Pickleman’s: Redefining Freshness in Fast-Casual Dining

Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe is a growing fast-casual restaurant concept known for its toasted sandwiches, artisan soups, thin-crust pizzas, crisp salads, and scratch-made cookies. Launched in 2005 in Columbia, Missouri, the brand has expanded its reach to over 30 locations throughout the United States.

Operating from its headquarters in Hallsville, Missouri, Pickleman’s began offering franchise opportunities in 2008. Since then, it has built a strong reputation within the quick-service dining sector.

Pickleman’s menu is crafted to meet a variety of tastes and dietary needs, featuring gourmet sandwiches, handcrafted pizzas, hearty soups, fresh salads, and premium cookies.

The brand stands out by focusing on fresh, high-quality ingredients and exclusive recipes, offering a balanced, flavorful dining experience that appeals to health-conscious and quality-driven customers alike.

Training

Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe provides a structured training program to support franchisees and ensure smooth operations of their Cafes. Here are the programs they offer:

1. Initial Training Program
   Pickleman’s requires both the franchisee and one designated manager (or two if the franchisee will not manage the Cafe) to attend and successfully complete an initial training program. The training, lasting approximately six weeks, is conducted at an existing Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe location and covers subjects like opening procedures, shift changes, closing procedures, food safety, and equipment use.
2. On-Site Opening Assistance
   After the initial training, Pickleman’s provides on-site assistance with a training team for 10 consecutive days—2 days before and 8 days after the Cafe’s opening. This is to help the franchisee and staff practice operations in a real environment and refine their skills with direct supervision and feedback.
3. Subsequent and Refresher Training Programs
   Pickleman’s may offer refresher training or subsequent training for new employees, replacement managers, or additional designated managers after the Cafe is open. These programs are not mandatory initially but could become required later, and they may come with a reasonable fee of up to $1,000 per person per day if imposed.

Territory Protection

Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe establishes an Assigned Territory for each franchisee when the location is mutually agreed upon in the Franchise Agreement. The franchisee is required to operate exclusively at the designated site, and any relocation requires the franchisor’s written consent.

This approach ensures that franchisees are clearly committed to a specific location as set forth in the agreement. While Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe defines a specific operational territory, the agreement does not explicitly provide broad, exclusive territory protection beyond that designated location.

The focus is on enforcing the agreed-upon site and limiting the possibility of relocating without consent rather than reserving a wider geographic area exclusively for each franchisee. Ultimately, the territory provisions are designed to maintain consistency in operations rather than to offer comprehensive market exclusivity.