Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Read the Magazine Subscribe

restaurants

Industry Voicesrestaurants

Need a Skilled Workforce?

by Katie Lee

— By George Lessmeister — Navigating staffing trends for 2025. As 2024 wound down and the new year came into view, we asked our managers across the country for their insights about what’s happening in staffing. They were asked similar questions that resulted in some consistent trends. The team also offered input about how retail and restaurant business owners can navigate the sometimes-tricky waters of staffing while continuing to provide high level customer service. While regional variations exist, these are the trends our managers identified most consistently. Budget Consciousness From …

Continue Reading
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Newspeoplerestaurants

International Dairy Queen Hires Chief Operating Officer

by Katie Lee

Minneapolis — International Dairy Queen, Inc. (IDQ) has hired Art D’Elia as chief operating officer, U.S. and Canada, reporting to the president and CEO. He will lead a team of nearly 275 DQ® employees in operations, training and marketing to achieve the company’s financial objectives, grow franchisee sales and profits, and maintain and grow the strength and reputation of the DQ system. “Art’s strategic vision for the DQ business and strong leadership in brand strategy, marketing, operations and system sales growth position him well to lead our business in the …

Continue Reading
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Sweetgreen Opens 250th Location, First in Richmond, VA

by Katie Lee

Richmond, Va. — On March 18, Sweetgreen opened its first Richmond, Va., location in Carytown. The 2,162-square-foot location marks another milestone as Sweetgreen’s 250th restaurant. “Sweetgreen was founded just a couple of hours from Richmond with the goal of bringing communities together through fresh, high-quality food,” says Jonathan Neman, co-founder and CEO of Sweetgreen. “We’re honored to carry that mission forward in Carytown, partnering with local businesses and serving delicious meals made with real ingredients. Opening our 250th location here makes this moment even more special, and we couldn’t be …

Continue Reading
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Dine Brands International Unveils 2025 Development Plans

by Katie Lee

Pasadena, Calif. — Dine Brands International is set to expand its dual-branded Applebee’s and IHOP concept in 2025. This expansion includes entering the Costa Rican market with franchisee BLT UK Holdings Limited, and opening the first non-traditional restaurants in Mexico with franchisees Grupo Shogua and ATH Group. The dual-branded format, combining Applebee’s and IHOP under one roof, has been a key part of Dine Brands’ international growth strategy. Currently, there are 18 dual-branded locations across seven markets: Mexico, Canada, UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Honduras and Peru. In 2025, the company …

Continue Reading
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
franchise developmentNewspeoplerestaurants

16 Handles Names New VP of Franchise Development

by Katie Lee

New York City — National frozen dessert brand 16 Handles has named Fred Frey, an accomplished restaurant franchise development leader with an extensive background in finance and business growth, as its new vice president of franchise development. He joins the company from Shipley Do-Nuts. Most recently, Frey served as director of franchise development at Shipley Do-Nuts, where he played a key role in the company’s largest expansion to date, securing 117 franchise agreements in 2024 alone. Prior to that, he was franchise development manager for iced tea brand HTeaO, leading …

Continue Reading
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Jollibee Launches Franchising Program in the U.S.

by Katie Lee

West Covina, Calif. — Jollibee, a global fast-food fried chicken concept based in the Philippines, is launching its first franchising program in the U.S. The quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain is the flagship brand of Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), also known as the Jollibee Group, one of the world’s fastest-growing restaurant companies. Jollibee opened its first North American location in 1998 in Daly City, Calif., and currently operates 76 stores spanning 14 states in the U.S. and 28 stores in Canada. Jollibee’s projected expansion goal is to have 350 stores across …

Continue Reading
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Newspeoplerestaurants

Domino’s Names Executive Promotions

by Katie Lee

Ann Arbor, Mich. — Domino’s Pizza Inc., the largest pizza company in the world, has promoted three company executives into new roles. Joseph Jordan is being elevated to the position of chief operating officer and president – Domino’s U.S.; Weiking Ng is being promoted to executive vice president – international; and Ryan Mulally is being promoted to executive vice president – general counsel and corporate secretary. All three executives will report to Russell Weiner, Domino’s chief executive officer. “Joe, Weiking and Ryan are talented and respected leaders of our company, …

Continue Reading
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
franchise developmentNewspeoplerestaurants

Mountain Mike’s Pizza Names Chief Operations Officer

by Katie Lee

Irvine, Calif. — Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a leading family-style pizza chain for over 45 years, has named Steven Adyani as chief operations officer. With 30+ years of experience in the restaurant industry, including at Mountain Mike’s Pizza, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, The Cheesecake Factory and with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, Adyani brings a wealth of operational expertise to the position. Most recently, he served as vice president of operations. Since joining Mountain Mike’s in 2020, Adyani has been instrumental in refining and optimizing brand operations across a thriving network of …

Continue Reading
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
construction and designNewsremodelsrestaurants

Perkins American Food Co. Unveils Flagship & New Restaurant Design

by Katie Lee

Orlando, Fla. — Perkins American Food Co. will unveil its highly anticipated flagship restaurant in Orlando, Fla., on March 19. The location signifies a major milestone in the brand’s evolution. The flagship restaurant will showcase a new state-of-the-art design, designed by Aria Group, that combines contemporary aesthetics with the brand’s heritage. The new venue spans 3,500 square feet and offers a bright and inviting atmosphere, showcasing how modern American hospitality comes to life. It also features an exterior patio and chic design elements. “We have put a lot of heart …

Continue Reading
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
NewsProduct Spotlightrestaurantssoftware/technologyvendors

Presto Expands Voice AI-Powered Drive-Thru Solutions at Wienerschnitzel

by Katie Lee

San Mateo, Calif. — Presto Phoenix, Inc., a leading provider of AI-driven solutions for the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry, has expanded a partnership with Galardi Group, the parent company of Wienerschnitzel, to deploy its cutting-edge Voice AI ordering technology across the chain’s drive-thru locations. The Galardi Group now has 35 locations operating with Presto’s Voice AI in the drive-thru. The company has already enrolled over 50 locations, with rapid 2025 expansion plans for Wienerschnitzel’s nationwide network of over 350 corporate and franchise drive-thru locations. “We’re thrilled to expand our partnership …

Continue Reading
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts