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A Small, Simple Solution

by Katie Lee

— By Koji Kanematsu — Why landlords are turning to light-infrastructure food concepts to fill retail dead zones. Landlords and shopping center owners are facing a familiar problem. Many retail properties have space that gets foot traffic but doesn’t work for a traditional restaurant. Old kiosks, narrow inline units, corridors and spaces that cannot support full restaurant infrastructure are hard to lease. Too often, they sit empty. At the same time, many food operators want to expand but can’t justify the cost, time or risk of a full restaurant buildout. …

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Bagels & Co. Names CEO Promotion and CFO Addition

by Katie Lee

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — Bagels & Co. has added to its leadership team (CEO and CFO) as the brand continues to expand in Florida and Pennsylvania with plans to also open in Ohio, Arizona, Georgia and Alabama. Kevin Armantrout, who joined Bagels & Co. in 2025 as chief operating officer, has been promoted to chief executive officer, succeeding Bagels & Co. co-founder and board member Mike Marsh. Armantrout previously served as president and COO of Another Broken Egg Café and franchise president & corporate vice president of operations for Ruth’s …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsremodelsrestaurants

Smoothie King Embarks on New Brand Evolution Plan

by Katie Lee

Dallas — Smoothie King is marking the beginning of the next chapter in its 53-year history by introducing a new brand evolution plan. The new plan is designed to build on its continued momentum, reinforce category leadership and accelerate long term growth. It includes more than 200 new store commitments, over 1,500 available trade areas in its development pipeline and a newly expanded food menu. The new brand evolution also introduces a transformed in-store experience, rolling out over the coming year. In 1973, Smoothie King introduced a new category to …

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Nothing Bundt Cakes® Opens 800th Bakery

by Katie Lee

Dallas — Nothing Bundt Cakes reached a major milestone as it opened the doors to its 800th bakery on April 15. The 800th bakery opened at 2660 Oswell St. in East Bakersfield, Calif., and will be operated by owners Chiral and Dixit Desai, who also own multiple bakeries within the state. “This achievement reflects the work and passion of our bakery owners and teams, along with the fans who make us part of their everyday celebrations,” says Dolf Berle, CEO of Nothing Bundt Cakes. “At this stage of growth, what …

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construction and designCover Storyfacilities managementfranchise developmentFrom The Magazinekitchen equipmentremodelsrestaurantssoftware/technology

A Scalable Refresh

by Katie Lee

— By Katie Lee — 2026 marks the full rollout of Gong cha 2.0, a comprehensive modernization of technology, operations and store design for the bubble tea leader. Gong cha is the world’s leading bubble tea brand with nearly 2,200 locations in 33 markets globally, including more than 240 stores in the U.S. across 23 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. But it still has plenty of room to grow — both in number of locations and in brand recognition — in the United States. With a solid foundation undergirding …

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Dave’s Hot Chicken Opens Record 8 Restaurants in a Single Day

by Katie Lee

Pasadena, Calif. — Dave’s Hot Chicken continues its rapid growth in 2026 with the opening of 8 new restaurants on April 16, expanding its footprint to more than 400 locations worldwide. The milestone highlights the brand’s disciplined approach to expansion and its ability to execute at scale while maintaining a consistent guest experience. The fast-casual concept, which originated in Los Angeles, is bringing its Nashville-style hot chicken to a diverse set of markets nationwide, including Fairlawn, Ohio; Oneonta, N.Y.; Edina, Minn.; Gastonia, N.C.; Arlington Heights, Ill.; Miami; Saratoga, Utah; and …

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Presto Co-Founder Returns as CEO

by Katie Lee

San Mateo, Calif. — Presto Phoenix, Inc., a leader in enterprise-grade Voice AI for quick-service restaurants (QSRs), has welcomed back Presto’s co-founder, Krishna Gupta, as chief executive officer. Gupta, a co-founder and longtime strategic leader at Presto, stepped back into the CEO role as the company accelerates deployment of its drive-thru Voice AI platform across major national restaurant brands. Presto will be showcasing this expertise at its Restaurant Leadership Conference (RLC) panel, “Deploying Voice AI at America’s Iconic Brands,” on April 20 in Phoenix. “Presto is entering its defining chapter, …

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Mo’ Bettahs to Expand Into 3 New Markets

by Katie Lee

Salt Lake City — Mo’ Bettahs plans to enter three new markets — Phoenix, Indianapolis and Minneapolis — as the Hawaiian-style fast-casual brand accelerates its national expansion. Additionally, the company reported positive same-store sales growth for the 18th consecutive year, marking nearly two decades of sustained momentum. Mo’ Bettahs has nearly 80 restaurants nationwide. “Eighteen consecutive years of same-store sales growth is rare in this industry, and it doesn’t happen by accident,” says Rob Ertmann, CEO of Mo’ Bettahs. “It reflects disciplined execution, the quality and authenticity of our menu, …

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Church’s Texas Chicken® and Texas Chicken™ Enter China with 600-Restaurant Agreement

by Katie Lee

Atlanta — Church’s Texas Chicken® and Texas Chicken™, one of the largest quick-service chicken restaurant brands in the world, plans to enter China, marking a major milestone in the company’s global growth and its 27th international market. The brand’s first restaurant in China is slated to open in Shanghai this summer, with additional locations — at least 600 — to follow. Texas Chicken has partnered with Deke Shengtang, a leading local operator with multiple QSR brands, signing a franchise agreement to develop 600 or more restaurants across China over the …

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Toast Launches Unified Drive-Thru Solution to Modernize Enterprise QSR Operations

by Katie Lee

Boston — Toast, a digital technology platform built for hospitality, has launched Toast Drive-Thru, an enterprise-grade solution designed to help modern quick-service restaurants (QSR) increase throughput and order accuracy at scale while optimizing labor efficiency through a single, unified platform. There are just over 140,000 total drive-thru locations across the entire U.S. restaurant industry, according to 2026 data from Technomic Ignite. These operators must deliver fast, error-free guest service while facing increased pressure on labor efficiency. The growth of AI voice ordering solutions in drive-thru has left many brands struggling …

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