McAlister's Deli
McAlister's Deli is a privately held fast-casual franchise chain operating 500+ restaurants across 28 U.S. states, serving sandwiches, Giant Spuds, salads, and its signature Famous Sweet Tea to retail consumers and corporate catering customers under GoTo Foods ownership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What McAlister's Deli does
McAlister's Deli is a privately held fast-casual franchise restaurant chain operating more than 500 locations across 28 U.S. states. Founded in 1989 in Oxford, Mississippi by a dentist who converted an abandoned movie-set diner into a neighborhood restaurant, the company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia under the legal entity McAlister's Deli Franchisor SPV LLC and is owned by GoTo Foods (formerly Focus Brands). The menu centers on handcrafted sandwiches, Giant Spuds (loaded baked potatoes), fresh salads, soups, desserts, and beverages, anchored by the signature McAlister's Famous Sweet Tea. The company serves individual consumers seeking casual dine-in, carry-out, and delivery meals, plus corporate and event customers via a full-service catering operation supporting pickup, delivery, and same-day ordering.
The business operates a franchise distribution model with corporate franchise marketing handled through the GoTo Foods development platform. Revenue mechanics include transaction-based restaurant sales at franchised locations, catering transaction revenue, franchise development fees and ongoing royalties flowing to the franchisor entity, and recurring consumer revenue via the McAlister's Rewards loyalty program (10 points per dollar spent, redeemable for rewards) and the Tea Pass monthly subscription offering daily tea rewards. Pricing is largely pay-as-you-go at the unit level, with the Choose 2 meal deal starting at $9.59 as a visible price anchor. Digital ordering infrastructure includes the corporate website, a mobile app on iOS and Android, and in-restaurant tableside mobile ordering, while customer acquisition and retention are supported by social media presence (Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube), email marketing, and loyalty program engagement.
McAlister's Deli firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- McAlister's Deli
- Legal name
- McAlister's Deli Franchisor SPV LLC
- Website
- https://mcalistersdeli.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- McAlister's Deli is a privately held fast-casual franchise chain operating 500+ restaurants across 28 U.S. states, serving sandwiches, Giant Spuds, salads, and its signature Famous Sweet Tea to retail consumers and corporate catering customers under GoTo Foods ownership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
McAlister's Deli industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Dining Restaurants
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Caterers (722320)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate/Workplace Meal Programs & Bulk Prepared Meals (CRAHAJAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Specialty & Dietary Catering (Vegan, Kosher, Halal, Allergy-Friendly) (HSACAGAH)
Keywords
Where McAlister's Deli is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
McAlister's Deli business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Restaurant Sales: Revenue generated from dine-in, carry-out, and delivery orders at franchised restaurant locations. Customers order sandwiches, spuds, salads, soups, beverages, and desserts.
- Catering Services: Corporate and event catering orders including sandwich trays, box lunches, breakfast options, hot bars, baked mac & cheese, soups, snacks, and beverages for groups.
- Franchise Fees: Revenue from franchise development fees and ongoing royalties from franchise operators.
- Tea Pass Subscription: Monthly subscription program allowing members to redeem daily tea rewards. Members must be part of McAlister's Rewards program to purchase a Tea Pass.
- McAlister's Rewards Program: Points-based loyalty program where members earn 10 points per dollar spent on products (excluding catering and gift cards). Points can be redeemed for rewards, free items, and discounts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Choose 2 Meal Deal starting price |
| Subscription | Monthly | Tea Pass Subscription |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
McAlister's Deli product offering
Product offeringCore offering
McAlister's Deli operates a franchise restaurant chain selling handcrafted sandwiches, Giant Spuds (loaded baked potatoes), fresh salads, soups, desserts, and Famous Sweet Tea across 500+ locations in 28 U.S. states. Revenue is generated through in-restaurant dining, carry-out, delivery, and a full-service catering operation for groups and corporate events. The company also runs a points-based loyalty program (McAlister's Rewards) and a paid Tea Pass subscription for daily tea redemptions.
Product overview
McAlister's Deli is a restaurant chain offering handcrafted sandwiches, salads, soups, giant spuds, and desserts. The core menu features signature items like the McAlister's Club and Famous Sweet Tea. The company operates a loyalty program (McAlister's Rewards) and subscription service (Tea Pass). Additional offerings include catering services for events, tableside mobile ordering, and lifestyle-specific menus (High Protein, Vegetarian, GLP-1 Friendly). Choose 2 meal deals allow customers to mix and match half portions. The company has over 500 restaurants across 28 states.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Choose 2 A meal deal option allowing customers to combine two half-size portions of any entrees (sandwiches, salads, spuds, soups, or starters) starting at $9.59.
- Sandwiches
Companies that use McAlister's Deli
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
McAlister's Deli technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
McAlister's Deli partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
McAlister's Deli competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Jersey Mike's Subs: Directly comparable franchise submarine sandwich chain with a similar dine-in/catering model and rapidly expanding footprint. Closest like-for-like peer to McAlister's in segment, price point, and growth trajectory.
- Panera Bread: Fast-casual chain with overlapping menu (sandwiches, soups, salads, baked goods) and highly developed catering business. More limited-service/fast-casual overlap with McAlister's but converges on the same occasion-based customer.
- Subway: Largest global sandwich franchise, broadly competing for sandwich and catering occasions at a similar price tier. While Subway is larger and lower-priced, it competes for the same casual lunch customer.
- Firehouse Subs: Direct competitor franchise sandwich chain with catering services and similar mid-tier price positioning. Operates a comparable franchise model and crossover menu that competes directly for McAlister's lunch and group-order customers.
- Potbelly Sandwich Shop: Deli-style sandwich chain with toasted sandwiches, salads, and soups closely mirroring McAlister's menu architecture. Comparable catering business and franchise-model economics make it a strong direct comp.
- Jimmy John's: National sandwich franchise chain with dine-in, delivery, and catering offerings at a comparable price point. Directly competes with McAlister's for sandwich and lunch customers via speed and convenience.
Emerging players
- Sweetgreen: Healthy fast-casual chain that intersects with McAlister's lifestyle menu initiatives (high-protein, vegetarian). Represents the trend McAlister's is adapting to and a benchmark for digital-first wellness positioning.
Others
- Jamba: Sister brand under GoTo Foods (formerly Focus Brands), sharing the same parent company infrastructure. Useful as a portfolio-sibling reference for shared services, technology, and franchise economics benchmarking.
Broad incumbents
- Arby's: Large QSR chain with sandwich and deli-style menu focus, operated by Inspire Brands (a Roark Capital sibling to GoTo Foods). Comparable supply chain and brand-platform dynamics, though positioned more as QSR than fast-casual.
- Chick-fil-A: Fast-casual chicken leader with strong catering, loyalty, and digital ordering capabilities. While not a sandwich concept, it competes for the same lunch-and-dinner occasion and is a benchmark for fast-casual operational excellence.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
McAlister's Deli social profiles
Digital presenceMcAlister's Deli financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
McAlister's Deli leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
McAlister's Deli funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
McAlister's Deli M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about McAlister's Deli
What does McAlister's Deli do?
McAlister's Deli operates a franchise restaurant chain selling handcrafted sandwiches, Giant Spuds (loaded baked potatoes), fresh salads, soups, desserts, and Famous Sweet Tea across 500+ locations in 28 U.S. states. Revenue is generated through in-restaurant dining, carry-out, delivery, and a full-service catering operation for groups and corporate events. The company also runs a points-based loyalty program (McAlister's Rewards) and a paid Tea Pass subscription for daily tea redemptions.
Is McAlister's Deli a public or private company?
McAlister's Deli is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was McAlister's Deli founded?
McAlister's Deli was founded in 1989. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is McAlister's Deli based?
McAlister's Deli is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
How does McAlister's Deli make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Sales are the primary driver. The others are catering Services, franchise Fees, tea Pass Subscription and mcAlister's Rewards Program.
Who are McAlister's Deli's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Jersey Mike's Subs, Panera Bread, Subway, Firehouse Subs, Potbelly Sandwich Shop and Jimmy John's. Sweetgreen is listed as an emerging player. Jamba is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Arby's and Chick-fil-A.
Does McAlister's Deli have an API?
No public API is recorded for McAlister's Deli.
What industry is McAlister's Deli in?
McAlister's Deli's product category is Casual Dining Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAJAJ, Corporate/Workplace Meal Programs & Bulk Prepared Meals, with a secondary code of HSACAGAH, Specialty & Dietary Catering (Vegan, Kosher, Halal, Allergy-Friendly). Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5810.