Atlanta — Papa John’s has unveiled a new design for international restaurants. Premium ingredients are highlighted throughout the new restaurant through colors, lighting and décor that showcases Papa John’s new visual brand identity. In a streamlined and flexible environment, Papa
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Lansing, Mich. — BIGGBY® COFFEE, the 340-unit coffee concept, has welcomed industry veteran Michele Waits as chief marketing officer. Waits has 25 years in brand management and more than 11 years in coffee marketing as a vice president for Starbucks.
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Columbus, Ohio — Condado Tacos, an award-winning taco joint, plans 12 new restaurants that will open in 2023, with 8 of these located in new markets. This fast-growing taco restaurant company will open new restaurants in St. Louis, Mo., Buffalo,
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San Carlos, Calif. — Presto Automation Inc., the largest drive-thru automation technology provider in the hospitality industry, is expanding its partnership with Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. to provide automated voice ordering at several drive-thru restaurants nationwide. Its artificial intelligence (A.I.)
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Atlanta — Focus Brands®, parent company of Auntie Anne’s®, Carvel®, Cinnabon®, Jamba®, McAlister’s Deli®, Moe’s Southwest Grill® and Schlotzsky’s®, has appointed three senior leaders across two areas of the business. Effective immediately, the following executives will be leading these key
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Cheyenne, Wyo. — Taco John’s International Inc., a quick-serve Mexican franchise, is unveiling its newest store design concept, the Drive Thru Olé, which was first piloted in 2021 and whose original idea — based on modular buildings — dates back
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Los Angeles — Modern Restaurant Concepts (MRC), a leading fast-casual restaurant platform comprising the QDOBA, Modern Market Eatery and Lemonade brands, has hired veteran restaurant executive John Cywinski as its new chief executive officer, effective immediately. Previously, Cywinski served on
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Manasquan, N.J. — Jersey Mike’s Subs has hired Brooke Cabrera join the national sub sandwich franchise as director of real estate, Northeast. Previously, she was a vice president and market director of real estate at JPMorgan Chase & Co for
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Newport Beach, Calif. — Juice It Up! has opened its new Ehrenberg, Ariz., location, marking the brand’s entry into the Grand Canyon State. The Ehrenberg location is part of the bustling AZ Travel Plaza, adding to the store’s current food/drink
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Atlanta — Krystal unveiled its much anticipated smaller prototype at its new company location in Center Point, Ala., on January 10. The 1,700-square-foot drive-thru features the first company store opening in more than 6 years with an advanced, sleek design
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Las Vegas — As 2022 came to a close, Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop and Wing Zone experienced another triumphant quarter to round out a record-breaking year for both brands. With the signing of 9 area development agreements in fourth quarter equating
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Denver — Teriyaki Madness, the Seattle-style Teriyaki Shop franchise system, is wrapping up the year at 37 new franchisees with 103 new units on tap. These openings helped the brand break into several new markets for the first time, including
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New York City — Montclair Hospitality Group (MHG), a leading chef-driven, global hospitality group focused on curating unique restaurant brands and experiences, has appointed hospitality veteran Joey Simons to lead the group as chief executive officer. Simons was handpicked by
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Glendale, Calif. — Dine Brands Global, Inc., the parent company of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar®, IHOP® and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop® restaurants, plans key leadership moves, each effective on January 6, 2023. John Cywinski, Applebee’s president, is leaving the company
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Los Angeles — Blaze Pizza, the nation’s leading fast-casual franchise pizza brand, has appointed Beto Guajardo as its new president and chief executive officer. Guajardo formerly served as president of Focus Brands International. Guajardo joins Blaze Pizza after overseeing the
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Atlanta — Cinnaholic, a gourmet plant-based cinnamon roll brand, is rolling out of 2022 in the brand’s strongest position since its inception in 2010. Standing at 80 locations across the U.S and in Canada, with 23 new locations opened in
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Raleigh, N.C. — Golden Corral, America’s No. 1 buffet and grill, is officially marking its golden anniversary with 50 years in the restaurant industry on January 3, 2023. “I am honored to be leading a brand that has been providing
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West Palm Beach, Fla. — The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill®, a rapidly expanding Mediterranean fast-casual concept, is reporting 2022 as the most successful year in its company history, signing 24 franchise agreements and 16 multi-unit development agreements. The brand is
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San Francisco — SpotOn, the top-rated software and payments partner for restaurants and small businesses, has named Bryan Solar as its new chief product officer. Solar joins SpotOn from Block, where he was the general manager for Square for Restaurants.
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Atlanta — Gala Capital Partners (GCP), an investment firm focused on emerging restaurant franchise brands, has reached an agreement to purchase Rusty Taco from Atlanta-based Inspire Brands. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Rusty Taco leadership team
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Houston — In 2022, Daddy’s Chicken Shack opened a flagship restaurant in Houston Heights (Houston), as well as signed eight franchise agreements across California, Oregon, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Georgia and Florida. The brand now has 120 units in development nationwide.
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— By Al Subbloie — How one Arkansas-based IHOP operator received new equipment, lowered his energy bills and improved operations without out-out-pocket costs. Restaurants use anywhere from five to seven times more energy per square foot than other
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Skokie, Ill. — Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is underway on the redevelopment of the Westfield Old Orchard shopping mall in Skokie, Ill. Plans call for retail, apartments, restaurants, gourmet markets, health and wellness amenities and entertainment space. The project will also include a
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Los Angeles — World-renowned Latin American bistro and bar brand, Negroni, will open its first West Coast restaurant just in time to ring in the New Year in the Los Angeles neighborhood of West Hollywood/Beverly Grove. This expansion marks the brand’s
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Denver — Quick-service sandwich chain Quiznos has inked a new multi-unit development agreement with franchisee Sam Patel that will provide 10 new restaurants and exclusivity across Northern Georgia. The first location in this agreement is slated to open in early
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Houston — Salata, a leading built-to-order salad kitchen with 90 locations, has named Briton Smetzer as vice president of information technology. With a background in a variety of industries, including fast-casual restaurants, construction, ATM and technology services, Smetzer brings his
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Charlotte, N.C. — Clean Juice®, the nation’s first and only USDA-certified organic juice and food bar franchise, has hired Ashley Love to chief financial officer. Love is the first CFO for Clean Juice. In this newly created role, Love will
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