Louisville, Ky. — Papa John’s International, Inc. plans to open a new global headquarters in metropolitan Atlanta, where menu innovation; marketing; customer experience; HR; diversity, equity and inclusion; communications; and development functions will be located. IT, supply chain and legal teams will remain in the Louisville, Ky., headquarters. Papa John’s also maintains a headquarters office outside of London where its international operations are managed. The opening of the new Atlanta location and related organizational changes are expected to be completed by summer 2021 and do not affect Papa John’s company-owned …
restaurants
Cheyenne, Wyo. — Taco John’s International Inc., a leading quick-service Mexican franchise, announced that same-store sales are up at the brand for the third month in a row. From May through August, comp sales were up by an average of 6.85% each month. “The way our system has been able to maneuver and grow through this pandemic is incredible and speaks to the recession-resistant nature of our franchise model,” says Brooks Speirs, vice president for franchise development at the legacy brand. Taco John’s has celebrated nearly half a dozen openings …
Irvine, Calif. — Juice It Up!, one of the nation’s leading handcrafted smoothie, açaí bowl and raw juice chains, has appointed Carlo Verdugo as director of operations and business development. An industry veteran with nearly two decades of franchise experience, Verdugo has served in various leadership roles for national chains including Jack in the Box and nearly a decade with Jamba, where he served as the senior director of global growth. As Juice It Up!’s director of operations and business development, Verdugo will lead a variety of initiatives supporting Juice …
Lake Forest, Calif. — Del Taco Restaurants, Inc., the nation’s second-largest Mexican quick-service restaurant*, has appointed Erin Levzow to the new position of vice president, marketing technology. Levzow brings a wide breadth of experience in marketing, marketing technology, mobile apps and ordering technology, as well as building loyalty and rewards programs, across multiple industries. “As the technology space becomes more critical for customer engagement every year, we continue to plan and execute against building competitive and innovative systems for our brand,” says Tim Hackbardt, chief marketing officer of Del Taco. …
Milwaukee — Seattle-style teriyaki restaurant Teriyaki Madness is planning its first foray into Wisconsin, with five new locations set to open by the end of 2020, plus a sixth in Illinois. The first shop will open at 920 S. Moorland Rd. in Brookfield in mid-September, with additional shops set to open in Hales Corners, Wauwatosa, Germantown and Pewaukee, Wis., and another to open across the Illinois border in Rolling Meadows later this year. Milwaukee-based FirstPathway Partners is responsible for bringing the restaurants to the area, which will be operated through …
Atlanta — A new food hall is coming to Colony Square, the 50-year-old mixed-use destination undergoing a massive $400 million transformation at the corner of 14th and Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta. The food hall will open this spring and is being carefully crafted to align with the way people want to dine post-pandemic. Politan Group will operate the food hall known as Politan Row at Colony Square, according to project developer North American Properties (NAP). The founder and CEO of Politan Group, Will Donaldson, launched the company in 2014 …
Louisville, Ky. — Papa John’s International, Inc. has signed its largest traditional store development agreement in North America in over 20 years, accelerating growth of the Papa John’s brand in the Philadelphia area. Under the agreement, HB Restaurant Group, which currently owns 43 restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic area and has been a Papa John’s franchisee since April 2019, is to open 49 new stores in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey between 2021 and 2028. “Papa John’s has long offered franchise investors one of the fastest paybacks in our industry. Recent …
Auburn, Ala. — Chicken Salad Chick, a Southern-inspired, fast-casual chicken salad restaurant concept, will be expanding in North Carolina with its newest restaurant in Cary. Marking the brand’s first restaurant in the greater Raleigh area and first in the Triangle region, the Cary opening comes just a month after the recent opening in High Point and highlights Chicken Salad Chick’s continued development in North Carolina. The Cary restaurant will celebrate its grand opening on September 22. Chicken Salad Chick is closely following North Carolina’s state and local guidelines for COVID-19 …
Chicago — Top Chef winner and former executive chef of Michelin-starred Spiaggia and Café Spiaggia Joe Flamm will open his debut restaurant in Chicago’s Fulton Market District in early 2021. The highly anticipated restaurant will be named Rose Mary. “Rose Mary is the culmination of everything I have done with my career,” says Flamm. “But more importantly, it’s the culmination of my personal journey thus far. It’s a marriage of who I am, what I’ve learned, and the person I’ve built a life and a family with.” Rosemary, known as …
Lexington, Ky. — Sales at franchised A&W restaurants soared 12% in July, the third straight month of double-digit same-store sales growth. July’s success follows a 15% jump in May and 16% in June. In addition to a rebound in traffic, overall system sales are being bolstered by the strong openings of five restaurants this year. Since franchisees acquired the company from YUM! Brands in 2011, average unit sales have increased by 38%. “Several factors explain why A&W is doing so well,” says CEO Kevin Bazner. “First is the brand itself. …