restaurants

Minneapolis — International Dairy Queen Inc. (IDQ) has hired Nicolas Boudet as chief operating officer, international. Boudet will lead the international business, including operations, franchise development, supply chain and marketing in more than 20 countries outside of the U.S. and Canada. He brings more than 20 years of business leadership experience at well-known, globally recognized hospitality and quick-service restaurant brands. Boudet most recently served as senior vice president global development and president of international at Wingstop Restaurants, Inc. Before joining Wingstop in 2018, he was executive vice president and group …

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— By Michael Hess —   5 tips for successful waste management in the retail and restaurant industries.     Owning a restaurant or retail location comes with a great deal of responsibility — including waste disposal. Regardless of business size or location, waste management is essential to day-to-day operations. In recent years, waste and diversion have become top concerns of business owners and retailers, especially when associated with revenue loss. According to a study conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), restaurants produced 17.1 million tons of wasted …

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Seattle — At Starbucks’ recent biennial Investor Day in Seattle, interim CEO Howard Schultz, CFO Rachel Ruggeri and other Starbucks leaders showcased the company’s Reinvention plan, which aims to invest in partners, customers and stores. The plan is expected to accelerate the company’s long term growth, progressively expand operating margin and drive high-teens non-GAAP EPS growth annually through fiscal 2025. “As we execute on our Reinvention plan, we are building on our 51-year history of market leading innovation to position our business and our brand for the next chapter of …

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Anaheim Hills, Calif. — WaBa Grill is growing its footprint throughout Northern California with a new development deal that will bring 20 more restaurants from Fresno to Sacramento. The 20-store development deal was signed by longtime WaBa Grill franchisees Gurpreet and Navreet Boparai, who currently own and operate three WaBa Grill locations in Ventura County. The Boparais now will develop the brand in 16 California counties, some being first-time markets. “One of our primary development goals has always been the expansion of WaBa Grill throughout the West with strong and …

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Los Angeles — FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc., parent company of Great American Cookies and 16 other restaurant concepts, has opened the first converted Great American Cookies from Nestlé® Toll House® Café by Chip® in Las Vegas. The opening follows the May 2022 announcement of FAT Brands’ acquisition of the franchised chain of stores. Two additional converted stores are also set to open in Las Vegas by the end of 2022, furthering Great American Cookies’ presence in the city. “Over the last several months, we have been working with …

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Sioux Falls, S.D. — Slim Chickens, a leading fast-casual franchise in the better-chicken segment, is expanding its presence throughout eastern South Dakota and northwest Iowa. Existing franchisee Todd Porter of TNT Chicken is spearheading this expansion. Porter is well-versed in the restaurant industry. In late 2017, he added Slim Chickens to his portfolio alongside several restaurant concepts, including local staples Chevys Fresh Mex and Johnny Carino’s. Porter also has experience in the full-service restaurant sector, as he owned and operated multiple Applebee’s locations throughout South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska. His …

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— By John Moody —   Insights for boosting profit margin with technology.     According to the USDA, the level of food price inflation for restaurant food purchases rose 7.4% from May 2021 to May 2022. While some operators are forced to increase menu prices to accommodate this remarkable spike in food costs, others are trying desperately to find other ways to remain profitable without passing the additional burden on to their customers. There are three primary controls that restaurant operators need to pay careful attention to when trying …

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Tampa, Fla. — api(+) is providing branding, design and architecture services for a new Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar flagship, a freestanding, 300-seat fine dining concept to be located near Bloomin’ Brands’ headquarters in Tampa, Fla. api(+) was selected for its creative expertise in creating flagship and prototype concepts in the foodservice and food retail industries, and for its understanding of the Tampa Bay marketplace. The flagship is slated to open in summer 2023. Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. is one of the largest casual dining restaurant companies whose four founder-inspired …

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Atlanta — Church’s Texas Chicken® has hired QSR industry leader Tim Waddell to take on the role of executive vice president of international business, effective September 6. Waddell brings extensive experience in the areas of global development, sales, marketing, operations and P&L management that will support the brand in its continued growth. “Tim’s expertise globally and within his category will help us propel our growth internationally. Tim is an accomplished, high-impact business leader with over 20 years of proven international development experience and has an outstanding reputation as someone who …

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Dallas — Au Bon Pain, the bakery-cafe brand known for its gourmet convenience, has revealed a bold new store design. Planned to roll out companywide in 2023, the new design continues Au Bon Pain’s forward momentum started in July 2021, when franchisee Ampex Brands acquired the brand and its CEO Tabbassum Mumtaz pledged “to lead the bakery-cafe segment into the future.” The new design builds on customers’ new reality, where convenience and off-premise reign, without straying from Au Bon Pain’s roots as a French bakery serving freshly made, high-quality and …

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