restaurants

SONIC Drive-In to Open First Hawai’i Location

by Katie Lee February 15, 2023

Oklahoma City — On February 20, SONIC® Drive-In will introduce the brand for the first time in the state of Hawai’i with the opening of a new location in Kahului, Maui. Located within the Ho’okele Shopping Center, the drive-in is owned and operated by North Shore Provisions, LLC, d/b/a SONIC Drive-In Hawai’i. SONIC Drive-In now has at least one location in 47 states. The new drive-in location in Kahului will offer drive-thru service, patio seating, as well as ordering through the classic SONIC drive-in stalls. “We’ve had our mind set …

February 15, 2023

News people restaurants software/technology vendors

HungerRush Expands Executive Leadership with 4 New Appointments

by Katie Lee February 15, 2023

Houston — HungerRush, a leading cloud software provider for the restaurant industry, has expanded its leadership team with the addition of a new chief financial officer (CFO), chief operating officer (COO), vice president of finance and vice president of independent operators (I/O) sales. The growing finance team welcomes two new team members. David Tabachnick joins the team as CFO and Patrick Hughes will assume the role of vice president of finance. Tabachnick joins HungerRush from Acoustic where he most recently served as CAO. He brings more than 20 years of …

February 15, 2023

franchise development News restaurants

Twin Peaks Expects to Surpass 100 Locations this Spring

by Katie Lee February 13, 2023

Dallas — FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc., parent company of Twin Peaks Restaurant and 16 other restaurant concepts, enjoyed another strong year in 2022. The sports lodge concept opened nine new lodges, while also signing four new area development agreements (ADAs) to add 26 future lodges in the U.S. and one ADA in Mexico for an additional 32 lodges. These agreements are expected to allow the brand to surpass the 100-restaurant milestone by spring. “We’re proud of the work our teams put in to ensure that Twin Peaks stays …

February 13, 2023

franchise development News restaurants

The Dolly Llama to Open 4 New Locations in March

by Katie Lee February 10, 2023

Los Angeles — The Dolly Llama, the waffle and artisanal ice cream destination based out of Los Angeles, is planning substantial growth in first quarter 2023 across the country with its first New York City outpost and three locations in Texas, all within the next 2 months. The brand, which first began franchising in 2020 to expand the unique concept to major U.S. media markets, has since opened four new locations — Dallas; Jacksonville, Fla.; Las Vegas; Orlando, Fla. — and is fueling major growth in 2023. First, the Dolly …

February 10, 2023

green news Industry Voices restaurants vendors waste management/recycling

Waste Not

by Katie Lee February 9, 2023

— By Tyler Simmons — Restaurants need a new menu item: food waste strategy. Waste is a concept. We decide on a marker of when something usable becomes unusable, whether that is within a certain timeframe or due to a certain visual indicator — like a bruise on an apple or a snack past its ‘best before’ label. One minute food is edible, delicious, desirable — the next it’s unsellable, tainted, trash. Waste is an unfortunate output of system inefficiency, and the economical and environmental impact of when the …

February 9, 2023

News restaurants software/technology vendors

Restaurant Technology Company Chowly Acquires Koala

by Katie Lee February 9, 2023

Chicago — Chowly, a restaurant technology company that integrates third-party delivery marketplaces with point-of-sale (POS) systems, has acquired Koala, a guest experience platform that empowers established and emerging restaurant brands to elevate their digital ordering experience across web, app and kiosk to drive immediate results. The combined business will represent over 16,000 restaurant locations on the platform. “We’re thrilled to welcome Koala to the Chowly team,” says Sterling Douglass, co-founder and CEO, Chowly. “Merging these two businesses together represents a major leap forward in the mission of both organizations as …

February 9, 2023

franchise development News restaurants

Focus Brands® Opened 400+ Locations Globally in 2022; Signed 650 New Franchise Deals

by Katie Lee February 8, 2023

Atlanta — Focus Brands®, the parent company of Auntie Anne’s®, Carvel®, Cinnabon®, Jamba®, McAlister’s Deli®, Moe’s Southwest Grill® and Schlotzsky’s®, has closed out fiscal year 2022 exceeding $3.9 billion in system-wide sales for the first time in its history. Nearly 650 new franchise deals were signed, and 400-plus stores opened globally. Key to Focus Brands’ growth strategy has been its transformation into a platform company. Finding portfolio-wide synergies and cost savings adds more fuel to the company’s individual brands. In 2023, Focus Brands is prioritizing the ‘Power of the Portfolio,’ …

February 8, 2023

News people restaurants

Krystal Names New Vice President of Operations

by Katie Lee February 7, 2023

Atlanta — Krystal Restaurants LLC, the original home of the slider in the South, has hired seasoned restaurant and hospitality leader Jermaine Walker is its new vice president of operations. The legacy brand has been undergoing aggressive growth plans, having opened its first international location last year and continues on this trajectory with a new restaurant that opened in Alabama last month and more on the way. “I am honored to join Krystal and be part of their expansion efforts,” says Walker. “I’ve spent my career supporting companies in their …

February 7, 2023

franchise development News restaurants

FAT Brands Added 362 Stores to Development Pipeline in 2022

by Katie Lee February 6, 2023

Los Angeles — FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc., a leading global franchising company that owns a number of restaurant brands, including Johnny Rockets, Fatburger, Round Table Pizza, Twin Peaks, Fazoli’s and 12 other concepts, has experienced a historic year of growth, opening 142 new stores in 2022 and adding a total of 362 stores to its development pipeline which spans 29 states and 17 countries. Leading the way in new store development amongst FAT Brands’ concepts was Fatburger and Buffalo’s Express with 86 stores, Fazoli’s with 61, Round Table …

February 6, 2023

franchise development News restaurants

Smoothie King to Open More Than 100 Stores in 2023

by Katie Lee February 3, 2023

Dallas — Smoothie King, the world’s largest smoothie chain and the first health and fitness QSR brand of its kind, signed franchise and area development agreements in 2022 to add over 160 stores to new and existing markets. More than half of the signed agreements are with existing franchisees. In addition to bolstering its development pipeline, Smoothie King opened 77 new stores in 2022 in key target markets, including Albany, N.Y.; Cleveland, Ohio; and Washington, D.C. Smoothie King is forecasted to open more than 100 locations in 2023. “Over the …

February 3, 2023

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