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The St. Regis San Francisco Appoints New Director of Restaurant Operations

by Katie Lee

San Francisco — The St. Regis San Francisco, the city’s premier address for luxury accommodations, gracious service and timeless elegance, has appointed Christopher Williams to the position of director of restaurant operations. A certified sommelier and accomplished restaurant industry veteran, Williams joins the property with over a decade of experience in the industry. Williams is a native of Georgia and began his career waiting tables at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Atlanta. By 2011 he took his first leadership position as captain at Atlanta’s Restaurant Eugene. Williams most recently worked at …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop to Expand Throughout Southeast with 50-Store Deal

by Katie Lee

Irving, Texas — Fuzzy’s Taco Shop has signed a 50-store agreement with Richard Maddox, which will include expansion into the South with new markets in Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee, and growth within Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, existing markets for the brand. Additionally, all 50 locations included in the agreement will be constructed to accommodate a drive-thru, a first for the brand. The Texas-based restaurant group is recognized for its Baja-style fare with nearly 150 franchise- and corporate-owned locations in 17 states. “As we look to add new Fuzzy’s …

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franchise developmentNewsrestaurantsretailers

Wetzel’s Pretzels Opens Inside 2 Walmart Locations

by Katie Lee

Bakersfield, Calif., and Henderson, Nev. — Wetzel’s Pretzels recently opened two new franchise locations in Bakersfield, Calif., and Henderson, Nev., within Walmart stores. The openings inside both Walmart stores exhibit the mutually beneficial relationship between the pair of dominant brands. “The success we’ve seen from our existing Walmart partnerships has been phenomenal, with our locations performing well beyond expectations,” says Jennifer Schuler, CEO of Pasadena, Calif.-based Wetzel’s Pretzels. “We look forward to continuing to expand our relationship with Walmart and provide yet another convenient way to ‘Bring Pretzels to the …

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After Historic Development Year, Twin Peaks Plans 20 New Locations in 2022

by Katie Lee

Los Angeles — FAT Brands Inc., parent company of Twin Peaks and 16 other restaurant concepts, has seen Twin Peaks navigate various recent hardships facing the restaurant industry and emerge stronger than before, consistently increasing sales and generating growth over the past 2 years. “Twin Peaks continues to be a leader across all metrics of the casual dining space,” says Joe Hummel, CEO of Twin Peaks. “Our team is relentless in the pursuit to make Twin Peaks a worldwide brand, and we’re so happy about the huge steps we took …

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Juice It Up! Enjoys Best Year in Brand History in 2021

by Katie Lee

Newport Beach, Calif. — Juice It Up!, a leading handcrafted smoothie, superfruit bowl and raw juice chain, reported record sales in 2021, with same store sales (SSS) up 26.3% over 2020. Total system sales (TSS) also climbed to a record level last year, increasing 29.2% over 2020 and surpassing $41 million — a new all-time high for the 26-year-old chain. “2021 was an extraordinary year for Juice It Up! as more and more consumers continued to make important lifestyle choices fueled by their health and wellness goals; and we’re extremely …

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Happy Joe’s Prepares for 50th Anniversary After Booming Development Year

by Katie Lee

Bettendorf, Iowa — After closing out one of its strongest development years to date in 2021, Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream is getting ready to make its 50th anniversary year its most successful year in brand history. The 46-unit pizza chain kicked off 2021 with 30-year industry veteran Tom Sacco as its new CEO, president and chief happiness officer. Under his direction, Happy Joe’s has driven aggressive expansion efforts across the globe. Throughout the year, Happy Joe’s signed 28 new franchise deals — resulting in an over 60% increase …

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Industry Voicesrestaurants

Passion Driven By Purpose

by Katie Lee

— By James King —   How one Mid-Atlantic restaurant group is navigating supply chain, inflation, COVID and staffing challenges.     Losing a generation of crab pickers, hurricanes in South America, and a COVID outbreak shutting down a plant in Mexico… You would think, how do some of these events affect my five restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic region? Like so many other businesses trying to stay afloat during these times, supply chain, inflation, COVID and staffing challenges affect the day-to-day operations, which can come with the possibility of compromising …

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European Poke Concept Invests in Sweetfin to Fuel U.S. Growth

by Katie Lee

Santa Monica, Calif. — A rapidly growing international fast-casual concept, Poke House, has invested in Sweetfin, a leader of the poke bowl and plant-based bowl category in the United States. The partnership plans to bring 80 additional openings to Europe and the U.S. in 2022. With its investment in Sweetfin, Poke House becomes the largest investor of the chef-driven, California-inspired poke concept. The European foodtech company already boasts more than 75 restaurants in Italy, France, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. The partnership brings the group’s location total to 90. …

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Mongolian Concepts Promotes VP of Operations and Training

by Katie Lee

Irving, Texas — Mongolian Concepts, the powerhouse management group behind three renowned create-your-own bowl brands — Genghis Grill, FlatTop Grill and bd’s Mongolian Grill — has promoted industry vet Lori Cominsky to vice president of operations and training. She’ll play a pivotal role in the continued success and growth of the Mongolian Concepts brands. “We are thrilled about the new leadership team we’re putting together, and what this means for Mongolian Concepts,” says Gregg Majewski, CEO of Mongolian Concepts. “2022 is going to be a great year for us as …

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Wienerschnitzel Franchise Inks 20-Unit Development Deal to Enter Arkansas

by Katie Lee

Irvine, Calif. — Wienerschnitzel, the world’s largest hot dog franchise, has signed an exclusive development agreement with Tejas Dogs, LLC, to build 20 new Wienerschnitzel restaurants throughout Arkansas over the next 12 years. The Tejas Dogs agreement follows a separate 20-unit announcement by the brand in 2020 to develop throughout Louisiana and paves the way for Wienerschnitzel to further expand its iconic quick-service footprint throughout Southern and Midwestern states. There are already plans to begin building three stores in northwest Arkansas to jumpstart the development schedule. “With personal roots in …

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