Denver — Slater’s 50/50, a full-service restaurant concept known for first creating the 50/50 burger patty made with 50% ground bacon and 50% ground beef, will soon make its Colorado debut. The restaurant will open at in Denver’s RiNo Arts District, located within The HUB, a mixed-use building featuring office, retail and restaurant tenants. Construction is slated to begin in the new year, with doors projected to open in late spring 2020. The Denver expansion will be led by local franchisee Charles Murray. Murray left his 30-year career in investments …
restaurants
Chicago — Jeffrey K. Hoffmann, a veteran banking executive who has provided strategic advice and capital solutions to operators of some of the biggest restaurant brands in North America, has joined A&G Real Estate Partners as a senior managing director and head of the firm’s fast-growing restaurant division. “Jeff is a trusted strategic partner with broad experience and extensive relationships in the restaurant business,” says Andy Graiser, co-president of Melville, N.Y.-based A&G. “He brings strong leadership to our deep bench of experts in this industry. We are very excited to …
Spartanburg, S.C. — Eggs Up Grill has appointed Todd Owen as its new vice president of franchise development. Owen brings a rich background in successful franchise development, leading sales and business development with brands that included Qdoba Mexican Eats, spearheading growth from 60 to more than 600 locations. “We selected Todd after a thorough and extensive search of the industry’s top talent in franchise development,” says Ricky Richardson, CEO of Eggs Up Grill. “We’re thrilled to welcome Todd to the Eggs Up Grill team and know that he will make …
Krystal to Sell 100-150 Corporate Restaurants to Franchisees as Part of Brand Revitalization
by Katie Lee
Atlanta — The Krystal Company plans to refranchise approximately 100-150 company-owned restaurants to well-capitalized multi-unit operators as part of its ongoing business and fleet revitalization. To that end, Krystal has engaged The Cypress Group, a specialized investment banking firm, to manage the refranchising initiative. Restaurants in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee will be refranchised. “We’re ready for the next step in the brand transformation that began when I came on board in 2018,” says Paul Macaluso, Krystal’s president and CEO. “We’ve seen great success with the new restaurant prototype, remodels and …
Littleton, Colo. – Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh has debuted its fresh new prototype in the southwest Denver suburb of Littleton. The restaurant is the first new ground-up buildout of a GARBANZO restaurant to open in the Denver metro area since 2014, and it’s the company’s first new prototype in Denver. The new GARBANZO restaurant exudes a bright, open and fresh aesthetic for the brand. It features a stand-alone bakery area where guests will be able to see their pitas being kneaded, placed in the oven and puffed to perfection right before …
Minneapolis — Moe’s Southwest Grill®, a fast-casual restaurant franchise that serves southwestern food, opened its first restaurant in the state of Minnesota on October 18. The restaurant is located between Terminals E and F in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. The new location is owned and operated by existing multi-unit franchisee HMS Host, the world’s largest provider of food and beverage services for travelers. The Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport location marks the fourth Moe’s Southwest Grill opening for the group, and the first since 2013. Other Moe’s non-traditional restaurants owned by HMS …
Chicago — Pinstripes, Inc., a best-in-class experiential dining and entertainment concept, has formed a partnership with Simon Property Group that includes new leases for three future locations within the Simon portfolio, in addition to its existing Clearfork development in Fort Worth, Texas (pictured), and a minority equity investment in Pinstripes. The parties have also identified several potential Pinstripes locations at various Simon assets throughout the United States, all to be announced at a later date. Pinstripes currently has 10 locations throughout the U.S., with three new openings slated for 2019 …
Chicago — Aloha Poke Co., a fast-casual brand that 3 years ago pioneered Poke concept restaurants in the Midwest, plans to expand through franchising. Solidified already in five U.S. markets as the top spot for innovative poke bowls inspired by the popular Hawaiian diced, marinated seafood dish, Aloha Poke is targeting its next growth wave in a concentrated set of markets. The goal is to have 100 locations open and in development by 2022. At the onset of franchising, the brand will focus growth in areas where existing locations have …
Boston — Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, a leading fast-casual Mediterranean franchise, is coming to Boston. This will be the fast-growing brand’s first location in New England. The restaurant is opening this winter at 134 Boylston St. and will be followed by several other locations in the market. “I’m so excited to open our first location and share our fresh cuisine with Bostonians,” says Derek St. George, co-owner of the new Boston locations who will be opening the restaurants with brother and sister duo Karl and Leigha Schmidt. “Today’s consumer is very …
Fayetteville, Ark. — Slim Chickens, a leading fast-casual franchise which features dine-in and drive-through, has launched an aggressive multi-unit growth initiative to expand its presence in key markets across the United States. With a goal to reach 600 locations over the next 10 years, the brand is focusing its expansion initiative on Southern, Midwestern, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states in the near term. The announcement comes on the heels of seven recently signed multi-unit franchise agreements totaling 71 units. With 350 locations in development, Slim Chickens is slated to open its …