SWEET PEPPERS DELI EXPANDS INTO ALABAMA
Muscle Shoals, AL-- May 9, 2006

The award-winning, Sweet Peppers Deli Franchise Systems announces the opening of its newest franchise in Muscle Shoals, AL. Franchise owners Joel Cunningham, Rocky Leflore and Roy Long of Belzoni, Mississippi, joined forces with the North-Mississippi based company to open this new deli. “We are very excited to join the Sweet Peppers Deli team. Their over 20 years of experience in the food service industry coupled with the success of their other franchises and company owned delis made this venture one we know will be successful,” stated Joel Cunningham, Owner.

In 1997, Bernard Bean, John Bean, Myrrl Bean, Robin Fant and Robert Fort created the Sweet Peppers Deli concept. There are currently eight Sweet Peppers Deli restaurants that are both company and franchisee owned located in Columbus, Tupelo, Starkville, and Hattiesburg, MS, Memphis, TN and Muscle Shoals, AL. By the end of 2006 there are plans to open four more locations, including two more in the state of Alabama. “The franchises we will be opening this year will go into areas we feel they will be successful. We are taking our time expanding as we do not want to lose the image we have worked so hard to maintain in our company owned stores by expanding too fast or with the wrong franchisees,” stated Bernard Bean, President of Sweet Peppers Franchise Systems, LLC.

Following the successful, invitation only event on the evening of May8th benefiting the United Cerebral Palsy of North West Alabama, the restaurant opened on 619 Avalon Avenue with rave reviews from attendees. All proceeds from the grand opening party are being donated to the local Cerebral Palsy chapter. “We are incredibly excited about holding this event to benefit the community. Being an active part of the community is at the heart of the Sweet Peppers Deli concept and this is our first step in that direction!” said Rocky Leflore, Owner and Managing Partner.

Sweet Peppers Deli offers a menu of salads, soups, signature sandwiches, panini (Italian pressed sandwiches), wraps and scrumptious desserts in a unique atmosphere including neon signs, glass garage doors, and patio dining. After opening the Muscle Shoals deli, the franchisees have also purchased the rights to develop other locations in the Colbert and Lauderdale Counties of Alabama.