franchise development

Dallas — Au Bon Pain, the bakery-cafe brand known for its gourmet convenience, has revealed a bold new store design. Planned to roll out companywide in 2023, the new design continues Au Bon Pain’s forward momentum started in July 2021, when franchisee Ampex Brands acquired the brand and its CEO Tabbassum Mumtaz pledged “to lead the bakery-cafe segment into the future.” The new design builds on customers’ new reality, where convenience and off-premise reign, without straying from Au Bon Pain’s roots as a French bakery serving freshly made, high-quality and …

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Denver — As part of its brands’ continued transformations, REGO Restaurant Group — parent company of fast-casual sandwich chain Quiznos and regional Mexican chain Taco Del Mar, among other brands — has inked a strategic partnership and development deal with BCubed Manufacturing LLC, a Michigan-based manufacturing company that makes high-quality, fully outfitted freestanding drive-thru restaurants. With approximately 650-square-foot layouts designed for flexibility and efficiency, BCubed restaurants include both drive-thru and walk-up windows. Designed to fit on parcels of land that are too small for traditional restaurant development, BCubed restaurants contribute …

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Burleson, Texas — Pokemoto, Muscle Maker, Inc.’s expanding Hawaiian poke bowl restaurant concept, has opende its first Mississippi franchise location in Oxford, Miss. The opening marks the first of three previously inked franchise deals in the Mississippi market. Being near “Ole Miss” provides exposure to Pokemoto’s core targeted audience: Millennials and Gen Zs. The location features Pokemoto’s brand new interior graphic design package, signage and menu items. “We are very excited to be opening our first Pokemoto location in Mississippi, especially in Oxford — the home of the University of …

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Anaheim Hills, Calif. — WaBa Grill, one of the nation’s leading healthy rice bowl chains, has signed a 20-unit Northern California development deal during its second quarter. Following an impressive first quarter, second quarter same store sales (SSS) rose to $43.7 million — up 2.2% from the previous year. Second quarter total system sales (TSS) reached $45.1 million — an increase of 4.3% compared to the same prior-year period. WaBa Grill is tracking toward a third-consecutive year of record growth. “The record-breaking success WaBa Grill experienced last year was phenomenal, …

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Newport Beach, Calif. — Juice It Up! has reinvigorated franchise growth in 2022, ending the first half of the year with 84 locations in various markets, having opened five new locations since the beginning of 2022. The brand remains committed to doubling its unit count to approximately 200 locations in the next 4 years and currently has more than 30 new locations in the pipeline for development. Juice It Up! recently signed four new franchise agreements, including a multi-unit deal in Bakersfield, Calif., that accounts for a total of six …

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San Diego — As part of its aggressive franchise growth strategy, Jack in the Box Inc. is sharing an incentive program with multi-unit franchisees that offers significant financial benefits to those who enter into a minimum 3-unit development agreement. “We have a clear vision for growth, and offering this industry-leading incentive to new and existing franchisees moves Jack in the Box to the top of the list for QSR opportunities,” says Tim Linderman, chief development officer of Jack in the Box. “The more we’re able to support our multi-unit operators, …

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Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. — The Dolly Llama, the L.A.-based waffle and artisanal ice cream sensation, plans to open in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., as part of the concept’s current 40-store national expansion plan. Projected to open within the next month, this location marks The Dolly Llama’s entry into the Sunshine State. The shop will be located within the Tournament Plaza. “Our family is originally from Los Angeles and learned about the Dolly Llama through our son, who happened to be in school with the co-founder’s daughter,” says Josh Popkin, …

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Los Angeles — On August 9, sweetgreen, the mission-driven restaurant brand serving healthy food at scale, opened its first Michigan location in the metropolitan Detroit suburb of Birmingham. The new restaurant, which is the 170th for the brand, is located at 167 North Old Woodward Ave. The Birmingham opening will be followed by two additional Michigan restaurants — in Ann Arbor on the University of Michigan campus, and in Troy, both slated to open this fall. “When we began to explore our expansion into the Midwest, we took notice of …

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Woodstock, Ga. — Take 5 Car Wash® held the grand opening of its 100th store on Aug. 5, 2022, in Woodstock, Ga. The new site joins 10 other Take 5 Car Wash locations in Georgia and 29 additional express car washes in the state owned by its parent company, Driven Brands. Equipped with Take 5 Car Wash’s advanced express wash technology, the Woodstock location is among many new and refreshed Take 5 Car Washes throughout the country operating with high-performing, non-toxic Armor All® Professional wash and wax formulas. For the finishing …

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Moonachie, N.J. — Paris Baguette, the bakery café concept with 4,000 units across the globe, has signed 72 franchise deals since the start of 2022 and is marking more than 40% year-over-year growth. In fact, Paris Baguette is poised to meet, if not exceed, its goal of 56 units opened in 2022, expanding to Florida, Hawaii, Maryland and more. Moving forward, the brand continues to eye the 1,000-unit mark within the U.S. by 2030; the concept has recently debuted in the Minnesota, Maryland and Florida markets. Signing units in Hawaii, …

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