Bowling Green restaurateur Dan Davis is expanding his business portfolio.

The owner and founder of Rafferty’s Restaurant and Bar concepts and Double Dogs will open 18 Corner Bakery Cafes in Kentucky and Tennessee, focusing first on the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area in 2015.

Davis, a president of Rafferty’s, is a partner in Half Baked LLC that will operate the franchises. Corner Bakery Cafes are considered fast-casual restaurants that serve breakfast items, salads, sandwiches, soups and baked goods. The name is carried by 160 corporate and franchise-owned restaurants in 17 states, according to the company’s website. Corner Bakery has commitments for other franchises as well, which should help it meet a goal to double in size within three years.

There are 19 Rafferty’s in four states, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina.

Double Dogs are in Bowling Green and Knoxville, Tenn.

Davis has been in the restaurant business for decades, having owned and opened the first Wendy’s in Bowling Green in 1975. Davis sold Wendy’s of Bowling Green in 1988 when it had 18 locations, the same number of Corner Bakery Cafes he has committed to opening.

“We’ve been looking to expand our portfolio into fast casual for about five years now, and this will give us the third concept in our stable, and Corner Bakery will be a new growth vehicle for us, along with our Double Dogs brand. It will help keep our Rafferty’s concept steady with a new avenue of growth,” Davis said in a news release. “Corner Bakery Cafe is the perfect partner and concept for our continued expansion.”

Davis was traveling Friday and could not be reached for comment. The partnership plans to open its franchises over the next nine years.

Articles of incorporation filed last month for Half Baked list Charles E. Pierce as the company’s organizer.

Startup costs, financing and ongoing fees for Corner Bakery Cafes range from $854,000 to $2.3 million, including a $25,000 franchise fee, according to entrepreneur.com.

On its website, Corner Bakery states its franchisers should have a $3 million net worth; $1.5 million liquidity; interest in developing multiple cafes in a market or combination of markets; and have existing infrastructure in place, among other things.

“We’re thrilled to announce this great news regarding our latest development agreement, and expanding the reach of our signature neighborhood bakery cafe experience into new markets such as Nashville and Kentucky,” Gregg Koffler, vice president of franchise sales for Corner Bakery Cafe, said in a news release. 

“Neighborhoods are an important part of both communities, and we are confident that our cafes will quickly become a local favorite in these new markets.”

— Follow city editor Robyn L. Minor on Twitter at twitter.com/bowserminor or visit bgdailynews.com.