Irvine, Calif. — Juice It Up!, one of the nation’s leading handcrafted smoothie, açaí bowl and raw juice chains, has promoted Susan Taylor to president and chief executive officer. She joined Juice It Up!’s senior leadership team last September as vice president of operations. A restaurant industry veteran of nearly 30 years, 14 of which were with Jamba, Taylor will lead Juice It Up!’s next phase of growth. Celebrating its 25-year anniversary in 2020, the Juice It Up! brand was acquired in 2018 by SJB Brands, LLC, a partnership between …
restaurants
Fort Mill, S.C. — Diversey, a leading global hygiene and cleaning company, has launched its new Clean and Ready Program. The program is designed to respond to the new era of cleanliness, as facilities worldwide begin the process of reopening following the pandemic. The program will be launched globally across the full range of sectors in which Diversey operates, including: hospitality, foodservice, education, offices — specifically targeting building service contractors (BSCs) — and in retail environments. “There is now an urgent need to convey a visible commitment to the highest …
Miami — Miami, a major U.S. city that continues to experience a spike in COVID-19 cases, recently signed an emergency order limiting restaurants to outdoor dining only. To help businesses survive and keep locals safe, the City of Miami has curated a city-wide outdoor dining pilot program to allow restaurants to expand onto city streets, parking spaces and sidewalks until January 31, 2021. Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood has officially closed Fuller Street as part of the city-wide program — after receiving Miami’s only street closure approval — and has since transformed the …
Los Angeles — FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc. is resuming its “healthcare heroes initiative” by bringing its Fatburger “Fatmobile” food truck to local hospitals to cook fresh, tasty meals for healthcare workers across the L.A. region. During the pandemic in April and May, the Fatmobile made stops at dozens of area hospitals serving up a total of 25,000 meals for local healthcare heroes. Now, as cases have started to rise in L.A. and the surrounding area, Fatburger plans to dish out an additional 10,000 meals to healthcare heroes. “Since …
Lexington, Ky. — Same-store sales at A&W Restaurants’ franchised gas and convenience store locations jumped by double digits in June, although Americans were driving fewer miles and buying less gas than usual. Sales at A&W’s more than 90 C-store locations were up 10.5%, following an 8.3% increase in May. They were an average of 11% higher during the January-February period before falling off in March and April, the result of the coronavirus pandemic. The strong performance comes as the iconic brand prepares to expand its convenience store and travel center …
Denver — Slater’s 50/50, the nationally recognized burger concept known for inventing the 50/50 burger patty made with 50% ground bacon and 50% ground beef, celebrated the grand opening of its first Denver restaurant on July 24, 2020. The new location is opening in the RiNo Arts District’s The Hub, a mixed-use building featuring office, retail and restaurant tenants, located at 3600 Blake St. “After a 30+ year career in the investment industry, I decided to do something completely different — open a restaurant,” says Charles Murray, owner of Slater’s …
Minneapolis — Taco John’s, a popular quick-service restaurant brand based in Cheyenne, Wyo., has opened a new franchise support center in Minneapolis. This second corporate office is located at 1650 West End Blvd. Ste. #100 in St. Louis Park. With nearly half of the brand’s restaurants located within a 4-hour drive of Minneapolis, Taco John’s chose the city as its base to more easily connect with its franchisees in the upper Midwest while continuing to expand its nationwide footprint. “Bringing our franchise support center to The City of Lakes is …
West Palm Beach, Fla. — Marco’s Pizza plans to expand in Palm Beach County, Fla. Amid the pandemic, Marco’s Pizza is outperforming other QSRs, recording historic sales milestones, while supporting communities nationwide. The brand plans to add 13 Palm Beach County locations by 2025 through strategic franchise partnerships. With an open real estate market, three thriving locations under operation and a favorable competitive landscape, Palm Beach County is an obvious and attractive area for growth. Recently, Hinesh Patel, franchisee of Marco’s Pizza in Boynton Beach, experienced several weeks of record …
Atlanta — In the last 3 months, Cinnaholic, a bakery that serves innovative plant-based cinnamon roll creations, has set single day sales records across its franchise system, introduced a series of new technology-based innovations, and inked deals to add more than a handful of new locations in key U.S. markets. “When the pandemic hit, we battened down the hatches and focused on two big priorities — making it as easy as possible for our new and longtime fans to enjoy Cinnaholic and supporting our franchisees with even more revenue-driving opportunities …
Atlanta — Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a leading national fast-casual cafe franchise known for both its better-for-you smoothies and food with a tropical twist, has seen strong growth year-to-date in 2020 including the signing of 103 new franchise agreements, including 49 signed since March 1 — of which, 67% are with existing franchisees. In addition, the company also opened 43 new restaurants in 2020 with 35 cafes opening since March 1. Franchise agreements and cafe openings targeted growth in 25 states, propelling franchise development efforts in target markets across the country. …