San Antonio — On Dec. 19, 2025, Teriyaki Madness (TMAD) celebrated a major milestone with the grand opening of its 200th shop, located at 18410 Highway 281 N. in San Antonio. Franchisees Daniel Gifford and Gilbert Vergara are behind the new restaurant, marking their second TMAD shop in the Alamo City. This milestone is part of TMAD’s 2025 expansion, which saw 47 new shops open during 2025 alone, bringing the brand’s total to 200 locations nationwide. The San Antonio shop joins three additional openings on Dec. 19: Fresno, Calif.; Niles, …
franchise development
Mellow Mushroom Finishes 2025 With Expanded Kitchen Tech and New Growth Plans
Atlanta — Mellow Mushroom, the psychedelic pizza franchise known for its imaginative pizzas, hand-tossed stone-baked dough and unique atmosphere, spent 2025 focused on restaurant operations. Work centered on kitchen execution, back-office efficiency and guest engagement infrastructure. Those initiatives carry into 2026, during which the company expects to be bullish on renewals and new restaurant growth. Over the last year, about one-third of restaurants moved onto a digital kitchen platform. Implementation took place location by location to align with each restaurant’s layout and workflow. The platform is already showing improvements in …
Lake Forest, Calif. — Del Taco, the nation’s second-largest Mexican quick-service restaurant, has officially entered a new chapter. Now part of a growing franchise portfolio owned by Yadav Enterprises, which operates more than 300 franchise restaurants nationwide, Del Taco has begun its formal start of business operations under the Yadav umbrella. Founded in 1964, Del Taco operates more than 600 locations in 17 states across the country. “For more than five decades, Del Taco has been a beloved restaurant chain supported by loyal guests who have fueled a special and …
Irvine, Calif. — Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a leading family-style pizza chain for over 45 years, has named Sumi Ghosh as president and chief operating officer. With 30+ years of experience in the restaurant industry, including over 12 years of leadership at Starbucks, plus additional executive roles at global brands like Nike, Dutch Bros and Yum! Brands, Ghosh joins Mountain Mike’s at a pivotal moment for the brand, as it continues to grow an impressive national system that includes 315+ restaurants. “We are proud to welcome someone with such a notable …
Dallas — Twin Hospitality Group Inc., parent company of Twin Peaks Restaurant, has signed a new area development agreement to bring its signature Twin Peaks sports lodge experience to Connecticut. The agreement marks Twin Peaks’ debut in the state and includes development rights for three future lodges across key markets, including New Haven, Hartford, Danbury, Stamford/Bridgeport and Waterbury. The new lodges will be developed by New London Hospitality, led by business partners Deepak Verma and Kam Singh, both seasoned entrepreneurs with extensive experience in the hospitality space and multi-unit operations. …
New York City — Captain D’s, the nation’s leading fast-casual seafood restaurant, has officially made its debut in the Northeast with a Dec. 8 grand opening at 763 E. Gunhill Rd. in the Bronx. Founded over five decades ago in Tennessee, the Nashville-based brand is expanding up the eastern seaboard with a first location in New York. This highly anticipated arrival features a new walk-up design tailored to dense metropolitan areas with limited space and heavy foot traffic. Three additional Captain D’s are currently in development for the New York …
Newport Beach, Calif. — Chipotle Mexican Grill has opened its 4,000th restaurant, located in Manhattan, Kan. Since current CEO Scott Boatwright joined Chipotle in 2017 as chief restaurant officer, the company has grown from over 2,300 restaurants to 4,000 locations, a 70% increase in 8 years. Chipotle will open between 315 to 345 restaurants for the full year 2025. For 2026, management is anticipating 350 to 370 new restaurant openings, including 10 to 15 international partner-operated locations. The new Manhattan, Kan., restaurant includes the brand’s signature Chipotlane, a drive-thru pickup …
Detroit — Little Caesars has made several senior leadership promotions. Effective Jan. 1, 2026, longtime CEO Dave Scrivano has been promoted to vice chairman of Little Caesars. Additionally, Paula Vissing has been promoted to president and CEO, global retail; Ed Gleich has been promoted to president and CEO, global services; and Leigh Burnside has been promoted to chief financial officer and chief administrative officer. Vissing joined Little Caesars in 2011 and under her leadership the brand experienced its strongest period of expansion in company history. In her role since 2023 …
Youngstown, Ohio — Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream has named two seasoned industry leaders to its executive team as the 80-year-old legacy brand continues its record-breaking expansion across the country: Garrett Snyder joins as vice president of real estate, construction and design, and Deepak Kahlon has been appointed vice president of operations. Snyder brings a proven track record to Handel’s with more than 15 years of franchise development and real estate expertise, previously serving as vice president of development at Mountain Mike’s Pizza and holding leadership roles at Blaze Pizza and …
Miami — Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming, the neighborhood pet grooming and treat boutique, has made more progress in its national expansion, opening its first franchised stores in Boston and Fargo, N.D. Woof Gang’s expansion into Massachusetts and North Dakota marks another significant milestone in its growth strategy to scale to more than 450 locations across the United States and Canada by 2027. The new locations follow recent store openings in Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and Maryland, and means Woof Gang now operates in 33 states and Canada. “Our entry into …