Lexington, Ky. — With the countdown to its 100th anniversary underway, A&W Restaurants, America’s first restaurant chain, is continuing to reappear along the roadsides that made it famous. After opening 15 franchise locations in 2017, the iconic brand expects to open another 12 this year.
franchise development
Canton, Mass. — Dunkin’ Donuts has signed a multi-unit store development agreement with existing franchisees Lagunita Franchise Operations, LLC (LFO). Over the next several years, the franchisee group is planning to open seven new restaurants throughout Montgomery, Ala. The first two locations are scheduled to open in 2019.
Boca Raton, Fla. — Orangetheory® Fitness has hired Mike Mettler as senior vice president of domestic franchise development. He will be responsible for overseeing the company’s domestic growth and expansion, as well as providing strategic leadership to assist the fitness franchise in achieving its goal of having more than 1,100 open studios worldwide by the end of 2018.
Laval, Quebec — Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (Couche-Tard), one of the world’s largest convenience store retailers with over 15,000 stores globally, has announced new full-service franchise opportunities with its Circle K brand in Canada. The expansion marks the first time the Circle K brand will be franchised in Canada with the offer initially targeting the Ontario province.