Columbus, Ohio — Sbarro, a leading global pizza brand known for its Original New York Style Slices and Strombolis, has appointed Mario Bojorquez as its new president, North America. He joins Sbarro from Restaurant Brands International. “Mario is a talented restaurant executive with a proven track record of results and a solid understanding of franchising in our industry,” says David Karam, Sbarro CEO and chairman of the board.” He is a great cultural fit for Sbarro. His strong people focus and industry expertise will complement the experience and skills of …
franchise development
Los Angeles — 911 Restoration has experienced significant early 2024 growth, with new franchise locations set to open in 10 new territories by the end of the second quarter. After onboarding its new executive director of franchise development, Ken Sussex, the restoration brand has been signed new franchise agreements in California, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas and Tennessee, and plans are in place for further expansion across the East Coast and Midwest. “We are proud to see the impact our brand is making, and the interest we are …
Albuquerque, N.M. — Wetzel’s Pretzels is now open in Coronado Center in Albuquerque. Wetzel’s joins more than 130 retail shops at the mall, which is the state’s largest shopping center. The new location also marks the first Wetzel’s Pretzels in the state of New Mexico. The debut New Mexico location is owned and operated by Tamanna Sayed and Md Abul Kalam Azad. “As existing franchise owners in California, we were ready to start a journey with Wetzel’s into a region with tons of growth potential,” says Sayed. “We’re drawn to …
St. Louis, Mo. — Dave’s Hot Chicken, a Los Angeles-based street food sensation turned breakthrough fast-casual brand, has signed a multi-unit agreement for seven locations across St. Louis — the brand’s first in Missouri — with established entrepreneur Raj Patel and his company, The Hari Group. The Hari Group now owns and operates over 100 franchise locations across major food brands like McAlister’s Deli, Dunkin’ and Dave’s Hot Chicken. “I’ve always believed in leading by example and ensuring that each location is effectively set up operationally to thrive,” says Patel, …
Houston — Shipley Do-Nuts continues its trend of positive same-store sales and bolsters its rapid growth trajectory with an expanded development team, 14 signed deals for 61 new locations throughout Texas and six shops opened so far in 2024. Shipley’s development team, headed by its senior vice president of franchise development, Keith Sizemore, has expanded with two key employees. Jonathan Massey joined Shipley in March as vice president of sales after serving as director of franchise development at Wingstop and, prior to that, at Pizza Hut. Also joining the team …
Hartland, Wis. — Batteries Plus has promoted Jon Sica to chief operating officer (COO). Sica will continue to drive the specialty retail brand forward by overseeing key areas of the business, including commercial sales and retail operations support. Sica started his professional career in marketing and e-commerce at outdoor giant Cabela’s, but quickly moved into executive-level positions by combining the art and science of business to find success across big box, QSR and franchise companies. He joined the Batteries Plus team from Texas icon Whataburger in April 2019 as the …
Tampa, Fla. — The chief executive officer of Bloomin’ Brands, Inc., David Deno, will be retiring after 12 years with the company, including the last 5 years as CEO and a member of the board of directors. Deno will continue in his current role until a successor is named and a successful transition period is completed. The board of directors will conduct a search for Deno’s successor. “David has strengthened the financial foundation at Bloomin’ Brands through better profitability and a stronger balance sheet, which is especially impressive given nearly …
Miami — Burger King plans to invest $300 million to modernize 1,100 U.S. restaurants by 2028, according to parent company Restaurant Brands International Inc. Each restaurant will be renovated in a new layout, called Sizzle, that emphasizes flexibility as well as the digital, pickup and drive-thru experiences. In addition to the planned renovations, the investment will also cover cash incentives for top-performing operators. “We are committed to giving our guests the very best experience in all our restaurants and that includes a modern, exciting restaurant image and digital experience that …
Castle Rock, Colo. — Daddy’s Chicken Shack has made two new promotions within its executive team. Tony Adams, who previously served as the vice president and chief of staff for Area 15 Ventures, will now be taking on the role of president for Daddy’s Chicken Shack, while Dave Liniger Jr. transitions from president to CEO. Adams and Liniger Jr. have been a part of Daddy’s Chicken Shack through Area 15 Ventures, the private equity firm that acquired the brand last year amidst a major growth surge. Area 15 Ventures is …
Atlanta and New York City — Private equity giant Blackstone has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a franchiser of fast-casual restaurants, from Levine Leichtman Capital Partners. The deal values the Atlanta-based smoothie chain at around $2 billion, including debt, according to The Wall Street Journal. Tropical Smoothie Cafe began as a single location in Destin, Fla., in 1997. The chain has grown to more than 1,400 locations in 44 states today. The company opened more than 175 locations in 2023, 70% of which were …