New York City — Felice has opened its new flagship restaurant in the Flatiron District, bringing the family-run Italian brand to one of Manhattan’s most design- and culture-driven neighborhoods. Located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 26th Street, the space is designed to feel embedded in the neighborhood from the start, less like a new opening, more like a place that has always been there. Since 2007, the restaurant brand has grown to 14 locations across New York, Connecticut, Florida and beyond, building its identity around rooms that feel …
restaurants
Columbus, Ohio — White Castle®, America’s first fast-food hamburger chain with a storied 105-year history, broke ground on June 2 on its first-ever Texas location at Grandscape in The Colony, Texas. The expected grand opening is late fall 2026. The 3,430-square-foot restaurant will feature a double drive-thru with both canopy and patio seating. Cuhaci Peterson partnered with White Castle on the store design. “As a family-owned business, we’ve wanted to get to Texas for a long time, and today we’re making it official. The Crave is here to stay,” says …
How Water Finds a Way
— Interview with Austin Duchaine & Shawn Hester — Breaking down the most common water-related issues experienced by restaurants — and how to prevent, mitigate and recover. For independent restaurants operating in aging buildings, a hidden water leak can quickly escalate from a maintenance issue to a financial crisis. Older plumbing systems, grease-clogged drains and HVAC condensation failures increase the risk of sudden shutdowns, especially in older retail centers and standalone locations. When a restaurant is forced to close for even a few days, the financial impact compounds fast, creating …
Bentonville, Ark. — Beginning this month, Walmart customers in select locations can order Subway directly through the Walmart app or Walmart.com and have their meal delivered in as little as 30 minutes or less, either on its own or alongside their Walmart Express Delivery order. This marks Walmart’s first restaurant integration within Express Delivery and reflects the company’s broader focus on helping customers simplify everyday life by bringing groceries, household essentials, fashion, prescriptions and restaurant meals together in one convenient experience. The service offers a flat Walmart Express Delivery fee …
Irvine, Calif. — Restaurant365, a leading AI-powered restaurant management platform, has partnered with Hungry Howie’s Pizza, which has selected Restaurant365 as its back-office operations platform across all franchise locations. The partnership will standardize inventory management, scheduling, labor management and operational reporting across the Hungry Howie’s system, while all new franchisees entering the brand will also adopt Restaurant365’s accounting platform. By consolidating critical back-office functions into a single platform, Hungry Howie’s franchisees will gain real-time visibility into food costs, labor performance and store-level profitability while reducing manual processes and administrative complexity. …
Atlanta — Krystal, the iconic quick-service chain that has been serving its signature square sliders hot off the grill since 1932, opened its first New Jersey restaurant on June 4 in Union, marking the brand’s Northeast debut. “Opening our first restaurant in New Jersey is a major milestone for Krystal and an important next step for the brand,” says Amanda Hyde, chief operating officer of Krystal. “Krystal has always had fans beyond the South, and now we’re proud to introduce the full experience to the Northeastern community.” Krystal is actively …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …