restaurants

Louisville, Ky. — Papa John’s International, Inc. and its board of directors have appointed Todd Penegor as president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. He has also joined the board. Penegor, who joins Papa Johns from Wendy’s, succeeds Ravi Thanawala, who has served as interim CEO since March 2024 and will continue in his role as chief financial officer. Penegor was most recently president and chief executive officer of The Wendy’s Company. He is a proven leader with 20 years of experience in the restaurant and consumer goods industries. During …

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Newport Beach, Calif. — Juice It Up!, a leading handcrafted smoothie, raw juice and açaí and superfruit bowl chain, has opened three new locations in the first half of the year, debuting in Long Beach, Bakersfield and Reedley, Calif., with another nine locations on track to open this year. With 30+ locations in the development pipeline, Juice It Up! is set to reach its 100-location milestone by the end of 2024, setting the brand on pace to surpass its 200-unit goal by 2028. “We are extremely happy to close the …

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Denver — Good Times Burgers and Frozen Custard is debuting a new, modernized prototype for all of its units, with the goal of completing the systemwide redesign over the next 2 years. So far, five Good Times units have been updated, one is in progress and 10 are slated to undergo remodels in 2025. All locations are expected to be completed by 2026. The popular Colorado brand — born in Boulder 37 years ago — aims to preserve its heritage of fast drive-thru burgers and frozen custard while modernizing the …

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Reno, Nev. — Melting Pot, the 92-unit fondue franchise that has built a brand around providing a one-of-a-kind experiential dining atmosphere, has signed a franchise agreement in Reno, Nev. — returning to Reno 20 years after the last location closed. It also marks Melting Pot’s re-entry into the state of Nevada. “It was in the early 2000s when Melting Pot left Nevada,” says franchisee Bruce Witmer. “We had previously had family dinners there and really enjoyed it. Since it closed, we would go to Sacramento to eat at Melting Pot. …

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Phoenix — GoTo Foods, the parent company of Auntie Anne’s®, Carvel®, Cinnabon®, Jamba®, McAlister’s Deli®, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Schlotzsky’s®, has expanded Moe’s Southwest Grill into Arizona with a five-unit franchise agreement that will bring locations to the greater Phoenix area. Behind the deal are serial entrepreneurs and father-son team, Tony and Namit Mangat. “As proud Arizona residents, my son and I are excited for the opportunity to be the first to bring Moe’s Southwest Grill to the state,” says Tony Mangat. “We’ve wanted to make the jump into the …

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New Hartford, N.Y. — Yumpingo®, a leader in customer experience services for restaurants, has forged a partnership with ParTech, Inc. and PAR’s leading loyalty solution, PAR Punchh®. Together, they aim to transform customer experiences, enhance loyalty and drive growth through innovative platform integration. By combining Punchh’s loyalty solutions with Yumpingo’s customer experience management, restaurant brands gain powerful tools to engage guests and deliver exceptional service. “By merging our loyalty solutions with Yumpingo’s real-time guest feedback, we empower brands to deliver deeply personalized and impactful experiences that not only enhance customer …

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Spartanburg, S.C. — Denny’s Inc. has appointed two new executive leaders: Monigo G. Saygbay-Hallie, Ph.D. joins as executive vice president, chief people officer for Denny’s Corporation, effective August 5, and Patty Trevino joins as Denny’s senior vice president, chief brand officer, effective August 12.  Saygbay-Hallie will lead people initiatives across Denny’s and Keke’s Breakfast Café. She brings more than 20 years of restaurant and retail experience in leading teams and developing talent. She most recently served as chief people officer at Checkers & Rally’s Drive-In restaurants. Before Checkers, she served …

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— By Jeff Kiesel — Serving up fresh, automated oil solutions to replace stale, deep-fried thinking. Oil management has historically been a struggle for restaurants and commercial kitchens. While oil plays a crucial role in food preparation, traditional oil handling can result in unsafe and dirty kitchens, frustrated staff, lower food quality and unnecessary waste. Now, new automated cooking oil management tools are allowing restaurants to embrace digital transformation and provide improved control of kitchen chaos. For those who get JIBs (joint interest billing) of oil delivered and grease removal …

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Boise, Idaho — Marco’s Pizza, one of the nation’s fastest-growing pizza brands, recently debuted its new store design near Boise in Meridian, Idaho. The new look features aesthetic updates in addition to operational enhancements. The prototype is set to fuel the brand’s continued nationwide growth and performance, while enhancing the guest experience. The Meridian corporate-owned store opened on July 23, 2024. Earlier this year, Marco’s announced its development plan to bring four new locations to the Boise market, using it as a test bed for forward-thinking innovations. Updates include: • …

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Cousins Maine Lobster Food Truck

South Portland, Maine — South Portland-based lobster roll concept Cousins Maine Lobster has announced plans for a multi-state food truck tour throughout the Midwest to introduce the brand to new markets. Franchisee Chris Papp — whose portfolio includes two restaurants and four food trucks — will lead the tour. Scheduled for Aug. 7-16, the tour will stop at breweries and festivals in South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. 

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