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Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream Names Former Wetzel’s Pretzels Chief as New CEO

by Katie Lee

Canfield, Ohio — Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream, a leading operator and franchisor serving handcrafted ice cream since 1945, has named Jennifer Schuler as its new chief executive officer. Schuler is taking the helm of a nearly 130-store brand with more than 65 franchisees. “We are incredibly excited to welcome Jennifer to Handel’s. We found her highly relevant and proven capabilities and experience, combined with her strong focus on franchisee success, was a terrific fit for Handel’s. She is a highly talented and people-oriented franchise leader who brings great passion and …

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Taco John’s Names New President and CEO

by Katie Lee

Cheyenne, Wyo. — Taco John’s® welcomes industry veteran Heather Neary to the executive leadership team as president and chief executive officer. Neary assumes the role from former CEO Jim Creel, who retired after more than two decades. During Creel’s tenure, the chain became one of the largest Mexican quick-service restaurant brands in the country. Neary brings more than two decades of relevant restaurant, brand and franchise leadership experience to her new role, most recently as the brand president at KBP Brands, a large QSR franchisee. She joins Taco John’s as …

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QDOBA Appoints Chief Development Officer, Head of International Business

by Katie Lee

San Diego — QDOBA has hired Jeremy Vitaro as chief development officer and head of international. The restaurant development veteran joins QDOBA from Little Caesars Pizza and Dunkin’ Brands; he will be responsible for QDOBA’s asset light development strategy, including new restaurant growth, system remodeling, refranchising, acquisition, prototype design and real estate and construction. “We are thrilled with Jeremy’s decision to join the QDOBA leadership team,” says John Cywinski, CEO of QDOBA and Modern Market Eatery. “QDOBA is an exceptionally well-positioned brand and what I consider to be the best …

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Bojangles Plans First Locations in Arizona as Part of Westward Expansion

by Katie Lee

Charlotte, N.C. — Bojangles has signed a multi-unit development agreement that will bring 20 new restaurants to Phoenix, marking the next chapter of the brand’s expansion West and its first locations in the state of Arizona. The growth will be led by operators LVP Restaurant Group, LLC, an entity of LV Petroleum, in partnership with Kingsbarn Realty Capital, serving as real estate developer. This agreement is an extension of the group’s partnership with Bojangles, signing a multi-unit development agreement last year to bring 20 first-to-market restaurants to Las Vegas, and …

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Peter Tsanacas Facility Maintenance quote
Colt Facility MaintenanceContent Partnerdisaster recoveryenergy managementfacilities managementFeaturesgreen building/LEEDIndustry Contentkitchen equipmentplumbingproperty managementrestaurantsretailers

Slash Costs with Better Facility Maintenance

by Sarah Daniels

It’s another thing for restaurant operators to worry about: all the costs of doing business, including food, rent, labor and energy are increasing, according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2024 State of the Restaurant Industry survey, released in February. It’s bad news for any business operating on razor-thin margins. Restaurant operators complain that they have little control over food and rent costs, while the need to remain competitive often blocks operators from making cuts in staffing and food. The situation forces restaurant owners, and other businesses such as retail, to …

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franchise developmentNewspeoplerestaurants

Restaurant Brands International Makes Key Leadership Changes

by Katie Lee

Toronto — Josh Kobza, chief executive officer of Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI) has announced leadership team changes to support the company’s long term growth outlook of reaching a minimum of 40,000 restaurants, $60 billion in system-wide sales and $3.2 billion in adjusted operating income by 2028. Sami Siddiqui has been appointed chief financial officer, succeeding Matt Dunnigan who is leaving the company. Jeff Klein has been appointed president of Popeyes U.S. and Canada, succeeding Siddiqui who has led the brand for nearly 4 years. Thiago Santelmo has been appointed …

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Cooking Up Success

by Katie Lee

— By Russ Spencer — Strategies for restaurants in an evolving landscape. A new year symbolizes new beginnings, particularly within the restaurant industry’s evolving landscape. While some trends may persist from the previous year, Q1 presents an opportunity to reset, recalibrate and plan strategically. These include, but are not limited to, updating menu items, solving staffing challenges and implementing improved ways to reduce waste. Operators who focus on the trends shaping this year and pounce on them will get ahead of competitors and run a successful restaurant in 2024. Preparing …

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construction and designCover StoryFrom The Magazinerestaurants

Room To Grow

by Katie Lee

— By Katie Lee — Coming off a strong year of growth, pizza legend Papa Johns takes its ‘dough show’ on the road, both domestically and abroad, with a brand-new look. The best, by definition, outshine the rest — but some years the best outshines even itself. 2023 was one of those years for Papa Johns. Founded four decades ago in Louisville, Kentucky, the pizza legend notched a great year in 2023, a year that finished as one of its best for new North America store openings in the past …

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KFC Surpasses 30,000 Restaurants Worldwide

by Katie Lee

Plano, Texas — KFC has opened its 30,000th location globally with a new restaurant in Rome, Italy. After the brand opened its very first restaurant in 1952, a new KFC location now opens somewhere in the world every 3.5 hours on average. KFC plans to enter its 150th country later this year. “Opening our 30,000th restaurant is a testament to the support of our local business partners, employees and customers over the past nearly 75 years,” says Sabir Sami, CEO of KFC Global. “While we are a global brand, we …

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Krystal Debuts in North Carolina With New C-Store Design

by Katie Lee

Atlanta — Krystal Restaurants LLC, the original quick-service restaurant chain in the South, plans to open its first location in North Carolina this fall. Located in Wilson, N.C., the store will be built alongside Circle K and feature Krystal’s new convenience store design, which has a sleek and contemporary look and caters to consumers on the go. “We are proud to bring our standout business model and our innovative restaurant design to the state of North Carolina,” says Josh Kern, CEO of SPB Hospitality. “As we continue to focus on …

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