— By Mike Watt — How to get rid of the frequent diners you do NOT want. There is no privacy anymore, and no privacy can often turn into terrible publicity for restaurants. For instance, go to YouTube and type in the query “video rats in a restaurant” and more than three pages come up all showing rats running around a restaurant kitchen. But, that’s not the only rodent restaurant owners and managers may have to grapple with. If rats are present, very often mice are as well. …
restaurants
Round Rock, Texas — The Twin Peaks restaurant in Round Rock, Texas, which first opened in 2008, recently reopened after a significant remodel. Twin Peaks updated its interior to provide the best experience possible for its guests. Restaurant renovations include a complete revamp of the bar for more seating, an increase of beer taps from 12 to 24 and expanded bourbon and whiskey offerings. In addition, dining areas have been updated with larger communal tables, a modernized furniture and décor package and completely remodeled restrooms to include all new modern …
Chicago — On July 9, 2019, home furnishings retailer Crate and Barrel opened The Table at Crate, a collaboration between Crate and Barrel and Cornerstone Restaurant Group, with James Beard-nominated Chef Bill Kim leading the kitchen. Opening within Crate and Barrel’s Oak Brook, Ill., store, The Table at Crate is Crate and Barrel’s first full-service restaurant and Cornerstone’s first venture into the retail space. The Table at Crate integrates the dining and retail experience across two levels of indoor and outdoor space, connecting people, creative food and timeless design, while …
Dallas — Mimi’s, the popular French-inspired concept, will change its name to Mimi’s Bistro & Bakery. After 41 years in business, the brand is modernizing its restaurants, menus and approach to create an even better experience for loyal patrons and welcome a new era of guests to the table at Mimi’s. “Creating a new name and face for Mimi’s has been a long overdue and exciting experience for our team,” says Philippe Jean, chief operating officer for Le Duff America, Inc. “We are ready for a fresh phase that strengthens …
Tampa Bay, Fla., New York City and Atlanta — Nord Bay Capital and its advisor TriArtisan Capital Advisors LLC have closed on a transaction to acquire Hooters of America, LLC from H.I.G. Capital, Chanticleer Holdings and other investors. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. As part of the transaction, the selling entities will each retain a stake in the company. “The partnership with Nord Bay and TriArtisan comes at an ideal time for the company, bringing fresh partners with complementary skills and experience to support our next phase …
Austin, Texas — Austin, Texas-based Tiff’s Treats has opened its 50th store, located in the Dallas suburb of Highland Village, Texas. A $25 million of investor funding in 2017 kicked off expansion into new markets across the U.S., including Atlanta, Nashville and, later this summer, Charlotte, N.C. “Hitting 50 stores, all company owned, is a meaningful achievement in our growth, and only the starting point of our growth to come,” says Tiff’s Treats co-founder Tiffany Chen, noting the 10 stores listed on the company’s website that will open soon and …
San Jose, Calif. — Beginning in March, Togo’s store of the future — named Togo’s 3.0 — started gaining momentum thanks to the completion of both physical and operational renovations at its Emeryville, Fremont and San Jose, Calif., stores. The popular West Coast sandwich innovator completely remodeled one corporate and two franchise owned locations to dramatically improve the overall guest experience with faster speed of service and a more contemporary dining environment. “We wanted a store that reflected our nearly 50 years of leadership in the premium sandwich category,” says …
Atlanta — In July 2019, two-time James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef Hugh Acheson will debut By George, the flagship restaurant of The Candler Hotel (a Curio Collection by Hilton), offering an all-day menu of classic cuisine largely influenced by traditional French cooking. The name of the flagship restaurant reflects the work of the original architects of the historic Beaux Arts Candler building, circa 1906: George E. Murphy and George Stewart. Working alongside Acheson, chef de cuisine Ian Quinn will lead the kitchen and Beth Javis will head front-of-house as general …
Denver — Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, a leading fast-casual Mediterranean franchise concept, has launched an aggressive franchise growth initiative to increase its presence across the U.S. Planning to add 50 new locations to the brand’s development pipeline annually, expansion will focus on territories from the Rocky Mountain states to the Midwest and down south through Texas. The concept has put itself on an impressive growth trajectory. GARBANZO recently completed two major franchising deals that stand to spark growth in key markets — a five-store deal for the Boston area, and a …
Eastvale, Calif. — Meghan McConaghy Chane of Riverside County, Calif., is the first home cook to be granted a permit to open an at-home restaurant in the United States. She is partnering with food-focused startup Foodnome to make it happen. “I was too afraid to work on a food venture before this,” says Chane. “We’d talked about a food truck, catering or a restaurant. The fear of the financial risk and the money you need up front, as well as all of the regulation and hoop jumping, felt really overwhelming.” …