Swiss Farms, which has operated for 40 years in Delaware County, Pa., is branching out through franchising, with plans to open 100 new units in the next five years.
For more than four decades, Swiss Farms drive-through convenience stores have been providing a quick and easy way for Delaware County residents to grab a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread on the way home from work.
“America’s Drive-Thru Grocer,” Swiss Farms, which has introduced a regional franchising program with the aim of selectively expanding around its corporate base in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New York and New Jersey, has awarded its first franchise, to John Betz & Associates.
With a new prototype scheduled to open in the fall, Swiss Farms is leveraging its role as a drive-thru retailer, positioning itself as a faster, more convenient alternative to the supermarket's express lane.
A dozen eggs were being advertised on a sharp, 42-inch digital screen recently at the Drexel Hill Swiss Farms, which recently underwent a remodeling that transformed the familiar old structure into a shiny new red barn.
Over the next two to three years, all of the 12 Delaware County Swiss Farms will look the same way in a serious attempt for the Broomall-based company to go head-to-head with supermarkets.
