Author

Katie Lee

franchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Twin Peaks Hits Key Growth Milestone with 100th Opening

by Katie Lee

Indianapolis — Twin Peaks Restaurant celebrated its 100th lodge opening on June 2 in the Indianapolis suburb of Greenwood, Ind. From the time Twin Peaks CEO Joe Hummel opened his first lodge in the Atlanta area as a franchisee, it took Twin Peaks 12 years to reach its centennial location. The brand is now expected to expand even faster, having already opened four new locations — with 12 more lodges in seven new markets scheduled to open — this year alone. Twin Peaks anticipates 20 per year opening in the …

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Saks Fifth Avenue Expands the Fifth Avenue Club

by Katie Lee

New York City — Saks Fifth Avenue is expanding its luxury personal shopping and styling service, the Fifth Avenue Club, with the launch of private, standalone suites in destinations across the U.S. These luxe Fifth Avenue Club Suites are an evolution of the brand’s existing Fifth Avenue Clubs, which have historically been housed within Saks Fifth Avenue stores and provide customers with the highest level of personalized service. Saks Fifth Avenue has partnered with leading luxury resort operators, including Marriott International and its portfolio of luxury brands including The Ritz-Carlton …

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Lightspeed Reimagines How U.S. Customers Run Front-Of-House Operations

by Katie Lee

Montréal — Lightspeed Commerce Inc., a one-stop commerce platform for merchants and restaurateurs around the world, has released the latest version of its powerful restaurant solution: the Next Generation of Lightspeed Restaurant. This update, now available in the United States, revolutionizes restaurant operations by offering faster ordering and payments options on smartphones and by leveraging the power of data. New functionalities include: ‘Pay at Table’: Uniquely designed by Lightspeed, this simplifies group dining with smart and easy check splitting ‘Tap to Pay’ on iOS: Increases table turns by transforming every …

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franchise developmentNewspeoplerestaurants

MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes Expands in New Markets; Hires Operational Services VP

by Katie Lee

Plano, Texas — MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, a 90-plus-unit better burger franchise, has spent the first quarter opening three new locations and planning for an additional 13 openings for the rest of the year. MOOYAH is expanding in St. Louis, Mo.; Lubbock, Texas; Phoenix; Southern California; Dallas-Fort Worth; Boca Raton, Fla.; and Boston. “There are some pretty obvious places that we’re trying to fill in,” says Doug Willmarth, president and COO. “We have core markets in the Sun Belt from California to Florida, and we are filling in those …

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BJ’s Wholesale Club to Open its First Location in Tennessee in June

by Katie Lee

Marlborough, Mass. & La Vergne, Tenn. — BJ’s Wholesale Club, a leading operator of membership warehouse clubs, will open its newest club in La Vergne, Tenn., on June 14, 2023. The club, located 20 miles outside of downtown Nashville, marks the first BJ’s Wholesale Club in the state of Tennessee. The retailer will now have a total of 238 U.S. clubs, expanding the company’s footprint to its 19th state. The new club has a BJ’s Gas location on-site, offering members everyday low fuel prices. “We can’t wait to open our …

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Panera Launches Drive-Thru Pick-Up Nationwide

by Katie Lee

St. Louis — On May 31, Panera launched Drive-Thru Pick-Up nationwide, combining the ease of the digital ordering experience with the comfort and convenience of the drive-thru window. Guests can now choose the Drive-Thru Pick-Up option when ordering ahead on the Panera app or website. Panera bakery-cafes featuring Drive-Thru Pick-Up will still offer the traditional Drive-Thru experience with the ability to order at the Drive-Thru screen. With Drive-Thru Pick-Up, guests who order ahead can simply announce their name at the speaker and pull ahead to the window — which allows …

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Industry Voicesrestaurantsvendors

The Big Squeeze

by Katie Lee

— By George Lessmeister — 3 areas of margin pressure on restaurants.   Operating a restaurant can feel like a roller coaster ride. Revenue and volume plummeted during the pandemic and then climbed back to pre-COVID levels in 2022. Rising costs, however, are now squeezing profit margins. These ups and downs can make it difficult to plan. What’s the outlook for 2023? Supply Chain Challenges While supply chain bottlenecks are easing somewhat, they are expected to continue as a problem for the restaurant industry well into 2023. Some operators are …

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Newspeopleretailers

LIDS Promotes SVP of Merchandising to President

by Katie Lee

Indianapolis — Leading sports retailer Lids has promoted its senior vice president of merchandising, Bob Durda, to president. Over a 13-year tenure at the company, Durda has been at the forefront of Lids’ focus on building out its portfolio of exclusive product and lead the development of many of the company’s most successful programs including partnerships with Major League Baseball and more. Previously, Durda held the roles of buying director and, most recently, senior vice president of merchandising. As president, Durda will continue to drive Lids growth via brand elevation …

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franchise developmentNewsrestaurants

CRISP & GREEN Opens First Location in Manhattan; Continues Quest for 1,000 Units

by Katie Lee

New York City — CRISP & GREEN is set to open in New York City on June 1. Debuting in the popular NoMad neighborhood, this location also marks the company’s entry into its 10th state, with 10 additional states scheduled to open before the end of the year. Since its inception in 2016, the Minnesota-based company has consistently doubled its location count year-over-year, and the entry into this particular market symbolizes a very important turning point for the growth of the brand. Founded by wellness industry veteran and franchising expert …

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Vestar Names Industry Veteran to Regional Director Position

by Katie Lee

Phoenix — Vestar, one of the leading privately held shopping center owners and managers in the western U.S., has tapped industry veteran Charles Martinez to be its new regional director overseeing its Northern California properties. Over the past 15 years, Martinez has worked for a variety of retail development and redevelopment projects in Los Angeles, San Francisco and East Bay, Calif., as well as in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. In his new role, Martinez will be responsible for managing a portfolio of 11 shopping centers from Petaluma …

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