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Katie Lee

franchise developmentNewsrestaurants

A&W Restaurants Aims to Open at Least 10 New Units in 2023

by Katie Lee

Lexington, Ky. — A&W Restaurants, the All-American restaurant franchise with 500-plus units nationwide, has had fast start to the year with three new restaurants opened, all indicative of the brand’s real estate flexibility and willingness to embrace non-traditional spaces. With a goal of opening 10 new locations in 2023, the franchisor is ahead of schedule. “One of the notable openings this year brought an A&W to a Walmart in Rock Hill, South Carolina,” says Paul Martino, president and COO of A&W. “This is our first entry into the Walmart space, …

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Food Lion Unveils Remodel of Nearly 30 Wilmington, N.C.-Area Stores

by Katie Lee

Salisbury, N.C. — With a capital investment exceeding $50 million, Food Lion is unveiling remodeled stores in Wilmington, N.C., that feature a new, easier shopping experience for customers. On May 10, Food Lion will hold ribbon-cutting events in the Wilmington area at 24 stores, with five more to follow soon. The investment includes remodeling stores, providing e-commerce at every store through pickup and/or home delivery options, training and developing associates to provide the best customer experience and giving back to local communities. While renovating and refreshing its look, the redesign …

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franchise developmentNewspeoplerestaurants

Your Pie Names New VP of Operations and Director of Technology

by Katie Lee

Atlanta, Ga. — To invest in the future of Your Pie and offer greater support to its franchise owners, the nation’s original fast-casual pizza brand has appointed several new hires to its corporate team. Most notably, Your Pie has added Justin Patterson as vice president of operations. A Your Pie franchise owner for more than 7 years, Patterson brings a wealth of industry experience and expertise to the brand’s leadership team. Patterson will be responsible for leading both franchise and company restaurants to grow sales, customer counts, margins and continue …

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construction and designNewsretailerssupply chain

Dollar General Grows Supply Chain Network by 3.2 Million Square Feet with 5 Distribution Facilities

by Katie Lee

Goodlettsville, Tenn. — Dollar General Corp. has announced recent expansions in its supply chain network that will grow the discount retailer’s distribution footprint by more than 3.2 million square feet. The Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based company has recently opened three new facilities and announced expansions of two existing campuses that will support Dollar General’s traditional goods, as well as its DG Fresh line of groceries. “The recent additions to our supply chain network aim to provide greater efficiencies, create additional jobs and drive positive economic impact,” says Tony Zuazo, executive vice president …

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franchise developmentNewspeoplerestaurants

Captain D’s Expands Development Team with New Director of Franchise Development

by Katie Lee

Nashville, Tenn. — Captain D’s has hired Steve Bailey as director of franchise development. Bailey has more than 20 years of experience in franchise sales and development with multiple restaurant service brands, most recently with Fazoli’s. Focusing on territories east of the Mississippi River, he will support Captain D’s ongoing expansion throughout the country alongside longtime senior director of franchise development Steve Bielewicz, who is responsible for growing the company’s presence in the western region. “Captain D’s focus on flexible prototypes and cost-effective conversion opportunities is fueling increased interest from …

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Newspeopleretailers

Foot Locker Appoints Former Nike Executive to Lead WSS Banner

by Katie Lee

New York City — Foot Locker, Inc., a leading footwear and apparel retailer, has appointed Blanca Gonzalez as senior vice president and general manager of its WSS banner, effective May 15, 2023. WSS is best known for its neighborhood-based store presence and deep connection within Latino communities. Gonzalez joins Foot Locker from Nike Inc., where she served as vice president of North America product merchandising and brings more than 19 years of experience across various Nike leadership roles in marketing, merchandising and sales. Gonzalez will report directly to Frank Bracken, …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurantssoftware/technology

PizzaForno Expands into Georgia with 3 New Automated Pizzerias in Atlanta

by Katie Lee

Atlanta — PizzaForno, North America’s first automated pizzeria that bakes artisan pizza in less than 3 minutes, 24 hours a day, is officially expanding into Georgia. The first of three new locations will open on May 6 in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood, with two additional locations to open around metro Atlanta later in May. The three entrepreneurs responsible for this expansion are business partners Tyler Young, Paul Nair and Mick Patel. Young has always had a passion for the restaurant industry, and started running restaurants when he was in college. Nair …

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Presto and CKE Restaurants Partner for Drive-Thru Voice AI Automation

by Katie Lee

San Carlos, Calif. — Presto Automation Inc., one of the largest drive-thru automation technology providers in the hospitality industry, has expanded its partnership with CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. Presto will be rolling out its artificial intelligence (AI) powered solution, Presto Voice™, to automate voice ordering at participating drive-thru locations nationwide. The voice automation technology, which has already been implemented at select Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s drive-thru locations within the United States, increases revenue, improves labor productivity and enhances the guest and staff …

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construction and designNewsretailers

JackBe, a New Curbside Drive-Thru Grocer Concept, Opens Second Location

by Katie Lee

Oklahoma City — JackBe, the premier curbside drive-thru grocer, has opened its second location, the second of three locations slated to open in 2023 for the new-to-market grocer. The new location has a 22,000-square-foot store and serves as the new corporate headquarters, with over 42,000 square feet in total, including a test kitchen and other amenities. The store opened on May 3 in Edmond, Okla. “We are thrilled to be opening our second location and to expand our mission to introduce a new way to shop, providing high-quality products with …

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construction and designCover Storyfacilities managementremodelsrestaurants

On The Border Bets on Bold

by Katie Lee

— By Katie Lee —   Rethinking its operations since the pandemic, On The Border rebrands with bold changes for its food and the guest experience.     When the COVID-19 pandemic upended the world’s economy 3 years ago, many industries were forced to turn on a dime, to rethink their entire business models, to reengineer some shred of stability in the shakiest of markets. As On The Border can attest first-hand, the restaurant industry was among the trickiest terrain to navigate. But the Texas-based brand was agile enough to …

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