— Interview by Katie Lee — Burger King unveils a new visual design for a bold, modern future. When Burger King, one of the founding titans of the fast food hamburger industry since 1954, creates a completely new visual design, it definitely makes waves. The more modern look is the company’s first total rebrand in over 20 years. As part of the new look, BK® is rolling out a new logo (the current logo was launched in 1999), menu boards, crew uniforms, signage and décor, as well as social …
— Interview by Katie Lee — Demand for pets — and pet supplies — soared during the pandemic. Here’s how Pet Supplies Plus is meeting the moment. Raise your hand if you adopted a new pet during the pandemic! If you’re like many Americans, you took advantage of the extra time at home, and not traveling, to bond with a new four-legged friend — and you needed pet supplies. The pet industry boomed over the past 12 months, and Pet Supplies Plus (PSP) is the first to …
Just in time for its 50th anniversary, Schlotzsky’s rolls out two new prototypes with plans to build on lessons learned during COVID-19. — By Katie Lee — At Schlotzsky’s, the drive-thru has always been a driving force of its business. Eighty-five percent of its 339 locations already had a drive-thru — often with double lanes — and this positioned the sandwich chain well when COVID-19 changed the world in early 2020. Schlotzsky’s already understood customers’ evolving needs — and the pandemic accelerated that evolution. Several years prior to the …
— Interview with Greg Smith — Sport Clips Haircuts proves how essential its service is with a thriving franchise system of more than 1,800 stores and locations in all 50 states. As many of us realized very soon into the pandemic, it’s easy to argue that hair salons are essential services. Nevertheless, like other hair salons around the country, Sport Clips Haircuts was forced to close its more than 1,800 locations during the spring shutdown. By October, nearly all had reopened and, as we continue to navigate the …
— Interview with Tim Welsh, Chief Development Officer — QDOBA was already making key changes prior to the pandemic. With a variety of smaller floor plans and a revamped digital suite already in the works pre-COVID, QDOBA Mexican Eats was on the right track — little did it know — to have the best possible chance to weather a global pandemic. Today, the Mexican fast-casual franchise continues with plans to open 30 new restaurants before year end and to have 1,000 open restaurants within the next 5 years. With …
— Interview with Patricia Perry, Vice President, Franchise Development, Edible — Edible was ready when the pandemic hit. When the pandemic hit, Edible was ready. It already had a dedicated delivery model, made possible by a robust fleet of refrigerated trucks; it had multiple omnichannel platforms customers could use to interact with the brand; its fruit arrangements and chocolate treats offered a way to say “we’re thinking of you” to friends or relatives you could not visit in person. Also working in Edible’s favor? A talented support team and …
— By Katie Lee — Even during a pandemic, Jersey Mike’s continues to grow and evolve — adding 200 stores this year and fully funding the ongoing retrofits of its 1,800+ locations. Ten years ago, Retail & Restaurant Facility Business first featured Jersey Mike’s on its cover. At the time, the iconic sub sandwich chain, which launched in 1956 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, had 450 stores open and under development in 29 states. One short decade later? Jersey Mike’s is just getting started. The company has more than …
— By Mandy Nowels — Pivoting an experience-based brand online during quarantines and lockdowns: how The Spice & Tea Exchange quickly shifted focus from experiential to e-commerce. By April of 2020, 97% of our spice and tea specialty retail stores had been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Some had to shut their doors completely for a few weeks or months, while many others had to reduce hours and only offer curbside pickup and local delivery. As a franchise system, we had to ensure two things immediately: that our …
— By Katie Lee — How Slim Chickens is not only surviving — but thriving — during COVID-19. During the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Slim Chickens was able to turn on a dime: transforming its parking lots into dining rooms, boosting digital channels, investing in marketing and operations, as well as new safety protocols, and continuing to sell franchise locations — tallying almost 50 new units so far this year. While the Fayetteville, Arkansas-based fast-casual brand had to scale back its original 2020 development plans to open 30 …
— Interview with Christina Cornell — The Home Depot, which remains open during COVID-19, prioritizes the safety of its employees and customers, while still getting the job done. The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,292 stores. Whether facing a natural disaster or pandemic, the Atlanta-based retailer remains an essential business, so its stores stay open. In mid-April, Retail & Restaurant Facility Business interviewed Christina Cornell of The Home Depot about its business response, how it has adapted store operations, safety measures that have …
