History
A History of Success
Briad has come a long way since October 1987, when Brad Honigfeld opened his first franchise—a Steve’s Ice Cream/Carnegie Deli in Princeton, N.J. Today, the ice cream parlor long gone, Briad now owns and operates restaurants, major hotel chains, and even an outdoor lifestyle shopping center.
Briad is best known for being experts in various divisions within the hospitality industry: quick-service, which operates Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers restaurants; lodging, which develops and operates hotels under the Marriott and Hilton brands; and their newest ventures, unique Rooftop and Lounge experiences, as Briad creates one-of-a-kind special venues such as the Bradford Rooftop in Bridgewater, NJ, The Concourse Club in Wood-Ridge, NJ, and Techobesso and Love Story in San Diego, CA.
How the Briad Group Arrived
Within a year of serving that first ice cream cone at Steve’s, Briad opened a Roy Rogers restaurant in North Brunswick. That brand was discontinued in 1994, when Briad became a franchisee of Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, converting many of the Roy Rogers restaurants to the Wendy’s brand. Briad now operates 108 Wendy’s throughout New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
Briad entered and operated many years in the casual-dining category with the opening of our first TGI Friday’s in central New Jersey in 1993. Over the years, Briad expanded this business to include 72 locations in six U.S. states. In 2010, Briad further expanded its restaurant portfolio with the introduction of its newest concept, Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar. This polished dining concept with three locations in New Jersey serves gourmet burgers, sandwiches and salads, decadent shakes, house-made sides and a full bar including an expansive wine list. In 2020, Briad discontinued its Friday’s business to focus on Zinburger, and most recently decided to move away from all of their current casual-dining concepts in 2021 to focus on other exciting opportunities.
Hotel management arrived in 1997, when Briad became a Marriott franchisee; five years later, the company added Hilton to the portfolio. Since obtaining these franchise rights, Briad has developed more than one billion in real estate, focusing on limited-service hotels, including the Courtyard, Residence Inn, Springhill Suites, Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites brands. During the past decade, Briad has developed, operated and managed more than a dozen properties, and is currently undergoing explosive growth with more than 1,200 rooms expected in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Briad knows that they must manage costs in order to grow wisely. That’s why they established the construction division in 1993. It allows Briad to lower construction costs, reduce construction time and provide greater project oversight. Briad is proud to say this division successfully constructs and/or remodels company restaurants on time and within budget. This division also constructs their hotels, while the maintenance division is responsible for keeping their buildings in top condition—another costsaving measure that points to Briad’s success.
By selecting quality franchise systems, selecting experienced and talented team members and providing the infrastructure to support them, Briad has built a lasting foundation that models success and welcomes opportunities for strategic alliances and future growth.
Where The Briad Group is going
The future is bright for Briad, as they continue to develop, grow, and create within the hospitality space!