Founded in 2004 and first launched in 2008 as a franchise opportunity, the incredibly successful Flip Flop Shops is still in its “infancy,” according to its President, Brian Curin. In a recent interview for an article on the company in The Street, Curin describes a company with worldwide and ambitious yet very attainable long-term goals in an industry that is growing rapidly.

“Our goal is by the end of 2013 to have 236 Flip Flop Shops,” he is quoted as saying. The company has already opened 57 stores and has close to three times that many currently in development, most of which are in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. Ultimately, the franchise is slated for international expansion, which is not at all unreasonable given the growing popularity of sandals, flip flops and other casual footwear worldwide.

An Environmentally Responsible Retailer™ and recipient of the International Council of Shopping Centers’ prestigious “Hot Retailer Award,” Flip Flop Shops is the brainchild of an executive team with a virtually unparalleled track record of success in the franchising arena. In fact, they’ve been responsible for building and growing some of the world’s most well-known brands, including Cold Stone Creamery, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Nike.

And all indications are that they’ve done it once again…

In fact, Flip Flop Shops was recognized by Inc. in 2011 as the sixth fastest-growing franchise and the 12th fastest-growing retailer in the nation. As the first-of-its-kind franchise to specifically focus on the flip-flop/sandal footwear sub-sector, the company has been able to capitalize on the fact that it was and is still faced with little in the way of real competition.

Flip Flop Shops is committed to providing a superior level of service to its franchisees, more than half of whom are multi-unit owners…a “good sign (they’re) doing something right,” Curin says. The company’s overall concept is one where the unit economics, the industry, today’s trends and a lifestyle all come together in one great package that just makes sense!