News

Mankato, Minn. — Focus Brands®, the parent company of Auntie Anne’s®, Carvel®, Cinnabon®, Jamba®, McAlister’s Deli®, Moe’s Southwest Grill® and Schlotzsky’s®, will debut McAlister’s Deli in Minnesota with a 10-unit franchise agreement, alongside a tri-brand franchise agreement that will bring Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon and Jamba to Mankato. Behind the signings are seasoned restaurateurs and husband-and-wife team, Steve and Dani Wegman. The duo owns multiple food concepts around the greater Mankato area. Ready to introduce McAlister’s Deli in the state of Minnesota, the Wegmans are set to open their first location …

Nashville, Tenn. — Captain D’s has signed its first-ever franchise development agreement in Canada. Ontario-based entrepreneurs Ali Saeed and Mudassir Choudri will bring five Captain D’s restaurants to the greater Toronto metropolitan area over the next several years. The brand, which has its roots in the southeastern U.S., has been expanding rapidly with multiple franchise development agreements throughout 2023 as far west as Utah and into the northern states of New York and New Jersey. Captain D’s also has aggressive plans for growth throughout Canada. “As Captain D’s continues to …

Los Angeles — FAT Brands Inc. has opened its inaugural West Coast co-branded Johnny Rockets and Hurricane Wings restaurant. Located in Alhambra, Calif., the new unit marks a milestone in the expansion of the recently launched co-branded model, which first opened in late 2022 in Washington, D.C. “Following the resounding success of our first Johnny Rockets and Hurricane Wings co-branded restaurant in Washington, D.C., we’re thrilled to introduce this unique concept to the West Coast,” says Jake Berchtold, chief operating officer of FAT Brands’ Fast Casual Division. “Similar to Fatburger …

Tampa, Fla. — FSC Franchise Co., the parent company of Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and The Brass Tap, had a record year in 2023. In addition to acquiring Newk’s Eatery, a fast-casual café concept, the franchisor opened 10 Brass Tap locations and one Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, and it awarded another 36 and four, respectively. “We’ve been looking to add something to our platform for several years, and we think that Newk’s is the perfect complementary brand. It’s fast-casual with average unit volumes of $2.2 million, and it has the same geographical …