Corporate Operations: Page 22

  • A McDonald's store is shown in Houston, Texas.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    McDonald’s board member to retire after Carl Icahn squabble

    Sheila Penrose, who Icahn sought to unseat along with Richard Lenny over McDonald’s suppliers’ treatment of pigs, will step down on Sept. 30.

    By • Aug. 23, 2022
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Starbucks dissolves COO role

    John Culver’s departure marks the chain’s third major executive exit in four months, and comes amid interim CEO Howard Schultz’s call for “a different kind” of leadership.

    By • Aug. 19, 2022
  • A photograph of chefs in a kitchen. Explore the Trendline➔
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    sam edwards via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Menu development

    Restaurants big and small are experimenting with their menus to align with the preferences of on-the-go diners and mitigate the impact of rising food costs, supply chain disruption and shrinking consumer discretionary funds. 

    By Restaurant Dive staff
  • A marketing image featuring several Taco Bell products with the company's new plant-based protein blend.
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    Courtesy of Taco Bell
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    Taco Bell pilots its own plant-based protein option

    Customers will be able to try the proprietary soy and pea protein blend in menu items at participating stores in the Birmingham, Alabama, area. 

    By • Aug. 18, 2022
  • A McDonald's store is shown in Houston, Texas.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Judge approves McDonald’s franchisee’s $1.5M settlement in sexual harassment suit

    About 100 plaintiffs, who alleged they were harassed by a Michigan store manager, will be able to claim an average of $10,000 each.

    By • Aug. 18, 2022
  • Jack in the Box's unchicken sandwich, which was an LTO during fall of 2020.
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    Courtesy of Jack in the Box
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    Jack in the Box offers multi-unit franchisees discounted royalty rates

    The incentive program, which is available to operators who develop at least three stores, could save franchisees $180,000 per unit, the chain claims.

    By • Aug. 17, 2022
  • Paris Baguette
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    Courtesy of Paris Baguette
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    Paris Baguette targets 1K US locations by 2030

    The bakery cafe expects to open 40 units this year and another 96 in 2023 following strong sales growth over the past two years. 

    By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 17, 2022
  • Wendy's Global Next Gen store design features a pick-up window for delivery orders and in-store shelving for digital pick-up orders.
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    Courtesy of Wendy's
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    Wendy’s unveils omnichannel prototype for traditional restaurants

    The burger chain will add a pickup window for delivery drivers, in-store shelves for digital orders and a redesigned kitchen.

    By • Aug. 17, 2022
  • A young woman customer placing her order at a fast food convenience restaurant.
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    YinYang via Getty Images
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    Nashville bank execs launch Sonata to serve fast food industry

    Dan Dellinger and Farzin Ferdowsi aim to solve turnover and banking access issues in the quick-service space, and add telehealth and financial literacy to help franchisees retain talent.

    By Anna Hrushka • Aug. 16, 2022
  • Bloomin' Brands is promoting Pat Hafner, currently VP of operations at Carrabba's, to president of the Italian brand.
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    Permission granted by Bloomin' Brands
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    Bloomin’ Brands promotes Pat Hafner to president of Carrabba’s

    Hafner, who first joined the company as an Outback waiter in 1996, will oversee operations across 220 Carrabba’s locations.

    By • Aug. 16, 2022
  • Gopuff
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    Courtesy of Gopuff
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    Gopuff taps Panera exec as new CFO

    Ted Stedem's addition to the ultrafast delivery company's C-suite comes a few months after it named a Pizza Hut alum to lead its Kitchen division. 

    By Brett Dworski • Aug. 15, 2022
  • Ampm store
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    Retrieved from BP press release.
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    BP plans to maximize East Coast footprint with NY c-store opening

    California-based Ampm debuted in the Big Apple, with a hot deli and a grocery section of fruit, dry goods and a bakery.

    By Brett Dworski • Aug. 12, 2022
  • Panera Bread storefront
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    Permission granted by Panera Bread
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    Panera Brands appoints JAB exec as CFO

    Konrad Meyer joins the company just over a month after its plans to go public via Danny Meyer’s SPAC fell through.

    By • Aug. 12, 2022
  • An exterior image of a restaurant with glass windows and a sign that says sweetgreen.
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    Retrieved from Sweetgreen/BusinessWire on August 10, 2022
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    Sweetgreen on track for 1K units by 2030 despite profitability issues

    The salad chain expects to open at least 35 new restaurants this year, with many in suburban markets. 

    By • Aug. 11, 2022
  • An image of a building with glass and a yellow sign that says Fatburger next to an image on orange buffalo
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    Permission granted by Fat Brants
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    Fat Brands reaches agreement in principle in shareholder class action lawsuit

    The company will pay $2.5 million and issue $500,000 in Class A common stock to impacted shareholders, who saw prices tank upon news Fat’s CEO and COO were under federal investigation.

    By • Aug. 11, 2022
  • Reef Kitchens and Wendy's have signed a deal to open hundreds of units together
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    Courtesy of REEF Technology
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    Reef Technology's expansion

    Wendy’s to slash at least 550 units from Reef pipeline

    The burger chain now plans to open between 100 and 150 Reef locations by 2025, down from 700, as sales at U.S. outposts disappoint.

    By • Aug. 10, 2022
  • People wait in line to enter a building with a sweetgreen logo at the top.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Sweetgreen lays off 5% of support staff

    These reductions could result in annual savings of $4 million and help the chain reach profitability potentially as early as 2024, according to the company.

    By • Aug. 10, 2022
  • Fresh organic avocado on the wooden table
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    pilipphoto via Getty Images
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    Whole Foods co-founder plans to launch vegetarian restaurant chain

    John Mackey’s past success scaling a business promoting healthy lifestyles could attract more investor attention as plant-based diets grow in popularity.

    By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 9, 2022
  • Pilot storefront at a travel stop next to a Cinnabon in Pennsylvania
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    Thai Phi Le/Restaurant Dive
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    Pilot debuts in-house Tex-Mex deli among other foodservice upgrades

    Prepared foods will play a substantial role in the convenience store chain’s new $1 billion store modernization project.

    By Brett Dworski • Aug. 9, 2022
  • Picnic Works, Speedy Eats partnership automation technology
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    Courtesy of Picnic Works
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    Picnic Works, Speedy Eats to deploy 5K automated drive-thrus

    The companies expect to roll out the automated stations, worth an estimated $800 million, in the U.S. throughout the next five years.

    By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 8, 2022
  • A woman sitting at a table using her phone as a calculator. On the table there are financial charts.
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    Hispanistic via Getty Images
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    Study: Over 66% of independent restaurants seeing sales declines from inflation

    Seventy-six percent of operators surveyed by Seated said they have increased menu prices to deal with current economic conditions.

    By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 5, 2022
  • Interior rendering of Del Taco's "Fresh Flex" prototype released January 2021
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    Permission granted by Del Taco
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    Jack in the Box promotes Del Taco COO to brand president

    Chad Gretzema replaces John Cappasola, Del Taco CEO and president, who departed in June months after Jack in the Box acquired the Mexican QSR chain. 

    By • Aug. 5, 2022
  • A Grubhub courier. Grubhub and Sonesta will offer delivery to 120 extended stay hotels.
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    The image by Elvert Barnes is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    Just Eat Takeaway reports $3B impairment following Grubhub deal

    Despite the impairment, which JET blames on reduction in sector valuation, high interest rates and equity volatility, an earnings call pointed to early positive results from its Amazon partnership.

    By • Aug. 4, 2022
  • Shake Shack opened its first drive-thru location in Maple Grove, Minnesota Dec. 6, 2021.
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    Permission granted by Shake Shack
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    Shake Shack expects up to 25 drive-thrus open by the end of 2023

    With six drive-thrus currently open, the burger chain has seen average weekly sales of over $80,000 compared to $76,000 at a traditional location. 

    By • Aug. 4, 2022
  • A white table with hands reaching out toward food items like hamburgers, sushi and French fries.
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    Permission granted by C3
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    TGI Fridays expands C3 partnership with new virtual brands

    TGI Fridays’ test phase, which began with a rollout of Krispy Rice in select markets last fall, generated up to $1 million in sales per restaurant.

    By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 3, 2022
  • An exterior image of a white restaurant with a yellow decoration and signs that say Church's Chicken
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    Courtesy of Church's Chicken
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    Church’s Texas Chicken and Texas Chicken name new CEO

    Joe Guith, a former executive of Focus Brands, joins the brand as its top executive nearly a year after it was bought by High Bluff Capital Partners. 

    By • Aug. 2, 2022