Atlanta — Edible®, a leading gift and treat destination, is reflecting on a record-breaking 6 months. A resilient and essential business, the brand has signed a total of 37 new franchise agreements since January. Now, with a larger franchise development team in place, Edible is aiming for its next ambitious growth goal: to sign 80 to 100 new franchise agreements in the U.S. and to find new franchisees for five international countries between now and the end of the year. “We have an entrepreneurial and experienced management team in place …
restaurants
Auburn, Ala. — Chicken Salad Chick, a Southern-inspired, fast-casual chicken salad restaurant concept, has promoted five existing brand leaders amid the company’s ongoing growth and success. The brand has promoted three executives to its C-suite, including Jim Thompson as chief operating officer, Terry McKee as chief development officer and Tom Carr as chief marketing officer. Additionally, the company has appointed Mary Lou Atkins as vice president of human resources and Carrie Evans as vice president of franchise development. Chicken Salad Chick has grown exponentially in recent years, more than quadrupling …
Los Angeles — FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc. has agreed to acquire the Johnny Rockets restaurant chain from an affiliate of private equity firm Sun Capital Partners, Inc. for approximately $25 million. The deal will be funded through cash on hand and proceeds generated from the company’s securitization facility. The purchase is expected to be completed in September 2020. With the acquisition of Johnny Rockets, FAT Brands will have more than 700 franchised and company-owned restaurants around the globe. Johnny Rockets was founded in 1986 with its first location …
Muscle Maker Grill Begins Construction at 4 Northern Virginia Community College Locations
by Katie Lee
Burleson, Texas — Muscle Maker, Inc., the parent company of Muscle Maker Grill, Healthy Joe’s, MMG Burger Bar & Meal Plan AF, has started construction at four campus locations at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). The company plans to be open in late August to welcome the 2020/2021 academic year. The campus locations at Alexandria, Loudoun, Manassas and Woodbridge will offer fare from Muscle Maker Grill and Healthy Joe’s and will also provide grab-n-go options for students and faculty who are on the run. Breakfast will be available at all …
Dallas — Slim Chickens, a leading fast-casual franchise which features dine-in and drive-thru in the “better chicken” segment, has signed a multi-unit deal with franchisee Ray Johnson to develop 10 restaurants across Texas’s Collin and Denton counties. The first location is slated to open in 2021. Johnson is pursuing sites in lively towns like Highland Village, Flower Mound and Bartonville, to name a few. There are seven thriving Slim Chickens restaurants open today in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. An experienced restaurant operator, Johnson formerly owned over half-a-dozen units of the …
Coralville, Iowa — As Pancheros continues to see increased month-over-month sales, loyalty program growth and three new restaurant openings, the brand has hired two new executives to lead its operations strategy as it ramps up for growth and expansion. Erik Ivey has been appointed as vice president of operations and Saúl Muñiz has been named director of operations. “Pancheros is focused on bringing the right group of people to the table,” says Rodney Anderson, president at Pancheros Mexican Grill. “Erik and Saúl have shown great integrity and will bring a …
Rockville, Md. — To make indoor dining comfortable again and to honor its commitment to employee and customer health and wellness during the coronavirus pandemic, Silver Diner founders are installing a unique, Veteran LED customized interior air filtration and purification system to make dining indoors as close you can come to outdoor dining. This is the first time this comprehensive and customized system has been used in restaurants. The system includes germicidal UV-C light, bipolar ionization technology and HEPA filtration. Air purifiers, mounted throughout each restaurant, work to continuously clean …
Detroit — Little Caesars Pizza, one of the largest pizza chains in the world, is continuing its international expansion with its first restaurants in Colombia. The global brand, which currently operates in 27 countries and territories, including in Peru and Chile in South America, will open two stores in Bogotá this month. The restaurants in Colombia are owned and operated by LCPZ Colombia S.A.S., which is part of the Pequeño Caesarmex family of companies, which also owns and operates Little Caesars locations in Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. …
New York City — Steak n Shake Inc. is bringing to market 15 restaurants the company closed during the last 12 months. Keen-Summit Capital Partners LLC and NAI Global have been retained to run a sale process of the portfolio with a bid deadline of August 31 and auction date of September 4. It is anticipated additional properties will be sold by Keen-Summit Capital Partners through an auction during September. “Real estate investors and restaurants looking to expand their portfolio are in a position to take advantage of this opportunity, …
Aventura, Fla. — Not many restaurants can triple in size during a global pandemic, but Smokey Bones is doing just that by expanding its virtual restaurants, The Wing Experience and The Burger Experience, to all of its brick-and-mortar restaurants. The virtual restaurants are delivery-only and operate out of existing Smokey Bones’ brick-and-mortar kitchens, and out of the Smokey Bones’ ghost kitchen in Chicago. The menus feature Smokey Bones’ burgers and wings, including unique recipes created specifically for each virtual restaurant brand. “By opening these new virtual restaurants, we can shine …