DALLAS--Boston's Restaurant & Sports Bar, the Dallas-based casual concept that bridges family dining with a sports-bar aesthetic, has re-launched its franchising effort across the country.

The restaurant, which has five locations across the North Texas area, is branching out in the northeast U.S., having recently signed a deal for five units in the Baltimore, Md., area with new franchise partner, Keith Asante. The restaurants will open throughout the city of Baltimore, Baltimore County and Hartford County. Asante was motivated to join up with Boston's because of the widespread success of its sister brand, Boston Pizza, which has more than 375 restaurants in Canada.

“After realizing the unquestionable success of Boston's in Canada, and the fact that the brand presence throughout the country is undeniable, it instantly became clear to me that the company has a solid, proven business model,” said Asante, the new franchisee. “I want to do what I can to help Boston's become equally well-known throughout the states and it starts here, within the Baltimore regional markets.”

According to company reps, Boston's first re-evaluated its business model earlier this year, coming up with a growth plan for the future and hiring a new, experienced management team to handle franchise development. The team consists of Al Davis, vice president of development and franchise sales, and two directors of franchise sales: Erica Garza and Ken Phipps. Their aim is to grow the business “as efficiently as possible.” To that end, they hope to have 63 restaurants in the U.S. by 2018.

“Now is the right time for Boston's to resume our franchise efforts,” said Troy Cooper, COO of Boston's Restaurant & Sports Bar. “With our current restaurants performing well, combined with the energy and spark that our new franchise development executive team is bringing to the table, we are offering our franchise owners a support system that is unlike any other.”

Boston's Restaurant & Sports Bar currently has 32 locations operating in 22 states and 7 locations in Mexico. The company's sister brand, Boston Pizza, has been in business for 50 years.