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Layne’s Chicken Fingers Signs 44-Unit Deal, Largest in Brand History

by Katie Lee

Frisco, Texas — Layne’s Chicken Fingers has signed a monumental 44-unit franchise agreement with Eli Cohen, an experienced real estate and restaurant developer, across its home state of Texas. Layne’s will expand across West Texas, San Antonio and the Coastal Bend. With this deal, the Texas market is now over 90% sold out, leaving room for expansion in just El Paso and a few smaller, single-unit territories. “Sealing an over-40-unit deal in our home state is a major milestone for us as we approach 100% market saturation across Texas,” says …

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Marco’s Pizza Appoints Vice President of Franchise Growth

by Katie Lee

Toledo, Ohio — Marco’s Pizza has appointed Brad Smith as vice president of franchise growth. The appointment reflects Marco’s continued investment in world-class leadership as it pursues aggressive multi-unit growth, international expansion (particularly across LATAM and the Caribbean) and non-traditional development opportunities. “Brad brings a rare combination of strategic vision, operational expertise and global franchise insight,” says Gerardo Flores, chief development officer of Marco’s Pizza. “As we continue to scale with purpose, his leadership will be instrumental in accelerating growth, deepening our operational excellence, and expanding our reach with high-caliber …

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Bagels & Co. Taps Restaurant Industry Veteran as New COO

by Katie Lee

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — Kevin Armantrout, who has held executive roles with several nationally recognized brands, has been named chief operating officer for Bagels & Co. which has several locations now open in Pennsylvania and Florida with plans to expand to additional cities across the U.S. Armantrout has built a distinguished career leading high-growth restaurant and hospitality brands through expansion, operational transformation and cultural renewal. His extensive experience in management, site selection, construction and building a strong foundation for franchising from the ground up are an asset to Bagels & …

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Wienerschnitzel Opens First Walmart Store Restaurant in Arizona

by Katie Lee

Tempe, Ariz. — Wienerschnitzel, the world’s largest hot dog franchise, is celebrating its first restaurant opening inside a Walmart Supercenter, located in Tempe, Ariz., this month. This milestone marks the beginning of a broader non-traditional growth initiative, with six franchised restaurants planned for Walmart stores across the U.S. As Wienerschnitzel accelerates its expansion strategy, the opportunity with the retail giant represents a major step forward in bringing the legacy brand’s signature menu to high-traffic, convenience-driven environments. Additional restaurants are slated for Puyallup, Wash.; Alamogordo, N.M.; Reno, Nev.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; …

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Smalls Sliders® Expands Executive Leadership Team

by Katie Lee

Atlanta — Smalls Sliders has made a series of leadership appointments. The company has named Ryan Crumley as its new chief development officer and promoted Michael Alberici to chief marketing officer. These two additions round out CEO Charles Watson’s executive team. Additionally, the company has promoted Adam Roof to vice president of finance. He will oversee financial planning, forecasting and scalable systems designed to support the company’s rapidly growing franchise network. Crumley most recently served as chief growth officer at Tidal Wave Auto Spa, where he helped grow the company …

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P.F. Chang’s Names New Chief Executive Officer

by Katie Lee

Scottsdale, Ariz. — P.F. Chang’s has hired Jim Mazany as its new chief executive officer, effective immediately. Mazany succeeds Brad Hill and will lead the company into its next phase of growth, innovation and global expansion. Mazany is a proven leader in scaling restaurant brands, driving operational excellence and delivering engaging guest experiences across some of the most recognized names in the restaurant industry. Most recently, he served as chairman and CEO of Rosa Mexicano, Yardbird and Shell Shack, where he spearheaded brand expansion and elevated operational performance as operating …

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Sweetgreen Grows “Sweetlane” Footprint with First-Ever Infinite Kitchen Drive-Thru

by Katie Lee

Costa Mesa, Calif. — Sweetgreen, a mission-driven restaurant brand serving healthy food at scale, will open its first-ever Infinite Kitchen sweetlane location in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Nov. 18. The new restaurant marks an evolution in Sweetgreen’s reimagining of fast food — blending its in-store hospitality with the efficiency of its Infinite Kitchen technology and the added convenience of a drive-up sweetlane for digital customers. First introduced as a pilot concept in 2022, the sweetlane was designed to offer a seamless pickup experience for digital orders. With more than a …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsretailers

Ulta Beauty Opens First Middle East Store in Kuwait

by Katie Lee

Bolingbrook, Ill. — Ulta Beauty, the largest specialty beauty retailer in the U.S., has opened its first store in the Middle East. Located at The Avenues in Kuwait, the store opened on Nov. 7, 2025. The highly anticipated launch follows the company’s earlier announcement of its partnership with leading international retail franchise operator Alshaya Group and marks a significant milestone in Ulta Beauty’s global expansion. “Opening our first Ulta Beauty store in the Middle East is a proud moment for our brand and our partnership with Alshaya Group — and …

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RBI Names New President of Popeyes and COO of Burger King

by Katie Lee

Miami — According to CEO Josh Kobza, Restaurant Brands International (RBI) has made two key leadership appointments.  Peter Perdue has been appointed president of Popeyes, U.S. and Canada, succeeding Jeff Klein who will be leaving the company. Perdue, a 12-year RBI veteran, most recently served as chief operating officer of Burger King U.S. & Canada, where he was instrumental in the brand’s Reclaim the Flame operations turnaround. His experience spans operations, franchising and finance, including leadership as regional vice president for Burger King in the Asia Pacific region. Nicolas (Nico) Henrich has been appointed …

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Denny’s Corporation to be Acquired in $620 Million Transaction

by Katie Lee

Spartanburg, S.C., and New York — Denny’s Corporation, owner and operator of Denny’s Inc. and Keke’s Inc., has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by a group consisting of TriArtisan Capital Advisors LLC, an established New York-based private equity investment firm and experienced investor in global restaurant and hospitality assets; Treville Capital Group, a leading investment firm focused on alternative assets; and Yadav Enterprises, Inc., owner-operator of approximately 550 restaurants nationwide and one of the largest Denny’s franchisees, in an all-cash transaction with an enterprise value of approximately …

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