restaurants

Dallas — Smoothie King, the world’s largest smoothie brand and the first health and fitness fast-casual brand of its kind, has appointed Jyoti Lynch as its new chief information officer (CIO). Lynch started in late October, and in this role, she leads the brand’s technology strategy, ensuring that innovation continues to enhance Smoothie King’s digital transformation and guest experience. Lynch brings more than 25 years of experience as a proven technology expert with a successful track record in building and transforming well-known restaurant, retail and technology brands; growing company revenue, …

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Denver — Tom’s Watch Bar, a rapidly expanding premier venue for sports viewing and entertainment, has appointed Brooks Schaden and Shannon McNiel as co-CEOs. Schaden and McNiel are both co-founders, along with fellow industry veterans Tom Ryan and Rick Schaden, both of whom remain with the company as board members and active advisors. Rick Schaden remains chairman of the board. “Brooks and Shannon have demonstrated the strength of their partnership over the past 7 years, together successfully driving Tom’s Watch Bar’s growth to 12 — soon to be 13 — …

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— By Nathan Willard — Kitchen cleaning and maintenance is a marathon, not a sprint. For restaurant managers who already have enough on their plates, preventative maintenance (PM) can easily get swept away in the busyness of a daily routine. As a result, PM items that need to be performed on a regular basis often get pushed to the side. In the blink of an eye, a fire safety inspection that restaurant managers and owners should be prepared for is only weeks away, catching managers and their kitchen staff off …

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Chicago — Craveworthy Brands, an innovative, multi-brand restaurant platform, has appointed its first in-house general counsel, John Silvestri, J.D. With over 25 years of experience, Silvestri’s addition to the team strengthens Craveworthy’s goal to build a comprehensive legal framework that enhances operational resilience, supports partner success and drives the company’s vision forward. As general counsel, Silvestri will oversee corporate governance, franchise compliance, M&A negotiation and risk management across Craveworthy’s expanding portfolio of legacy brands and emerging concepts. “John’s expertise and leadership will be a game-changer for Craveworthy as we redefine …

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Newport Beach, Calif. — Chipotle Mexican Grill opened its 1,000th Chipotlane restaurant on Nov. 21. Located in the Kansas City metro area, in Olathe, Kan., the milestone restaurant features the company’s signature digital order drive-thru pickup lane. Of the company’s more than 3,600 restaurants in its real estate portfolio, nearly 30% feature a Chipotlane. “Chipotlanes are a critical piece of our long term growth goal of reaching 7,000 restaurants in North America,” says Chris Brandt, chief brand officer. “This restaurant format is the fastest way for fans to get Chipotle …

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Atlanta — Pet parents can now book pet care services, including grooming, training, daycare and boarding for their pups at the first Atlanta location of Skiptown, the upscale off-leash dog park, social club and pet care concept. Skiptown Kirkwood will be hosting its grand opening event in December, including the debut of the dog park + restaurant and social club areas. Daycare: A stay in Skiptown’s daycare includes a schedule packed with play, so pet parents don’t have to worry while they’re away. Daycare pups are separated into play groups …

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Pasadena, Calif. — Dave’s Hot Chicken is enhancing operational capabilities with the integration of Qu’s unified commerce platform. Designed to streamline the brand’s expanding network, Qu’s real-time data management and offline resiliency with Edge computing provide a critical upgrade to the brand’s in-store processes, ensuring seamless operational and guest experiences across locations. “Qu has been a game-changer for us because it provides an easy-to-connect API that allows us to push and pull data in real time,” says Leon Davoyan, chief technology officer of Dave’s Hot Chicken. “Its flexibility and stability …

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Manasquan, N.J. — Private equity funds managed by Blackstone have agreed to acquire a majority ownership position in Jersey Mike’s Subs. The deal would value the Manasquan, N.J.-based sandwich restaurant chain at around $8 billion, including debt, according to The Wall Street Journal. Jersey Mike’s founder and CEO Peter Cancro will maintain a significant equity stake and continue to lead the business. Blackstone says the partnership is intended to help Jersey Mike’s accelerate its expansion across and beyond the U.S. market, as well as its continued investment in technology and …

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San Diego — Former CFO Lance Tucker is returning to Jack in the Box Inc., again as chief financial officer, effective Jan. 13, 2025. Tucker is currently chief financial officer of Davidson Hospitality Group, while having also served as CFO at CKE Restaurants Inc. and Papa John’s International, Inc. Tucker succeeds Brian Scott, who resigned from the company on Nov. 20. Tucker served as CFO of Jack in the Box Inc. from March 2018 to July 2020, during which he played an instrumental role in implementing the company’s securitization, while …

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Alpharetta, Ga. — Surcheros® is on a steady growth path as it builds on a successful 2024 with ambitious plans for the upcoming year. With a 29% revenue increase from 2023 to 2024, Surcheros is gaining momentum and attracting franchise interest due to its strong AUVs, cost-effective buildout models and flexible real estate options. The brand currently operates 34 locations across Georgia, Florida and Tennessee. In 2024, the brand opened nearly 10 new stores and entered new markets in Tennessee and is set to enter South Carolina, while also strengthening …

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