Chillicothe, Ohio — Chillicothe, Ohio-based Petland Inc. has opened its first store in Saudi Arabia. In 2016, Petland began the expansion process into the Middle East North Africa region with the signing of a master franchise agreement that includes rights to develop stores in United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Lebanon, Kuwait and Bahrain. Petland has 135 locations in international markets, including stores in Brazil, Canada, Mexico, China, El Salvador and South Africa. The Saudi Arabian store, located in Jeddah, opened May 26, 2019 and features a complete line of …
franchise development
Ocala, Fla. — Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Celebrity’s Soul Food has selected Southlake, Texas-based N3 Real Estate and affiliates as its exclusive national developer and master broker for the United States. N3 will be responsible for all aspects of Celebrity’s real estate selection and development process across the country. With 200 units planned within the next 24 months, founders Dr. Fredrick Jacobs (a.k.a. Dr. J, The Counselor) and Taja Jacobs, along with their franchisee partners, will bring soul food cuisine to the nation in a classy and elegant atmosphere that treats …
Houston — Russo’s New York Pizzeria, the nation’s only chef-driven New York-style, Italian restaurant and pizzeria franchise concept, announces its latest franchise opportunity: an authentic Italian microbrewery. Conceptualized by Chef Anthony Russo, Russo’s New York Italia Pizza Kitchen & Brewery will open its first location in 2019. The innovative Pizza Kitchen & Brewery will feature Russo’s infamous Italian menu with pizza and pasta-focused dishes, as well as unique craft beers, brewed in-house. The brewery will range from 3,500 to 5,000 square feet; the new design features a full view pizza …
Lake Forest, Calif. — Del Taco Restaurants, Inc., the second largest Mexican-American quick-service restaurant chain by units in the United States, recently commenced the marketing of certain company-operated restaurants across four non-core Western markets. The refranchising of these restaurants is expected to be completed by summer 2020 and is planned to help shift company ownership to approximately 45% of the Del Taco system while stimulating growth in new restaurants and existing restaurant AUVs. Del Taco first announced its Restaurant Portfolio Optimization plan in January 2019 and subsequently retained The Cypress …
Dallas — MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, the “better burger” fast-casual franchise, has hired key executives — including president and COO — that will enhance franchisee support and prepare for rapid franchise development. The company has added a new president and COO, Tony Darden, who comes to MOOYAH after serving as COO at Taco Bueno. Prior to Taco Bueno, Darden spent more than a decade at Panera Bread and more than 15 years at Bennigan’s. MOOYAH also added a new director of supply chain, a real estate and development manager, …
Atlanta — Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC, a leading national fast-casual cafe concept, is opening the 750th location in its system on May 17, 2019 in Sugar Land, Texas. This major milestone showcases Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s rapid growth and sets the company one step closer to reaching its goal of opening 130 new cafes in 2019. “We continue to experience tremendous growth year after year and are extremely proud to announce the opening of our 750th cafe,” says Charles Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC. “We are excited to celebrate …
Irvine, Calif. — Potbelly Sandwich Shop opened its first shop in California on May 6, 2019. The new shop in Irvine, a franchise location, is located at the Walnut Village Center. First announced in August 2018, this is the first shop to come out of a multi-unit franchise development deal the brand signed in California. Local resident and experienced entrepreneur Sameer Bhatia, the franchise owner, will bring three more locations to the area, with considerations for shops in Costa Mesa, Laguna Hills, Lake Forest or Mission Viejo during the next …
Dallas — MUTTS Canine Cantina®, the fastest growing pet eatertainment brand in America, is partnering with Fransmart to bring its unique urban oasis for dogs and their owners to cities across the country. Fransmart is a global leader in franchise development. MUTTS Canine Cantina is already thriving in Texas, with successful locations in Dallas and Fort Worth and five additional locations opening in the Lone Star State over the next 3 years. Together with Fransmart, the concept is seeking out experienced franchisees to bring the rapidly-growing concept to major markets …
Oklahoma City — Coolgreens, a fast-casual concept that focuses on providing fresh and high-quality food, has hired Kathy Davidson to join the brand’s leadership team as its new vice president of franchise development. Davidson brings nearly 10 years of foodservice franchise development experience to the role. Previous positions include stints with Church’s Chicken, Cowboy Chicken and, most recently, Fazoli’s. The industry veteran said she is excited to join a smart, strong leadership team with more than 55 years of collective experience, including CEO Robert Lee; Todd Madlener, vice president of …
Washington, D.C. — BoConcept franchise owner Tim Machenaud opened his second store in the Washington, D.C., area at Tysons Galleria on April 19, 2019. With nearly 300 locations across 60 countries, BoConcept’s latest location is a push to increase brand visibility and promote luxury, urban-chic furniture in the U.S. Already well established across Europe, Asia and Latin America, BoConcept is now looking to dominate the premium furniture retail business across North America. With 15 locations in key metropolitan areas of the U.S., BoConcept aims to double its presence in 2019 …