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Great American Cookies Opens First Converted Brand Location in Las Vegas

by Katie Lee

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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franchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Slim Chickens Adds Several Locations to South Dakota and Iowa

by Katie Lee

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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Industry Voicesrestaurantssoftware/technology

Need a Boost?

by Katie Lee

— 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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construction and designNewsrestaurants

Bloomin’ Brands Selects api(+) for Fleming’s Flagship

by Katie Lee

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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franchise developmentNewspeoplerestaurants

Church’s Texas Chicken Taps Industry Veteran for EVP of International Business

by Katie Lee

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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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Au Bon Pain Reveals New Bakery-Cafe Design

by Katie Lee

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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Starbucks Names Next Chief Executive Officer

by Katie Lee

Seattle — Starbucks has selected Laxman Narasimhan as its next chief executive officer and a member of the Starbucks board of directors. Narasimhan will join Starbucks as incoming CEO on October 1, 2022 after relocating from London to the Seattle area and will work closely with Howard Schultz, interim CEO, before assuming the CEO role and joining the board on April 1, 2023. Narasimhan brings nearly 30 years of experience leading and advising global consumer-facing brands. Known for his considerable operational expertise, he has a proven track record in developing …

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Mo’ Bettahs Promotes President to CEO

by Katie Lee

Salt Lake City — Mo’ Bettahs Hawaiian Style Restaurant has promoted its president, Robert Ertmann, to chief executive officer. He has served as president of the brand since 2021. Mo’ Bettahs will look to his guidance and leadership as the brand continues its nationwide expansion, including its entrance into three new markets over the next few months. “Savory has watched Rob carefully over the past year, and we have concluded that there is no one better suited for the growth and scale of our beloved Mo’ Bettahs brand,” says Andrew …

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construction and designNewsrestaurantssoftware/technologyvendors

Panera Tests New AI Ordering Technology for Drive-Thru Lanes

by Katie Lee

St. Louis — On Aug. 29, 2022, Panera Bread began testing AI technology in drive-thru lanes with an aim to improve and enhance the guest experience. With support from OpenCity, select Panera bakery-cafes in the greater Rochester, N.Y., area have implemented OpenCity’s proprietary voice AI ordering technology, called “Tori,” for drive-thru orders, with the goal of maximizing efficiency and increasing speed of orders. Guests at Panera Bread cafes in Greece, N.Y., and Webster, N.Y., are the first Panera locations to experience this drive-thru innovation. Tori is installed at these select …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

REGO Restaurant Group Partners with BCubed Manufacturing

by Katie Lee

Denver — As part of its brands’ continued transformations, REGO Restaurant Group — parent company of fast-casual sandwich chain Quiznos and regional Mexican chain Taco Del Mar, among other brands — has inked a strategic partnership and development deal with BCubed Manufacturing LLC, a Michigan-based manufacturing company that makes high-quality, fully outfitted freestanding drive-thru restaurants. With approximately 650-square-foot layouts designed for flexibility and efficiency, BCubed restaurants include both drive-thru and walk-up windows. Designed to fit on parcels of land that are too small for traditional restaurant development, BCubed restaurants contribute …

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