franchise development

Rogers, Ark. — Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café, a restaurant brand serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and specializing in sweet and savory crêpes, hot drinks and more, is expanding its national presence by entering two new states: Arkansas and Missouri. In a four-unit signed agreement, two restaurants will be opening in Arkansas metropolitan cities, and two restaurants will be opening in Kansas City, Mo. The first restaurant is slated to open in fall 2025, at Pinnacle Hills Promenade in Rogers, Ark. Pinnacle Hills Promenade is a luxury retail lifestyle center …

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Dallas — Brinker International, Inc. has promoted longtime Brinker leader Aaron White to executive vice president, chief operating officer and chief people officer for its restaurant brands, Chili’s® Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy®. She has been with the company for 29 years. In this expanded role, White will oversee both operations strategy and personnel across the restaurant support center, Chili’s and Maggiano’s, with her leadership team focused on driving the company’s next level of operational improvements to improve the team member and guest experience. White began her Brinker …

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Dallas — Nothing Bundt Cakes is celebrating the opening of its 700th bakery, located in Rosenberg, Texas. The Dallas-based company has grown to the nation’s largest specialty cake company with locations throughout more than 40 states and Canada. The brand has ambitious plans to open its 1,000th location by 2027. Nothing Bundt Cakes opened 101 bakeries in 2024 and is on pace to do the same this year as this bakery opening is the 40th in 2025. The brand is on track to become one of the highest-growth companies in …

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Atlanta — Huddle House, an iconic family dining brand for the last 60 years, is undergoing a transformative evolution. Under the leadership of CEO James O’Reilly and Chief Operating Officer Blain Shortreed, the brand unveils a reimagined brand identity that includes a trio of new restaurant prototypes to accelerate the brand’s geographic expansion. “As we celebrate 60 incredible years, we lay the foundation for the next 60 in a big way, stepping confidently into our evolution,” says James O’Reilly, CEO of Ascent Hospitality Management, the parent company of Huddle House. …

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Atlanta — This May, Moe’s Southwest Grill®, one of the seven brands within the GoTo Foods platform company, unveils a record-breaking average unit volume (AUV) of $1,235,422 in 2024, showcasing 4 consecutive years of growth. It is also the brand’s 25th anniversary. Under the recent leadership of its chief brand officer, Mike Smith, who was appointed in October 2024, Moe’s continues to revolutionize the fast-casual Mexican dining space. Key Initiatives Driving Significant Brand Evolution: • Strengthening Franchise Development: Over the past year, Moe’s opened 15 new locations across the country. …

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Los Angeles — FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc. has hired Drew Martin as chief information officer. Martin joins FAT Brands with over 35 years of IT experience and will be focused on delivering scalable technological solutions to progress the growth of FAT Brands. Martin’s diverse background includes serving as senior vice president and CIO for Jack in the Box and senior vice president and CIO for Sony Electronics. Other previous ventures include PepsiCo, leading the digital transformation/supporting the sale of Jenny Craig, and serving as executive vice president and …

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Atlanta — Chicken Salad Chick, the nation’s only fast-casual chicken salad restaurant concept, will open its 300th restaurant nationwide, located at 1301 S. Babcock St. in Melbourne, Fla., on May 7. This milestone follows a robust pipeline of development, with Chicken Salad Chick welcoming 37 new locations in 2024, followed by 21 in the first half of 2025 alone. “Chicken Salad Chick is a unique, one-of-a-kind restaurant concept we truly believe in,” says Allison Gibson, franchise owner, Chicken Salad Chick of Melbourne. “We love the soul behind this brand, and …

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— By Katie Lee — With more than 250 stores, Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming brings love and joy to pets and their pet parents — across more and more communities in North America. Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming, a leading pet grooming and gourmet treat destination, is coming off a banner year. In 2024, the boutique retail concept opened a record number of new stores, quadrupling its historical annual average of new openings with more than 50 new stores. Woof Gang is on track to open more than 70 …

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Boston — Gong cha, the world’s premier bubble tea brand with nearly 2,200 stores in 29 international markets, is accelerating its U.S. growth with major expansion plans across the Western United States. With more than 200 of its 240 U.S. stores currently located east of the Rockies, the brand is now entering new markets including Arizona, the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii, as well as ramping up development in California. “With more than 200 stores east of the Rockies, we’ve laid a strong foundation — and now we’re building on that …

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Barstow, Calif. — Fuzzy’s Taco Shop has made its highly anticipated debut in California with a new location in Barstow, which opened on April 28, 2025. Located at 1523 East Main St., this marks the brand’s first foray into the California market, bringing its signature tacos, memorable drinks, and laid-back vibe to the West Coast. The new shop is owned and operated by the Soleimani Group, an experienced multi-unit franchisee group with over 30 IHOP locations. “Fuzzy’s Taco Shop has built a passionate following across the country, and we’re confident …

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