HoneyBaked Ham coming to Modesto? What makes it so much more than a ‘seasonal store’
The HoneyBaked Ham Company is looking to expand its retail footprint nationwide and is eyeing the Modesto region for its next location.
HoneyBaked Ham has around 420 stores in the country, with 32 in California, said Jerry DeFeo, the company’s vice president of franchise operations. Around half are corporate and the other half are franchise stores.
“When you come into a HoneyBaked Ham, there’s a place where you can sit down and have lunch, but there’s also a lot of retail items,” DeFeo said.
The retail side is “almost like a grocery store,” he said, with bone-in and boneless hams, turkey, pork ribs, prime rib, tri-tip and pot roast, as well as take-and-bake options, side dishes, desserts, condiments and gifts for sale.
Meals for holidays, nightly dinners and gatherings are also sold. They serve two to 12 people and come with choice of meat, sandwiches or sliders, plus sides.
There is a full menu for the restaurant part of the operation. It includes signature and specialty sandwiches, biscuit and slider three-packs, pot pies, desserts and sides. To see all menu options, visit honeybaked.com/lunch.
“There’s a lot of tradition that goes with HoneyBaked Ham,” DeFeo said. “A lot of people think we’re just a seasonal store where you come pick up your ham or turkey for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter, but we’re an everyday brand with retail, lunch and catering.”
Modesto is on the company’s radar for its next location because the region fits with the company’s values, DeFeo said.
“It’s a great community and there’s a lot of community involvement,” he said. “We look for franchisees that want to be part of the community and that will give back to the community.”
Before HoneyBaked Ham can move to Modesto, the company needs to find a franchisee interested in opening a location in the area. Those interested can visit honeybakedfranchise.com.
When it gets enough interest in one region, the company will typically visit the city and work with its economic development department to present more information about the brand.
There are a lot of tools to support new HoneyBaked franchisees, some who operate 24 hours per day, DeFeo said. The company has dedicated teams for marketing and operational support as well as a learning management system for owner and employee training.
When a HoneyBaked store opens a new location, it brings around 10 to 15 part- and full-time jobs — and that number can triple seasonally.
“Say somebody works here in high school — and we’ve got great hours — and they go off to college but they come back (for holiday breaks), we usually will bring them back as a seasonal employee and it lets them make some money while they’re in town.”
Currently, the closest HoneyBaked Ham retail/restaurant location to Modesto is at 6530 Pacific Ave. in Stockton.
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