— By Jim Metevier — Striking the right balance between dine-in and digital investments. In a world where convenience is king, the quick-service restaurant industry is experiencing an unprecedented push toward digitization, and understandably so. Throughout 2020 and 2021, while in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, brands needed to pivot to survive. Traditional guest-facing techniques fell to the wayside, as consumers called for contactless pickup and delivery — relying mostly on apps and websites to place orders, and demanding as little person-to-person contact as possible. Amazingly, for …
restaurants
Atlanta — Quick-service chicken restaurant chain Church’s Texas Chicken® has hired Natalia Franco as executive vice president, global chief marketing officer role on March 6, bringing more than 30 years of executive leadership experience to the brand. In her new role, Franco is responsible for providing a strategic vision for the brand and creatively leading marketing ideation, brand execution and digital prowess across the organization to drive brand awareness and positioning, resulting in continued growth and stronger franchise relationships. “I’m thrilled to join this iconic brand as it continues on …
Miami — Subway, one of the world’s largest restaurant brands, has officially opened its new global dual-headquarters in Miami’s Waterford Business District. (The brand will also maintain its headquarters in Milford, Conn.) Located at 1000 Sub Way — a new street name designated by Miami-Dade County — the space is designed to advance the brand’s multi-year transformation journey to improve across all aspects of the business, including its workspaces. The office features the first-in-Subway-history Innovation Center and Mock Restaurant as well as a modern, open layout with multiple collaborative spaces, …
Los Angeles — Creative restaurant design studio TNI Design has been enlisted to redesign Sizzler locations around the country. TNI, an acronym for ‘The Next Idea,’ has completed its pilot design for Sizzler’s Corona, Calif., location. It serves as the new remodel other locations will undergo over the next few years. “In partnership with Sizzler, we created Sizzler’s new interior design and now we are applying the design to around 60 locations over the next 2 years,” says Robert Ancill, CEO and creative officer at TNI Design. Several are currently …
San Diego — Jack in the Box Inc., one of the nation’s leading QSR chains, has signed 14 new restaurant commitments that will bring Jack in the Box to two new states, Florida and Arkansas. This is the first time the brand has entered the Arkansas market, and over 30 years since it was last in Florida. “We’re excited to see the brand’s continued expansion into new cities and states across the country, as both of these groups bring tremendous experience to the Jack in the Box franchise system and …
Irvine, Calif. — While all locations have been strictly corporate-owned up until now, the Veggie Grill brand is officially launching its franchise opportunity and giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to join the runaway leader in the exciting plant-based movement. Since being founded in 2006, Veggie Grill has expanded to include 35 locations in California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York City. “This concept is good for you, good for the animals and good for the planet,” says John Billingsley, chief development officer. “Here is a chance to help the climate …
Ann Arbor, Mich. — Franworth, the well-known professional shared services platform, has formed a strategic partnership with the Milkshake Factory, a premium dessert retailer known for its heritage recipes and iconic family legacy throughout Western Pennsylvania. After successfully operating 11 Pittsburgh-area locations, the Milkshake Factory is prepared to share its business model with qualified franchise investors. Countless numbers of interested parties have inquired about the brand’s availability for franchising during the past two decades, and now the opportunity has arrived. “We’ve landed at this inflection point after a full year …
Atlanta — Church’s Texas Chicken® has hired Atlanta-based executive Danton Nolan as the company’s executive vice president, chief financial officer. Nolan, who joins the company from Inspire Brands, replaces Louis Profumo, who is retiring after 18 years of service with the brand. Reporting to CEO Joe Guith, Nolan brings a wealth of industry experience including several years at Arby’s in the role of senior vice president of finance, where he contributed to a successful brand turnaround initiative during his tenure. He joins Church’s Texas Chicken® from Inspire Brands, the second …
Dallas — As Twin Peaks Restaurant continues the march toward its 100th restaurant, it will turn to a new leader to oversee its increased growth across the country and more markets around the globe. Industry veteran Ray Bodnar is joining the brand’s team as vice president of franchise sales and development. Bodnar, who was most recently director of franchise sales for Captain D’s, brings more than 18 years of experience in franchising, enterprise sales and business development. “Our goal in 2023 and beyond is to start painting the globe buffalo …
— Interview with Eduardo Luz — Panera puts on a show with several new design formats catering to the needs of an increasingly digital and off-premise guest. If variety is the spice of life, the many evolving iterations of Panera these days is keeping its real estate and construction game pretty hot. Currently boasting more than 2,100 bakery-cafes (in 48 states and Ontario, Canada), Panera operates under the Panera Bread® or Saint Louis Bread Co.® names; roughly half of these cafes are company-owned. Never a brand to sit …