restaurants

Itasca, Ill. — Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, a dine-in cinema with movies, beer, food and events, has partnered with Fellowes and its air purifiers with patented technology. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alamo asked Fellowes to assess its facilities in an effort to keep guests and staff in a clean and healthy environment they can trust and feel safe in. “Before we put AeraMax Pros in there, I was getting calls left and right about odor issues — but since then I haven’t had any of those same complaints,” says …

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Austin, Texas — Freebirds World Burrito is unveiling new interior and exterior design elements at all locations. The design refresh has begun across all major markets with the remaining locations rolling out this summer. Inside Freebirds, updated murals and colors are inspired by the brand’s deep-rooted Texas pride and heritage. Guests are greeted by a large “It’s Your World” sign against a blue sky with fluffy white clouds, representing the infinite possibilities and free spirit that is Texas. The phrase was originally created by a Freebirds Tribe member to greet …

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San Diego — QDOBA Mexican Eats, the largest franchise opportunity in the fast-casual Mexican segment, has hired franchising veteran Shawn Caric as vice president of franchise development. In his new role, Caric will be directing the 740-unit brand’s strategic franchise expansion across key markets in the United States and Canada. Caric most recently served as the director of development for the Midwest region at Dunkin Brands, leading real estate signings and site approval for 11 states. Over the years, Caric has developed a strong record for successfully leading dynamic teams …

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Pittsburgh — Evergreen Grease Service, Inc. has installed The Vector System in two of its semi-trucks, reducing carbon emissions from these trucks to near-zero, with plans to convert the whole fleet by 2022. This move is a major step towards Evergreen’s goal of reducing carbon emissions. Evergreen specializes in the collection of cooking oil, grease and waste fats from the commercial cooking and restaurant industry, and its partners process these waste products into biodiesel, a low-carbon alternative to traditional diesel. The Vector System, designed by Optimus Technologies, is a bolt-on …

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Brooklyn, N.Y. — Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, the nationally recognized brand known for its made-from-scratch dairy and vegan ice creams, has opened its first-ever Texas store in Houston’s luxury shopping center, Rice Village. As the first of three Houston openings slated for summer 2021, Van Leeuwen Rice Village opened on May 8. Since starting as an New York City food truck in 2008, Van Leeuwen has expanded into grocery stores across the country and opened retail shops in New York, Los Angeles and now Texas. Van Leeuwen offers more than …

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Austin, Texas — Tiff’s Treats, the Austin, Texas-based brand that pioneered the warm cookie delivery concept, will open its first Oklahoma store on May 15, 2021. It will be located in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown district. Tiff’s Treats is known for fast, contactless cookie delivery with a menu of 11 classic cookie flavors, periodic flavor-of-the-week options and decadent brownies, baked to order and delivered warm with cold milk and ice cream pairing options. In 1999, Tiffany Taylor accidentally stood up Leon Chen for a date. As an apology, she baked and …

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— By Chris Birkinshaw — Limited-service concepts, high-quality food options take pole position for QSR buildouts.   The COVID-19 global pandemic changed the landscape of many businesses. As we move forward with vaccines and a stronger understanding of how the virus spreads, businesses are more confident in reopening. Some are returning to pre-COVID operations, while others have taken on a complete redesign of operations to survive. For the restaurant industry, re-examining all operational processes and costs is taking place at a rapid, reactive rate. For many, this includes re-examining the …

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Atlanta — Nearly 40 years ago, On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina was born, and it has since grown into the world’s largest Mexican casual dining brand. Now, On The Border is taking it back to the 1980s with the debut of its new prototype that pays homage to the brand’s first design and renowned experience. On The Border North Point, located in Alpharetta, reopened as the brand’s first restaurant to feature the all-new prototype. Featuring a palette of white adobe and rustic colors, longtime guests will immediately recognize …

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Boston — Toast, the cloud-based, end-to-end technology platform purpose-built for the entire restaurant community, has appointed Elena Gomez as chief financial officer, effective immediately. As CFO, Gomez will lead Toast’s finance organization and will be responsible for accounting, treasury, financial planning and analysis, and business operations. “I am thrilled to welcome Elena to our executive team,” says Chris Comparato, CEO of Toast. “She is a proven business leader and financial executive with more than two decades of experience leading the financial operations of businesses sitting at the intersection of technology, …

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Los Angeles — The Hummus & Pita Co., one of the fastest-growing Mediterranean concepts in the U.S., plans a flagship location for all of California with a grand opening slated for late June in Los Angeles. Located in North Hollywood’s NOHO West Shopping Center, the new locations kicks off a five-unit franchise deal signed with well-known Southern California multi-concept operator, Dan Markel. Markel has already identified his second California location in Toluca Lake, a celebrity enclave in Los Angeles. Other potential locations are currently being scouted in Studio City, Burbank, …

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