Franchising

  • An image of chicken wings, tacos, French fries and chicken tenders from Hurricane Grill & Wings
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    Retrieved from Fat Brands on February 25, 2025
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    Franchisees sue Hurricane Grill & Wings over mismanagement of marketing funds

    Operators claim the chain and owner Fat Brands haven’t used the funds to advertise, leading to declining franchisee profitability.

    By • Feb. 26, 2025
  • An image of a woman with short brown hair smiling in front of a gray background. She is wearing a red shirt.
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    Courtesy of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
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    Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf hires Taco Bell vet as president, head of Americas

    Tara Hinkle, who also spent over a decade at Starbucks, will oversee the chain’s growth strategy in the Americas.

    By • Feb. 21, 2025
  • A photograph of a man wearing a gray suit.
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    Courtesy of Church's Texas Chicken
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    Church’s Texas Chicken appoints CEO

    Roland Gonzalez, who served as COO for the past two years, takes over at the chain as it aims to grow systemwide sales from $1.5 billion to $2 billion.

    By • Feb. 21, 2025
  • Exterior of a Potbelly restaurant
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    Permission granted by Potbelly
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    Q&A

    What’s behind Potbelly’s unit growth momentum

    The chain, which has signed over 300 store deals since it began accelerating franchising in 2022, aims to grow from roughly 440 units to over 720.

    By • Feb. 19, 2025
  • An image of a co-branded Applebee's, IHOP restaurant
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    Courtesy of Dine Brands
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    Dine Brands opens first US dual-branded Applebee’s/IHOP restaurant

    The company will debut a total of 15 co-branded units stateside through 2026, bringing its total count of global co-branded units to nearly 30.

    By • Feb. 19, 2025
  • An image of Burger King's Sizzle remodeled restaurant
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    Courtesy of Burger King
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    Burger King accelerates remodels, refranchising

    The QSR giant will start selling off the restaurants it acquired in its $1 billion Carrols deal two years ahead of schedule.

    By • Feb. 12, 2025
  • Popeyes unveils new brand identity, pilots store redesign
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    Courtesy of Popeyes
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    Popeyes will remodel stores and beef up ad spending

    Restaurant Brands International will add equipment, ranging from a cloud-based point-of-sales system to an automated batter-maker, at the chicken chain’s U.S. stores.

    By • Feb. 12, 2025
  • An image of a light brown building with a small tree out front that lost its leaves. The signage says California Pizza Kitchen.
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    Permission granted by California Pizza Kitchen
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    From vending machines to airports: How CPK is reaching more diners

    California Pizza Kitchen is also investing in a virtual brand partnership and expansion of consumer packaged goods to reach more diners.

    By • Feb. 12, 2025
  • A dawn image of a McDonald's drive-thru. At the foreground is an exit sign and there is a car in the background waiting in line.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    McDonald’s sales are still sluggish 3 months after E. coli outbreak

    While value offerings are helping improve sales, some franchisees have yet to fully recover their visits and sales comps as of January, a BTIG report finds.

    By • Feb. 4, 2025
  • An evening image of Marco's Pizza
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    Permission granted by Marco's Pizza
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    How 3 rising pizza chains are plotting 2025 expansion

    Marco’s Pizza, Mr Gatti’s and Donato’s are poised for growth this year as segment leaders face sluggish performance.

    By • Feb. 3, 2025
  • The side view of a Pizza Hut restaurant can be seen, with promotional posters and banners on the windows and walls.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Pizza Hut buys 18 stores from bankrupt EYM

    The chain paid $720,000 for the units, with five other bidders securing the remaining 77 stores in an auction.

    By • Feb. 3, 2025
  • An image of a Twin Peaks restaurant in the daytime.
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    Permission granted by Twin Peaks
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    What’s driving Twin Peaks’ growth and $5M AUVs

    The sports bar chain, which is now publicly traded, leans on its menu diversity, service model and alcohol mix to target $1 billion in sales. 

    By • Jan. 30, 2025
  • Starbucks logo on building exterior
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    Bruce Bennett via Getty Images
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    Starbucks wants to claw back $830K from former exec

    The coffee giant says a former senior vice president owes the bulk of a pro-rated signing bonus for leaving four months after he was hired.

    By • Jan. 24, 2025
  • An image of the inside of a Yogurtland with frozen yogurt stands in the back and white and purple chairs toward the front
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    Permission granted by Yogurtland
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    How Yogurtland’s shift to digital powered 3 years of growth

    After adding online ordering and remaking its loyalty program and app, the chain has had double-digit same-store sales growth and strong new unit expansion.

    By • Jan. 23, 2025
  • The exterior of a Panera Bread restaurant.
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    Justin Sullivan / Staff via Getty Images
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    Panera hires development chief from GoTo Foods

    Brian Krause’s appointment marks the cafe chain’s latest executive shakeup, following board changes, a CEO departure and new culinary leadership.

    By • Jan. 22, 2025
  • A Smoothie King with a drive-thru.
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    Courtesy of Smoothie King
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    Smoothie King targets 100 openings in 2025

    The chain, which is also testing food items this year, plans to enter Phoenix for the first time as part of its Southwest expansion plan.

    By • Jan. 22, 2025
  • An image of a restaurant with tables that showcases a pretzel, ice cream and cookie concept.
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    Permission granted by Fat Brands
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    Fat Brands will grow a new tri-branded snack concept

    The company combined Great American Cookies, Marble Slab Creamery and Pretzelmaker at a unit in Texas, with plans to open more.

    By • Jan. 16, 2025
  • A Papa Johns worker delivers fresh dough and ingredients from a truck.
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    Courtesy of Papa Johns
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    Why Papa Johns wants market density, not more territories

    The pizza chain’s biggest growth opportunities lie in markets where it already has a presence, executives told investors in December.

    By • Jan. 13, 2025
  • A Qdoba store around dusk.
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    Permission granted by Qdoba
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    Qdoba signs another 77 store agreements

    The brand is looking to speed up its franchised growth and shrink Chipotle’s lead on the strength of its same-store sales and development incentives.

    By • Jan. 9, 2025
  • An image of the inside of a Paris Baguette with tables and chairs.
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    Permission granted by Paris Baguette
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    How Paris Baguette is bringing back the neighborhood bakery

    The chain, which offers fresh-baked goodies, drinks and cakes, signed over 160 franchise deals in 2024 and aims to sign another 200 this year.

    By • Jan. 8, 2025
  • A white building with windows on the front with a large sign that says Cava
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    Courtesy of Cava
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    The restaurant industry’s top 3 winners and losers of 2024

    Sales and traffic fell for many brands, like Starbucks and McDonald’s, but fast casuals like Chipotle and Cava had a good year.

    By , • Dec. 17, 2024
  • An image of an airport sign that says Terminal B with a restaurant sign highlighted in the foreground.
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    BirdImages via Getty Images
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    Taking flight: Why more restaurant chains are catering to travelers

    While big chains appear in numerous airports and train stations, emerging competitors like Slim Chickens and Pollo Campero are also using these locations to build brand awareness.

    By • Dec. 11, 2024
  • An image of several specialty drinks from Taco Bell's Live Mas Cafe lined up on a white counter top.
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    Permission granted by Taco Bell/Diversified Restaurant Group
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    An inside look at Taco Bell’s beverage concept

    Live Más Café offers drinks that appeal to Gen Z consumers like chillers, agua frescas and specialty coffee drinks.

    By • Dec. 10, 2024
  • An image of TGI Fridays signage with red and white stripes
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    Bruce Bennett via Getty Images
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    Former TGI Fridays CEO Ray Blanchette offers $30.5M for 9 company restaurants

    The bid for the restaurants shows some potential buyers still have confidence in the brand’s value, despite its recent closures.

    By • Dec. 9, 2024
  • A photo of a Dave's Hot Chicken location in London. Taken with a long exposure, the photo has motion trails from car lights.
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    Courtesy of Dave's Hot Chicken
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    Dave’s Hot Chicken reaches 250 stores with first UK opening

    The fast casual chicken brand has emerged as one of the fastest-growing chains in recent years.

    By • Dec. 5, 2024