The breakfast category is pulling in experienced multi-unit operators, and the franchise brand Jeff’s Bagel Run is heading west for the first time. Rise Harvest, a Utah franchisee group already operating 22 Marco’s Pizza and six Tropical Smoothie Cafe units, has signed a seven-unit deal for Salt Lake City. The brand, founded in 2019, now counts 35 locations across 10 states and is targeting more than 50 units by the end of 2026, according to brand president Justin Wetherill.
Led by Jacob Webb, CEO, and business partner April Miller, Rise Harvest spent more than a decade building a franchise portfolio in Utah before adding a third brand. Webb entered franchising in 2013 with Marco’s Pizza, eventually reaching 22 units, then added Tropical Smoothie Cafe in 2020. After reviewing more than 30 concepts over the course of a year, he signed an agreement with Jeff’s Bagel Run in June 2026 for seven locations in the Salt Lake City market, with plans to eventually reach 15 units.
A Third Brand After a Year of Due Diligence
Webb’s selection of Jeff’s Bagel Run followed an extended evaluation process. “Last year, we decided to start looking for a third brand,” he explained. “I did a lot of due diligence and spoke to 30 different brands. In some cases, I visited their sites and spoke with franchisees.” The Florida-based concept stood out for the simplicity of its operations relative to its scratch-made product. “They have a relatively low unit count at this point, but they are still dialed in with their operations,” Webb noted. “It’s clear they understand the process, from material sourcing to delivering the bagel. They don’t have too much equipment to be concerned about, and their menu is simple enough where we can make the bagels from scratch efficiently.” The initial investment to open a Jeff’s Bagel Run ranges from $565,530 to $998,637, with an average store size of approximately 1,400 square feet, according to the brand’s franchise disclosure document.
Brand Pushes West as It Targets 50-Plus Units by Year-End
Jeff’s Bagel Run opened eight locations in the first quarter of 2026. Justin Wetherill, brand president, described a deliberate strategy to move into new geographies. “We’re focused on building a strong foundation so that, as the opportunities in front of us grow, we’re ready and in a position to take advantage of them,” Wetherill said. “We’ve done a lot of that work up front, and now we’re going west into Colorado and Utah, and we’re also going north into Indiana, Illinois and Pennsylvania.” The brand has previously signed multi-unit deals in Florida and Indiana, and the Rise Harvest agreement marks its entry into the Mountain West. Founded by Jeff and Danielle Perera in 2019, the brand has an additional 41 locations in development beyond its current 35-unit footprint.
Rise Harvest’s Multi-Brand Experience Seen as an Asset
From the corporate side, Wetherill described Rise Harvest’s operational track record as a central factor in the signing. He noted that scratch-made products require more discipline than pre-packaged alternatives, and cited prior franchise experience as a key criterion in evaluating new operators. “The bagel business, by food standards, isn’t overly complicated, but because it’s from scratch, those tasks are still pretty involved in the location,” he said. “It makes it easier when they come in with previous experience.” For Webb’s part, the parallels with his existing portfolio were a factor in the decision. “Coming from the pizza category, we liked that the system was one where our skill sets were transferable,” he said. “Our philosophy is built upon a principle that our team is our most important asset.” Webb projects four Jeff’s Bagel Run locations open by the end of 2027 and ten within four years, with the first Utah unit expected before the end of 2026.
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