restaurants

Columbus, Ohio — Fogo de Chão, the internationally renowned restaurant from Brazil, has signed a lease agreement to open its first Ohio location in Columbus. The new 7,245-square-foot restaurant is scheduled to open later this year in the Polaris Towne Center, one of the city’s largest retail and dining destinations. “We have long anticipated expanding our presence into the state of Ohio and are excited to share our authentic culinary experience from Brazil with the Columbus community soon,” says Barry McGowan, chief executive officer of Fogo de Chão. “This city’s …

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Dallas — Modern golf entertainment leader Topgolf will open its first venue in Iowa, Topgolf Des Moines, on Sept. 6. This is Topgolf’s 101st global outdoor venue. Located at 7655 Mills Civic Pkwy. within the West Des Moines city limits, the new venue will feature 72 outdoor climate-controlled hitting bays spanning two levels. Each bay will have lounge-type furniture or high-top tables. It will be equipped with Topgolf’s Toptracer technology, which traces each golf ball’s flight path, distance and other cool metrics. The new Iowa location will also feature a …

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McDonough, Ga. — Chick-fil-A is opening its first elevated, drive-thru only restaurant in the south Atlanta suburb of McDonough today. Located at 2155 Jodeco Rd., the restaurant features four drive-thru lanes that run below an elevated kitchen that is twice the size of a typical Chick-fil-A kitchen. Food reaches the delivery team members via a custom meal transport system that uses conveyor belt technology. Patrons can either order onsite with a Chick-fil-A team member or order ahead on the Chick-fil-A app. The restaurant features dedicated lanes for both ordering methods, …

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Orlando, Fla. — Tony Roma’s, the world’s largest casual-dining concept renowned for its ribs, has appointed Mohaimina ‘Mina’ Haque as chief executive officer. She is the first female CEO to helm the 52-year-old brand. Mina Haque, Esq., is a seasoned attorney and founder of The Law Office of Mohaimina Haque, PLLC. Since 2021, she has served as Tony Roma’s outside counsel, managing global legal matters and providing strategic guidance. An Official Member of the Forbes Business Council, Mina’s deep expertise in business and franchise law has been pivotal in driving …

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— By Mani Kulasooriya — How e-commerce can help restaurants fight rising costs and challenges. Restaurant operators are often running an uphill marathon. From hiring and schedules to inventory management and food ordering, back-end operations can present neverending challenges. To make matters worse, according to the National Restaurant Association’s “2024 State of the Restaurant Industry” report, 97% of operators now cite rising food and labor costs as pressing issues. Fortunately, foodservice has entered a new leg of the race. E-commerce is emerging as a secret weapon to streamline operations and …

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— By Katie Lee — Carvel celebrates 90 years of soft serve ice cream with a new shoppe design and growth in new markets. Success doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen by accident. However, the beloved ice cream brand Carvel may beg to differ. It was way back in 1934, in Hartsdale, New York, when founder Tom Carvel had a flat tire in his ice cream truck. Pulling over, he tried to salvage the product he had left and sold the slightly melted ice cream to people passing by. …

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Los Angeles — The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, the leading global specialty coffee and tea house, will be launching its first permanent food truck location at the Los Angeles Zoo. Local entrepreneur Benjamin Dreicer and operating partner Genadi Orlov signed the franchise agreement. With more than two decades of experience in the retail real estate sector, Dreicer has developed a comprehensive understanding of the restaurant space and honed his skills in strategic site selection. As he grows with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Dreicer is interested in looking …

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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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