— By Jon McClure — Responsible, creative financing supporting QSRs — how to find success in a challenging economy. How is it that with high inflation and high costs of borrowing, many QSRs owners continue to manage successful
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San Francisco — Bay-Area based micro food hall, Local Kitchens, has recently appointed Jay Gentile as the concept’s new head of operations. He will be responsible for overseeing kitchen operations with a particular focus on the optimization of supply chains
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Las Vegas — Las Vegas-based entrepreneur Dina Mitchell has revised her timeline to launch PowerSoul Cafe™, the world’s first certified gluten-free fast-food restaurant chain. The new brand’s flagship location along with two new additional sites in the Las Vegas valley
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Indianapolis — Twin Peaks Restaurant celebrated its 100th lodge opening on June 2 in the Indianapolis suburb of Greenwood, Ind. From the time Twin Peaks CEO Joe Hummel opened his first lodge in the Atlanta area as a franchisee, it
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Montréal — Lightspeed Commerce Inc., a one-stop commerce platform for merchants and restaurateurs around the world, has released the latest version of its powerful restaurant solution: the Next Generation of Lightspeed Restaurant. This update, now available in the United States,
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Plano, Texas — MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, a 90-plus-unit better burger franchise, has spent the first quarter opening three new locations and planning for an additional 13 openings for the rest of the year. MOOYAH is expanding in St.
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St. Louis — On May 31, Panera launched Drive-Thru Pick-Up nationwide, combining the ease of the digital ordering experience with the comfort and convenience of the drive-thru window. Guests can now choose the Drive-Thru Pick-Up option when ordering ahead on
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— By George Lessmeister — 3 areas of margin pressure on restaurants. Operating a restaurant can feel like a roller coaster ride. Revenue and volume plummeted during the pandemic and then climbed back to pre-COVID levels in 2022. Rising
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New York City — CRISP & GREEN is set to open in New York City on June 1. Debuting in the popular NoMad neighborhood, this location also marks the company’s entry into its 10th state, with 10 additional states scheduled
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Wasilla, Alaska — Jersey Mike’s Subs has achieved a major milestone with the opening of its first restaurant in Alaska. The sub chain now offers its fresh sliced/fresh grilled sub sandwiches in all 50 states. “We now have more than
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St. Louis — Panera Brands Inc., which includes the fast-casual and hospitality brand Panera Bread as well as Einstein Bros. Bagels and Caribou Coffee, has established its next generation of CEO leadership and board governance in preparation for its eventual
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Dallas — Bonchon, a global leader in fast-casual Asian fusion dining known for its Korean double-fried chicken, has appointed former global CFO Bryan Shin to lead Bonchon U.S. as CEO. Shin joined Bonchon as head of global finance in 2019
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— By Bart Waldeck — Retailers will need to embrace creative innovations in order to thrive in 2023 and beyond. The retail landscape doesn’t look like it used to anymore — from buy online, pickup in store (BOPIS)
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Minneapolis — Macy’s is expanding its restaurant portfolio with the opening of The Social Kitchen & Libations at Macy’s Ridgedale in Minnetonka, Minn. Its modern vibe and open kitchen concept connect traditions to trends, with a menu that pays tribute
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Miami — Vicky Bakery, South Florida’s original family-owned Cuban bakery since 1972, has named Mauricio Romero as its new chief executive officer. This announcement comes as Vicky Bakery is experiencing record-setting growth, continuous double-digit revenue gains, the opening of multiple
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Dallas — Ray Blanchette, chief executive officer of TGI Fridays, is stepping down. Rohit Manocha, chairman of the board and co-founder of TriArtisan Capital Advisors, will be assuming Blanchette’s responsibilities in the interim. The TGI Fridays executive team will report
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Nashville, Tenn. — On May 22, Island Fin Poké Co. will open its 26th location in the U.S. and second location in Tennessee, in Nashville. Offering Hawaiian-style poké bowls, this fast-casual restaurant is set to become a go-to spot for
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Los Angeles — FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc. has elevated Jenn Johnston to the role of chief marketing officer. Since the acquisition of Global Franchise Group in July 2021, Johnston has held the role of president of the quick-service
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Pasadena, Calif. — Wetzel’s Pretzels has appointed Vincent Montanelli to the company’s top leadership position. Montanelli joined Wetzel’s nearly 20 years ago as the senior vice president of operations and most recently held the post of COO. He will maintain
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Houston — Shipley Do-Nuts, a fast-growing franchisor of a leading do-nut, kolache and coffee concept, has named Flynn Dekker as its new CEO. Dekker succeeds Clifton Rutledge, who will return to the company’s board of directors. Dekker most recently served
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Los Angeles — Milk Jar Cookies, a growing gourmet cookie shop born in Los Angeles, has launched its franchising program in 39 states across the country. “The Milk Jar Cookies brand has waited 10 years to prove the concept, maintaining
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Los Angeles — sweetgreen has opened its first restaurant powered by automation, accelerating the industry’s adoption of advanced technology and taking steps toward the future of dining. The pilot store, located in Naperville, Ill., debuts new technology called the sweetgreen
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Lexington, Ky. — A&W Restaurants, the All-American restaurant franchise with 500-plus units nationwide, has had fast start to the year with three new restaurants opened, all indicative of the brand’s real estate flexibility and willingness to embrace non-traditional spaces. With
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Atlanta, Ga. — To invest in the future of Your Pie and offer greater support to its franchise owners, the nation’s original fast-casual pizza brand has appointed several new hires to its corporate team. Most notably, Your Pie has added
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Nashville, Tenn. — Captain D’s has hired Steve Bailey as director of franchise development. Bailey has more than 20 years of experience in franchise sales and development with multiple restaurant service brands, most recently with Fazoli’s. Focusing on territories east
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Atlanta — PizzaForno, North America’s first automated pizzeria that bakes artisan pizza in less than 3 minutes, 24 hours a day, is officially expanding into Georgia. The first of three new locations will open on May 6 in Atlanta’s Buckhead
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San Carlos, Calif. — Presto Automation Inc., one of the largest drive-thru automation technology providers in the hospitality industry, has expanded its partnership with CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. Presto will be rolling
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