Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas — Curry Up Now, the nation’s largest and fastest growing Indian fast-casual concept, signed a deal with a franchise group in the Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston areas to bring five new Curry Up Now restaurants, some with Mortar & Pestle craft cocktail bars, to Texas. This deal comes on the heels of a six-unit franchise deal signed for Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin just a few weeks earlier. Curry Up Now operates 11 restaurants and three craft cocktail bars across the country, with nearly 50 restaurants …
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Miami — Balfour Beatty has completed construction on River Landing Shops and Residences, a 2.5 million-square-foot, mixed-use development along the Miami River. On behalf of real estate investment trust H&R REIT and South Florida developer Urban-X Group, with Matthews Southwest providing owner representative services, the $298 million mega-project will be a premier dining and shopping destination in the heart of the second largest health district in the U.S. River Landing Shops and Residences is built on 8.1 acres of riverfront land and is one of the few projects in the …
— By Jeff Rabbitt and Ruba Younan — A case study in restaurant design authenticity. The past couple of years have been marked by a shift in restaurant design towards authentic environments that reflect their surrounding context, people and culture. Rather than just great food and service, customers are increasingly drawn to places that offer experiences, connection and history. Yet not all locations are conducive to authenticity and sites boasting a rich history are indisputably advantaged. Such is the case with the renovation of 118 W. Chapman, a century-old …
Henderson, Nev. — Potbelly Sandwich Shop is opening its first Nevada location in Henderson on Dec. 11. The shop is located in the Shoppes on the Parkway development near the intersection of St. Rose Parkway and Amigo Street, which is becoming a hot spot for new restaurants and retail stores. The Potbelly Henderson location is the first shop in a franchise development agreement that will bring 10 locations to the Las Vegas market. Local restaurant operations expert and vice president of Veritasfaythe, Gregg Kocenko, has been integral in the development …
New York City — The Hummus & Pita Co., a New York City-based fast-casual concept, debuted its new location in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan on Dec. 5. The new restaurant is located between 2nd and 3rd avenues at 216 E. 86th St. The Hummus & Pita Co. joins other restaurants such as Sweetgreens, Shake Shack, and Chipotle in the high-traffic area. “We are thrilled to be opening our new location in such a highly coveted area and further expanding our New York footprint into a new area …
Oak Brook, Ill. — Chef Bill Kim’s Pizza & Parm Shop, a new virtual restaurant based out of the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook, opened on Dec. 2. Available exclusively for takeout through DoorDash, this pop-up offers the western Chicago suburbs a chance to experience the award-winning chef’s menu of flavors, in a time where dining options continue to be limited due to restaurant dining restrictions. “Growing up on the northside of Chicago, I had a lot of Italian friends and was constantly surrounded by the cuisine… I think part …
Dallas — La Madeleine French Bakery & Café will return to Addison, Texas, in February with a new Petite Market and Bakery prototype, which combines la Madeleine’s ambiance as an unhurried French retreat with the convenience of a grab ‘n go concept. The new restaurant will also include la Madeleine’s first-ever drive-thru and a featured scratch-baking experience. “To round out the French bakery experience, team members will make bread onsite by mixing the dough, shaping and baking it,” says la Madeleine CEO Lionel Ladouceur. “There is truly nothing more delightful …
Los Angeles — California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) has successfully completed its financial restructuring process and emerged from Chapter 11. CPK completed a debt-for-equity transaction and now has a substantially reduced debt load and increased liquidity. Upon emergence, the company eliminated more than $220 million of existing funded debt from its capital structure. The company had filed for bankruptcy in July 2020 with plans to close 200 stores. CPK completed its restructuring with the full support of its creditors and previous equity holders. Looking ahead, the company is focused on expanding …
Irvine, Calif. — Juice It Up!, a leading handcrafted smoothie, açaí bowl and raw juice franchise, has experienced strong growth in same store sales (SSS) and average unit volumes (AUVs) in 2020. Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, through October 2020, SSS for the year have increased by 13%, with SSS for the third quarter just ended September 2020 up 19%. Most significantly, the brand’s top 50% of franchised locations now have an AUV approaching $600,000 while the brand’s top 25% of franchised locations have seen their AUV expand …
Plano, Texas — Former restaurant and entertainment executive, Ted Beaman, along with his 20-year business partners, Sean McCullough and Greg Stevens, are shifting careers from the entertainment industry to open 10 MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, a Plano, Texas-based “better burger” concept, across the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Eight of the 10 locations will be new, whereas the other two locations — in Flower Mound and Frisco, Texas — are being acquired and remodeled. All 10 of these locations will feature the brand’s new prototype with new dining zones, digital …