restaurants

Bill Schaphorst Retailers Storms quote

The increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters pose a growing threat to many restaurants and retailers. All too often, unprepared businesses struggle to contend with property damage, power interruptions and repair delays that can plague communities for months in the wake of a catastrophic wildfire or storm. “Businesses that have stores operating in hurricane-prone areas like Florida or other regions threatened by natural disasters need to have a plan in place, with committed assets or a vendor to support them in an emergency,” says Bill Schaphorst, vice president of …

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Albuquerque, N.M. — Marco’s Pizza, one of the nation’s fastest-growing pizza brands, announces a 9-unit area development agreement in New Mexico. This marks a milestone for the brand as it breaks into a new state, with its nationwide footprint now spanning 35 states. Site selection is currently underway, with the first two locations slated to open in the Albuquerque and Rio Rancho areas before the end of first quarter 2025. Seasoned franchisees Chris and Kristian Ornelas are the principal owners of the company developing the units. “When looking to invest …

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Newport Beach, Calif. — The chairman and CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., Brian Niccol, has accepted the role as chairman and CEO of Starbucks and will be leaving Chipotle on August 31, 2024. Niccol has served as Chipotle’s CEO since 2018 and as chairman of the board since 2020. Chipotle’s board of directors has appointed Scott Boatwright, chief operating officer, as interim CEO. Boatwright joined Chipotle in 2017 and has been instrumental in driving restaurant operations for the company’s more than 3,500 restaurants. He also led the integration of …

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— By Savneet Singh — How cutting-edge tech helped Hooters of America upgrade its dining experience. Americans love experiences, with the majority (61%) of Gen Z and Millenials choosing to invest in them, according to Experian, over retirement savings. And with all the money they’re spending, they anticipate outstanding outcomes — especially when it comes to dining. Competition in this sector is fierce, with seemingly endless options for the 9 in 10 customers who enjoy going out to eat, per a February 2024 report by the National Restaurant Association. The …

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Ann Arbor, Mich. — MilkShake Factory, a Franworth portfolio brand and beloved dessert destination, has reached a milestone by awarding its 100th franchise unit on the first anniversary of its franchising journey. MilkShake Factory, a fourth-generation family business, was built on a legacy of quality. The journey began in 1914 when Charlie and Orania opened their first chocolate shop and soda fountain in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood. More than a century from its early soda fountain days, the company was renamed “MilkShake Factory” and by 2016, had established itself as the …

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Shelton, Conn. — Budderfly, a preferred sustainability partner for commercial businesses with repeatable footprints, has acquired a grid-edge distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) from Sunverge Energy. Former Sunverge employees with decades of DERMS and energy market experience will join Budderfly’s growing team of almost 400 employees. Using Sunverge’s technology, Budderfly can aggregate distributed energy resources (DERS) across its sites, positioning it to create virtual power plants (VPPs) capable of providing flexibility to the grid, increasing resiliency for customers and growing new revenue streams. With greater control over its energy …

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Columbia, S.C. — Surcheros® is expanding into South Carolina. The fast-casual favorite plans to open 4 new locations in the Columbia area over the next 4 years, with the first restaurant in Forest Acres set to open in November 2024. Surcheros also recently announced plans to enter Tennessee. Surcheros currently operates 30 restaurants across Georgia and Florida. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to open 100 restaurants within the next 5 years, with 15 to 20 locations expected to open in the next 10 to 18 months. “This is …

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New York City — Mexican restaurant chain Rosa Mexicano has appointed hospitality veteran Matthew Licciardello as its new chief operating officer. “Licciardello is very accomplished with a wealth of experience and a proven track record in the hospitality industry. He will lead our operations team with excellence and innovation,” says Jim Mazany, CEO of Rosa Mexicano. Licciardello’s experience in the hospitality industry includes serving as senior vice president of operations at SPB Hospitality, where he led brands such as Rock Bottom Brewery, Gordon Biersch and Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom. …

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Pittsburgh — Dave’s Hot Chicken, the Los Angeles-based street food sensation turned break-through fast-casual brand, has signed a multi-unit agreement to open 10 locations over the next 5 years across Pittsburgh. The 10-unit deal is with established entrepreneurs and business partners Danny Costa, Michael Costa and Jonathan Wise along with Raj Patel, who already owns seven Dave’s Hot Chickens across Chicago and Indiana. The Costas and Wise, who own and operate 75 Dunkin’ locations in Pennsylvania and Maine, along with Patel, who owns and operates over 100 franchise locations with …

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San Diego — QDOBA has inked a series of franchise development agreements that will significantly expand the brand’s presence with 39 new locations across key markets in the United States. Led by franchise operators Cafua Management Company and Mountain View Management among other experienced franchisees, this announcement underscores QDOBA’s aggressive growth strategy aimed at doubling its footprint to 1,500 units over the next 7 years. Leveraging their success with Dunkin’ franchises, Rick Albert and Mark Cafua are expanding into QDOBA with five new restaurants some of which are planned for …

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