I Heart Mac & Cheese Opens Location in Boca

By: Bryanna Basilio

With already six locations in Florida, customizable macaroni and cheese franchise of “I Heart Mac & Cheese” added their newest location in Boca Raton.

“Since the folks in South Florida already know and love our brand, we expect them to greet us with the same warm welcome to Boca Raton,” said I Heart Mac & Cheese’s President and Chief Development Officer Dan Collins. 

I Heart Mac & Cheese is a casual concept which specializes in customizable, made-to-order macaroni and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches. The menu combines the creativity of Chef Michael Blum, with his award-winning recipe resulting in a grown-up approach to this classic childhood dish. The growing franchise has locations in three states: New York, Oklahoma, and Florida. I Heart Mac & Cheese locations can be found throughout South Florida in Coral Springs, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Parkland, and Jupiter.

The I Heart Mac & Cheese headquarters is in Boca Raton, so a restaurant in the city is necessary, says Collins.

“This will become a franchisee training location, but more importantly, we know the families and college kids in Boca love our product. They have been driving to our other restaurants and telling us they want us in their town.”

The ‘I Heart Mac & Cheese’ kitchen

The Boca restaurant is expecting a large flow of college students due to the location. The location will be in The Shops at University, a shopping plaza behind Florida Atlantic University. With the easy access, the density of families and students close by, dining choices, and the takeout and delivery options, the company is confident and excited about the new location. 

“We have been hiring students from FAU,” said Collins. “It’s the perfect location. We know the location will be a home run.”

The restaurant is unique and is the only mac and cheese brand to franchise nationally. Guests can choose to build their own bowl of mac, toasted sandwich, salads or tater tots, and staff will make the dish for them. They can also choose from Chef’s Creations, like Philly cheesesteak, lobster and truffle oil, buffalo chicken and many others.

“We have a great product, low initial investment, quick development timeline, simple operation and a great experienced support team,” said Collins.