This year’s Sweet Peppers Franchisee of the year is Frank and Mitchell Bell of Chattanooga.
Sweet Peppers officials said, "The Bells are a team that operates at a high level and to Sweet peppers Franchise standards.
"They follow the 10 best practices and lead all franchisees in catering sales. They took a downtown location where we knew there would be great lunch sales, but not sure about nights and turned that into a positive by marketing Sweet Peppers to the downtown area businesses to the point that their catering sales are at times a little overwhelming.
"The Bells said six months after they opened that their goal was to do $1,000 a day in catering sales. Because of this goal and their commitment to making each catering order 'perfect' they are currently reaching this goal almost every day during the week.
"Also these franchisees responded to opportunities we pointed out in shops and surveys. They implemented the procedures we recommended that resulted in their shop score going up 10 points in the 3rd and 4th quarters of last year and with these improvements in their operation they saw a 10% increase in sales in the last half of last year.
"They have challenged us with ideas that have benefited the whole system. The Bells pushed for on-line ordering and were the first Sweet Peppers to open for breakfast, which was a natural in their downtown location."
The Chattanooga franchise opened April 22, 2009, at 407 Broad St.
Mitchell Bell is president of the Great American Eats, LLC of Lookout Mountain, Ga. His son, Frank, joined him in the business venture.
The Sweet Peppers Deli concept began in 1997 when North Mississippi Restaurateurs, John, Bernard and Myrrl Bean, along with Robert Fort of Columbus, Miss., joined forces with Robin Fant, creator of Bulldog Deli in Starkville, Miss. Bulldog Deli served as a prototype for the first Sweet Peppers Deli. At the time of the Chattanooga opening, there were 18 other Sweet Peppers Delis in the Southeast.