Edible Arrangements, purveyors of fruit bouquets, said Thursday it will open what it calls a "second headquarters" in the Atlanta area, creating 50 jobs in the near-term and 200 jobs in the coming years.
The Wallingford Conn.-based company, which has about 1,300 franchised stores worldwide, said the new office will be the base of operations for a new president of Edible Brands, who will oversee the company’s franchise operations and supporting new growth and products.
In addition to the bouquets, the company offers grab-and-go smoothies, chocolate dipped treats and other foods.
Christian Nahas, who will lead Edible Brands, said the company is scouting sites in Buckhead and along the Ga. 400 corridor, including Sandy Springs and Dunwoody. The company is weighing options of 50,000 square feet to 100,000 square feet of office space, he said, and the project could involve leasing existing space or building a new complex.
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Edible founder and CEO Tariq Farid also owns Naranga, a tech company based in the Edgewood neighborhood of Atlanta, and some of the new personnel could be housed there temporarily as Edible finalizes its new location.
New jobs will include software developers, product developers and executives to help franchisees with sales, marketing and location development.
The Atlanta area is home to a number of major food services companies, including fast food giants Arby's, Chick-fil-A and the Focus Brands portfolio of Moe's Southwest Grill, Schlotzky's and Cinnabon. The region commands bountiful talent with experience in franchised business operations, Nahas said.
“We are looking to double the size of our business in the next few years,” he said. “We are looking for the right kind of talent to help us get there.”
Edible is a private company and does not disclose financial information.
Asked if the new Atlanta center could ultimately become the company’s sole headquarters, Nahas said that isn’t in the cards for now.
“We are going to hire the talent that we need to support our growth wherever we can best find that talent,” he said. Farid will manage the Connecticut operations, which will continue to include finance, accounting and the company’s innovation center.
“Over time, depending on where the talent pool takes us, we might see some shifts in that,” Nahas said. “But right now, there is no change in our headquarters.”
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