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KPOT Opens 80th Location, First in New York City

by Katie Lee

New York City — KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot, a unique, hands-on, all-you-can-eat dining experience that merges traditional Asian Hot Pot with Korean BBQ flavors, has opened its 80th location, which is also the brand’s first location in New York City. The new restaurant is located at 310 W. 38th St. in Manhattan’s Midtown West neighborhood. “We’re thrilled to bring KPOT’s unique dining experience to the vibrant culinary landscape of New York City,” says Margaret M. Farrell, head of marketing for Vertex Hospitality. “New York is home to diverse …

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BurgerFi Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

by Katie Lee

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — BurgerFi International has filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based company operates under two brands: BurgerFi and Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza & Wings. The two entities have a total of 144 locations open across the United States, Puerto Rico and Saudi Arabia. The filing pertains to 67 corporately owned locations operating under both the BurgerFi and Anthony’s banners. The remaining 77 franchisee-owned locations are excluded from the filing, with the company’s total portfolio expected to remain open and continue normal operations. BurgerFi …

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Newspeoplerestaurantssoftware/technology

Papa Johns Names New Chief Digital and Technology Officer

by Katie Lee

Atlanta — Papa John’s International, Inc. has appointed Kevin Vasconi to chief digital and technology officer. He brings proven enterprise technology leadership to the company, having most recently served as chief information officer for The Wendy’s Company. While at Wendy’s, Vasconi led the team to triple its e-commerce business in 3 years through a consumer-centric approach, leveraging technology to build loyalty with Wendy’s customers. In his new role, Vasconi will be responsible for guiding the development and execution of Papa Johns long term strategy across the entire digital and technology …

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Little Caesars Marks 65 Years in Business with 23+ New Openings Planned in U.S.

by Katie Lee

Detroit — Little Caesars celebrates its 65th anniversary with another successful development period, signing numerous new multi-unit development agreements to expand its footprint across the U.S. These agreements will translate into more than 23 new restaurants opening in Dallas; Los Angeles; San Antonio, Texas; Charlotte, N.C.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Baltimore, Md.; and Greenville, S.C. Recent grand openings have also included three new restaurants in New York City. “Over the past few years, we’ve taken steps to continue to meet the demands and preferences of franchisees and guests alike. As …

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Mr Gatti’s Pizza Promotes Key Executives to Drive Continued Growth and Expansion

by Katie Lee

Fort Worth, Texas — Mr Gatti’s Pizza has promoted two key executives. Travis Smith has been promoted to executive vice president, and Ryan Morris has been promoted to senior vice president of real estate and general counsel. “Travis and Ryan have demonstrated incredible dedication and played key roles in our brand’s success,” says Jim Philips, CEO of Mr Gatti’s Pizza. “With Travis focused on increasing the brand’s presence and revenue and Ryan leading our Walmart project, we know we are in great hands. These promotions are a testament to our …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

honeygrow Celebrates 50th Opening

by Katie Lee

Philadelphia — honeygrow has opened its 50th restaurant, in Lancaster, Pa. This milestone reflects the brand’s strength and growth trajectory since its launch in 2012. Since opening its first location in the Rittenhouse neighborhood of Philadelphia, honeygrow has expanded across seven states. The growing fast-casual concept will enter the Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, markets this fall. Located at 1050 Christopher Place in Crossing’s Plaza, honeygrow Lancaster opened on Aug. 30. honeygrow joins other brands such as Wegmans, Shake Shack, Nothing Bundt Cakes and Reel Cinemas; it is also strategically positioned …

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Chili’s Grill & Bar Partners with Ziosk

by Katie Lee

Dallas — Ziosk, the pioneer of pay-at-the-table and a leading restaurant ordering and payment platform, has teamed up with Chili’s Grill & Bar. Through this partnership, Chili’s has rolled out Ziosk tablets to more than 1,100 locations to simplify the payment process, right at the table. Ziosk’s innovative pay-at-the-table solution eliminates the wait time associated with paying the bill, providing a frictionless, secure process that drives loyalty and charity program participation and optimizes service. With a 90% adoption rate, pay-at-the-table is a reliable way to empower guests and offer more …

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Nothing Bundt Cakes Names New COO

by Katie Lee

Dallas — Nothing Bundt Cakes, the nation’s largest specialty cake company and a rapidly expanding franchisor, continues to build out its senior leadership team with the appointment of a new chief operations officer, Wanda Williams.  Williams joins Nothing Bundt Cakes from Yum! Brands, where she served as head of global franchising. In that role, she led overall franchise system management and franchisee relations across four major brands, working with over 1,500 franchisees. Prior to that, she was vice president of operations at Pizza Hut, responsible for enhancing the restaurant and delivery experience …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Sweetgreen Opens First Ohio Restaurant

by Katie Lee

Columbus, Ohio — On Sept. 4, 2024 national restaurant brand Sweetgreen opened its first-ever restaurant in Ohio, located near Columbus. Ahead of the opening, Sweetgreen’s co-founder and chief executive officer, Jonathan Neman, had this to say: “We can’t wait to open the doors at our flagship Ohio restaurant in this lively Columbus neighborhood. With local ingredients sourced from across the Midwest, we’re excited to bring the Sweetgreen flavor to Columbus’ iconic food scene. It’s been a long time coming, and we are so grateful to the Columbus community for embracing …

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franchise developmentIndustry Voicesrestaurantssoftware/technology

Transforming Operations

by Katie Lee

— By Gregg Majewski — Propel your restaurant forward with digital transformation. Technology in the restaurant space is rapidly evolving as we enter a digital era. Every day, restaurants are taking new steps toward improving the guest experience. Virtual kitchens, mobile ordering and contactless payments have become commonalities, and while it may seem like a tall order, leaning into digital transformation is imperative for the evolution of a modern-day restaurant. Digital transformation does not always involve leveraging technological advancements. For example, it can also mean compiling dining analytics and using …

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