Houston — Shipley Do-Nuts has further built out its development team to include experienced construction project managers to help franchisees through every aspect of design, permitting and construction, including overseeing timelines and conducting site visits to ensure quicker shop openings without costly delays. Ryan Pullin, Shipley’s new director of design, has nearly 15 years’ experience in commercial and retail construction project management, with a focus on cost control. He joined the company after serving as president of Elite 3 Construction. Korelle Dickson, who joined the company as construction project manager, …
restaurants
Corona, Calif. — 810 Billiards & Bowling, an emerging bowling, dining and entertainment franchise, will debut in California with a new development at The Shops at Dos Lagos in Corona, projected to open in spring 2025. “This will be our first location in California, which is a big step, but we’re also excited about our role in making Dos Lagos the entertainment destination for the Corona community. The market in Corona is underserved for safe, high-quality entertainment venues, and we’re excited to be able to provide that,” says Michael Siniscalchi, …
Layne’s Chicken Fingers Welcomes New Senior Director of Operations and Director of Marketing
College Station, Texas — With 16 restaurants open and another 212 awarded, including 91 in the first quarter alone, chicken finger franchise Layne’s Chicken Fingers is building a team to support its rapidly growing system. The team recently welcomed Alex Camp as senior director of operations and Ashley Reynolds as director of marketing. The brand also recently moved into a new office, which accommodates more team members and provides them with the space they need as the brand scales. Layne’s has welcomed several new experts to the family to bolster …
Boca Raton, Fla. — I Heart Mac & Cheese has hired Angelo Freites as vice president of franchise operations and Rafael Romero as director of marketing. Freites has 40 years of experience in the franchise industry, previously as a franchisee of Wendy’s and Checkers. Romero joins the company from YUM! International (KFC) and Wendy’s International as brand strategist and marketing director across Latin America and the Caribbean. “I am so pleased to have such top industry veterans as Angelo Freites and Rafael Romero join the I Heart team,” says Steve …
Charlotte, N.C. — Bojangles, known for its iconic Southern food, has promoted Nick Swanson as the new vice president of business insights and analytics. In addition to experience with Bojangles, Swanson has a wealth of knowledge in leveraging consumer insights and data-driven decision-making to foster growth among notable brands in retail and consumer packaged goods. Since joining Bojangles in 2019, Swanson has been instrumental in fostering a strong data-driven culture within the company. His efforts have accelerated growth in both existing and new markets by closely partnering with marketing, operations, …
— By Frank Mataipule and Megan Freckelton — Elevated, upscale dining experiences are moving to more suburban markets. In the past couple years, the restaurant sector has seen a strong movement in bringing what was once an urban, downtown experience into a more suburban market. As designers focused on restaurants and hospitality, our strategies have also shifted. Whereas we once focused primarily on urban, downtown concepts, we are now working with several restaurant groups looking to move their work into suburban locations as these sites create more revenue, have added …
Dallas — Nothing Bundt Cakes, famous for its handcrafted Bundt Cakes, Bundtlets and Bundtinis®, is celebrating the opening of its 600th bakery, located in Tampa, Fla., as the brand continues its strategic expansion. The brand has ambitious plans to open its 1,000th location by 2027. The Dallas-based company has grown into the nation’s largest specialty cake company, with locations throughout more than 40 states and Canada. Nothing Bundt Cakes opened 84 bakeries in 2023. Its 600th bakery is the 41st new location so far in 2024. The brand is on …
Dallas — Galleria Dallas, a 1.9 million-square-foot shopping center managed by Trademark Property Group, will have a new anchor in fall 2025: a hotly anticipated entertainment venue called Netflix House. This will be the first Netflix House in Texas, and only one of two to be announced in the United States. Netflix House will be a permanent experiential venue featuring Netflix stories and characters beyond the screen year-round. Netflix House will offer regularly updated immersive experiences, Netflix related retail merchandise and unique, Netflix-inspired food and drink offerings. “Welcoming Netflix House …
Franklin, Tenn. — CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (CKE), parent company of Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s®, has appointed Justin Falciola as chief technology & growth officer for both brands. He joins CKE from Papa Johns. In this new role, Falciola will align business goals with information technology, digital strategy and operations, as well as guide the implementation of new technologies and support the digital evolution of loyalty, first-party and third-party digital channels. “We are excited to welcome Justin to the organization,” says Max Wetzel, CEO of CKE. “As technology continues to …
New York City — Shake Shack Inc. has appointed Stephanie Sentell to the role of chief operations officer, effective July 1, 2024. She is a seasoned restaurant executive and most recently served as senior vice president of company operations at Inspire Brands, where she oversaw the operations of more than 1,100 company-owned Arby’s restaurants across the United States. “I have known Stephanie for more than 10 years and she is one of the most dynamic and compassionate leaders that I have ever worked with,” says Rob Lynch, CEO of Shake …