News

Washington, D.C. — Giordano’s, the legendary Chicago-based pizzeria known for its iconic stuffed deep-dish pizza, will officially open its first Washington, D.C., location on June 9. Located at 600 14th St. NW in the city’s bustling Lafayette Square neighborhood, the restaurant will bring its world-famous Chicago pizza to the heart of the nation’s capital. The new 7,400-square-foot restaurant features seating for more than 180 guests, including a 130-seat dining room, 16-seat bar area, a 20-seat seasonal patio and a 20-seat private dining area named The Lincoln Room. The restaurant plans …

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Pasadena, Calif. — Dog Haus is following up the announcement of a 50-unit development deal with the appointment of Chris Rigassio as president and chief development officer, and Garen Khodaverdian as chief operating officer. Beyond their franchisee deal and leadership roles, they also joined the brand’s partnership, alongside company founders Hagop Giragossian, Quasim Riaz and André Vener, as well as CEO Michael Montagano. Reporting directly to Montagano, the seasoned franchise leaders will oversee the brand’s planned 1,500-unit expansion across new and existing markets — beginning immediately with their first location …

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Los Angeles — OLIVE YOUNG, a leading beauty and lifestyle retailer from Korea, has officially opened OLIVE YOUNG Pasadena, its first brick-and-mortar store in the United States. The company also launched a U.S.-exclusive online store, expanding access to customers nationwide. Located at 58 W. Colorado Blvd., the 8,647-square-foot OLIVE YOUNG Pasadena marks a significant milestone in the brand’s global expansion. Inspired by the fast-moving beauty culture and retail energy of Seoul, the store offers a highly curated assortment of trending K-beauty, wellness and globally popular brands across skincare, makeup, hair …

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Irvine, Calif. — Xponential Fitness has signed a multi-unit franchise deal with Riser Fitness to develop 127 new Club Pilates studios over the next 5 years. Riser Fitness has also obtained the rights to develop all remaining, non-contracted studio locations in six states, including California, Idaho, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Riser Fitness, a family-owned operator, maintains more than 110 studios across eight states with a growing international footprint. Most recently, the company debuted its first Club Pilates studio in Mexico City and will begin a 40-unit development plan alongside …

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Alpharetta, Ga. — Your Pie, a pizza brand known for its customizable brick-oven pizzas and open-kitchen dining experience, is targeting scalable growth across the Southeast, with a focus on metro Atlanta, the Chattanooga-Knoxville-Nashville corridor and Columbia, S.C. “Focusing on the Southeast markets is big for Your Pie right now, especially with the growing population and demand for something new in those areas,” says Ken Caldwell, CEO and head of development of Your Pie. “We believe that these markets resonate exceptionally well with our brand and will give us the opportunity …

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Greenville, S.C. — New York Butcher Shoppe, a neighborhood butcher and specialty market, is making strides in its franchise development goals for 2026. The news follows a recent announcement of a strategic investment partnership with The Foundry Group, which brings hands‑on operational expertise to strengthen the company’s foundation and support scalable, nationwide franchise growth. New York Butcher Shoppe currently operates 42 units across 10 states and is advancing toward its 50th location, set to open by the end of the year. The brand’s development pipeline is robust, with nine new …

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Des Plaines, Ill. — Chicago Faucets introduces the E-Tronic® 80 SoapBank™, a Multi-Feed Soap Dispensing System. The centralized bulk soap delivery solution is designed for high-traffic commercial and institutional restrooms. Engineered for applications including airports, retail, stadiums, education campuses and public venues, the system helps architects, plumbing engineers, designers and facility owners simplify maintenance while supporting cohesive touchless design. Unlike individual cartridge-based dispensers that require frequent replacement and ongoing maintenance, the E-Tronic® 80 system uses a centralized bulk soap reservoir capable of supplying multiple dispensers from a single refill point. …

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Los Angeles — Sweetgreen, Inc. has appointed Cindy Olsen as the company’s senior vice president, chief strategy officer, a newly created role reporting to CEO Jonathan Neman, effective immediately. Olsen joins Sweetgreen from Chipotle Mexican Grill. “Cindy is known for her ability to drive profitable growth through a disciplined approach to strategic decision-making,” says Jonathan Neman, co-founder and CEO of Sweetgreen. “She is the perfect addition to the executive team at this juncture in our transformation, with deep consumer and restaurant industry experience and a track record of bringing rigor …

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Atlanta — As hurricane season approaches, The Home Depot Foundation is directly supporting efforts to help communities better prepare for, withstand and recover from natural disasters by investing more than $5.5 million in grants to nonprofit partners. These grants, along with mitigation training for those partners supporting rebuilding efforts, will aid communities through every stage of the disaster response cycle. Beyond philanthropy, The Home Depot activates its Disaster Response Command Center for significant disasters, providing continuous, daily communication between teams, impacted stores and suppliers. The Command Center organizes more than …

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Belmar, N.J. — Playa Bowls, the nation’s leading superfruit and acai bowl brand, is expanding its leadership team with a series of key appointments and promotions as it prepares to grow beyond 400 shops nationwide. Jayson Tipp, formerly chief development officer, has been named chief growth officer, expanding his role to oversee development, technology and digital marketing while leading the brand’s enterprise growth strategy. In his stead, Playa Bowls has appointed Patrick Turek as chief development officer. In this role, Turek will lead franchise development, real estate, design and construction, …

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