 to $458,274, including the $34,950 franchise fee. A mobile franchise, which must be owned alongside a brick-and-mortar location, ranges from $62,394 to $77,750. The company’s franchise disclosure document doesn’t list sales information.
In 2022, the brand opened 24 franchised units, and in 2023, opened another 46 stores. Peach Cobbler Factory is primarily located in the eastern United States.
Greg George, left, and Larry Johnston are co-owners of The Peach Cobbler Factory, which just opened its 100th store.
“I’m no stranger to challenges and working with business teams to achieve growth and take care of customers,” said Johnston, who previously worked at Albertsons Inc. and General Electric.
The franchise has a franchisee training center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that’s also an operating restaurant. “We can not only train franchisees properly, but at the same time, we can test new products,” Johnston said.
Peach Cobbler Factory is trying to bring back the appeal of the mascot with its own Mr. Peachy, featured on the brand’s social media pages.
“We believe Mr. Peachy is going to be the next Ronald McDonald,” said George, referring to the famous clown mascot for McDonald’s. “People want new. They want different. This guy is going to be everywhere.”
The company pushes non-traditional stores, like airports and NFL stadiums. Peach Cobbler Factory opened a location inside the Jacksonville Jaguar’s stadium earlier this month. The stadium has a 60,000-plus capacity, putting thousands of eyes on the company during the football season and beyond.
Coupled with PCF’s commitment to marketing on social media with micro-influencers and running ads on streaming services, George and Johnston are confident they have a household name in the making.
“Our goal is eventually to be in all 50 states as well as someday select international markets,” Johnston said. “We’ve had a lot of interest coming from other countries about our concept because it’s different. If you open up a franchise today, and you’re in pizza, you’re in burgers, you’re in chicken, you’re in submarine sandwiches, the day you open you’ve got 15 to 100 competitors the day you open. There’s nothing like us out there.”