Operations: Page 2

  • A photograph of a hand holding up a smartphone with it open to Domino's page on DoorDash.
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    Courtesy of Domino's/DoorDash
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    Domino’s teams with DoorDash, ditches Uber Eats exclusivity

    The pizza chain, which has partnered with Uber Eats since 2023, believes third-party aggregator partnerships are a $1 billion sales opportunity.

    By • April 2, 2025
  • An image of purple cups that say PJ's coffee house
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    Retrieved from PJ's Coffee of New Orleans on April 01, 2025
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    PJ’s Coffee parent company CEO to retire

    Peter Boylan, who has headed up Ballard Brands since 2016, will remain on as an advisor while David Mesa takes over as president of franchise development.

    By • April 1, 2025
  • An image of a light blue building with a sign that says "The original Hooters"
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    Courtesy of Hooters Inc.
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    Hooters of America sells itself, files Chapter 11

    The chain will sell over 100 company-owned locations to two major franchisees, which will also take over franchise support and corporate functions.

    By • April 1, 2025
  • An image of a smiling woman in front of a white background.
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    Permission granted by Bojangles
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    Bojangles appoints former KFC exec as chief legal officer

    Kate Ward, who worked at KFC for nine years, becomes Bojangles’ top legal executive as the chain pushes for 1,000 units.

    By • March 31, 2025
  • An image of a Twin Peaks restaurant in the daytime.
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    Permission granted by Twin Peaks
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    Twin Peaks CEO resigns

    Joe Hummel will leave the company on April 10 along with Chief Legal Officer Clay Mingus, both of whom have been at the brand for over seven years.

    By • March 31, 2025
  • A zoomed in image of Dutch Bros building signage
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    Courtesy of Dutch Bros
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    Dutch Bros plans to build 1K shops within 5 years

    The coffee chain expects annual revenue growth of roughly 20% and is targeting a store count of 2,029 by 2029.

    By • March 28, 2025
  • A photo of Bar Louie's new unit layout.
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    Courtesy of Bar Louie
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    Bar Louie files for bankruptcy protections, again

    The gastropub chain’s footprint shrank from 71 units in 2021 to 48 as of March, while sales at some franchised units remain flat compared to 2015.

    By • March 28, 2025
  • An image of a man with his arms crossed. He is wearing a gray sweater and smiling at the camera. He is in front of a white background.
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    Permission granted by Rego Restaurant Group
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    Rego Restaurant hires CEO

    Neel Patel will oversee the Quiznos and Taco del Mar brands, which have been growing through franchising and deals with Ghost Kitchen International.

    By • March 27, 2025
  • An image of a smiling bald man wearing a navy suit in front of a gray background.
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    Permission granted by Panera Brands
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    Panera Brands hires permanent CEO

    Paul Carbone, who has been interim CEO since January, will focus on a multi-year plan to boost the company’s teams, guest experience and franchise profitability.

    By • March 26, 2025
  • An image of a group of people standing in front of a greenish building that says Cilantro Taco Grill
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    Retrieved from Fransmart/Cilantro Taco Grill on March 25, 2025
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    Emerging Mexican fast casual chain plots 110-unit expansion

    Chicago-based Cilantro Taco Grill will grow from 18 units to over 100 in the next few years after launching franchising less than two years ago.

    By • March 26, 2025
  • An image of a group of people with a person in the front holding a cake with an American flag on it wiht the words TGI Fridays
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    Permission granted by TGI Fridays
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    Q&A

    TGI Fridays CEO says the brand is ready to grow again post-bankruptcy

    Ray Blanchette returned to the restaurant chain earlier this year and will help lead future growth, menu innovation and franchising.

    By • March 25, 2025
  • A Whatburger storefront. A sign outside reads, "Whataburger".
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    Courtesy of https://stories.whataburger.com/press-kit
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    Whataburger hires former McDonald’s exec as chief development officer

    Todd Ewen, who has over 20 years of commercial real estate experience, joins the brand as it plans to expand into its 17th state after surpassing 1,000 units.

    By • March 25, 2025
  • An image of a white building with blue logo that says Zaxbys
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    Retrieved from Zaxbys on March 24, 2025
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    Zaxbys adds AI cameras to drive-thru

    The technology from Berry AI measures speed of service and line abandonment, which could help boost drive-thru times by identifying bottlenecks.

    By • March 24, 2025
  • An image of a black building with windows and The Cheesecake Factory signage.
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    Maddie Meyer via Getty Images
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    The Cheesecake Factory overhauls menu

    The chain, which typically updates its menu every year, rolled out an extensive list of starters, entrees and beverages and removed 13 items.

    By • March 24, 2025
  • An evening photo of a beige brick building with brown letters that say "Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen."
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    Courtesy of Darden
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    Darden pilots Uber Eats delivery at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen

    The channel is in pilot at 10 restaurants with plans to deploy it across the 182-restaurant system in the near future.

    By • March 20, 2025
  • Sandwiches sit on a counter as workers as ingredients.
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    Anna Moneymaker / Staff via Getty Images
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    Restaurants focus on tech, retention as labor market cools

    Speeding up hiring with applicant tracking systems, mobile applications and automated interview scheduling could save time and money, the National Restaurant Association said.

    By • March 20, 2025
  • 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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    Q&A

    Church’s Texas Chicken CEO: Chain’s future is defined by franchising, unit growth

    Roland Gonzalez, who took the top exec role in February, said Church’s will sustain its momentum by deploying more technology to boost operations and attract more operator commitments.

    By • March 18, 2025
  • A photograph of the inside of a Corner Bakery with chairs and booths in the foreground and ordering counter in the background.
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    Courtesy of Corner Bakery
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    Corner Bakery invests over $6M in cafe remodels, other brand improvements

    Two years after emerging from bankruptcy, the chain has completed seven remodels and plans to invest another $500,000 in additional renovations.

    By • March 18, 2025
  • An image of a man leaving a Chipotle. He is holding a brown bag.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Tracking the same-store sales of 21 major restaurant chains

    Sales at pizza and casual dining brands have struggled, while QSR giants like McDonald’s and Starbucks saw anemic changes and fast casuals Cava and Chipotle made big gains. 

    By , , • Updated March 20, 2025
  • The exterior of a Cava in Chicago
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    Permission granted by Cava
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    Cava opens first Indiana unit

    The growing Mediterranean brand is looking at cities like Indianapolis, Detroit and Pittsburgh as fresh markets for development in 2025.

    By • March 17, 2025
  • Little General
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    Permission granted by Little General Stores
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    Little General debuts small-format Buffalo Wild Wings in West Virginia

    The c-store retailer plans to bring at least five more Buffalo Wild Wings “Go” locations to West Virginia, with the next one set to open within 30 days.

    By Brett Dworski • March 17, 2025
  • A Qdoba store around dusk.
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    Permission granted by Qdoba
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    Qdoba’s development pipeline surpasses 500 units

    The chain is well on its way to reaching its 1,500-unit goal with commitments for 33 new restaurants.

    By • March 13, 2025
  • An image of a brown building with red logo that says Tony Roma's
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    Permission granted by Tony Roma's
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    Tony Roma’s future will be embedded with AI, robotics

    CEO Mohaimina Haque said these technologies can help inform operator decisions such as real estate selection and back-of-house workflows.

    By • March 13, 2025
  • A rendering of the interior of a convenience store. There are tables and chairs, a fireplace, benches and TV screens on oen wall showing a variety of sports.
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    Permission granted by Rutter's
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    Rutter’s announces new stores with bar and lounge

    This design is the latest in a series of updates the Pennsylvania-based retailer has rolled out over the past few years.

    By Jessica Loder • March 12, 2025
  • A sign with a lobster on it that says "This location is closed."
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    The 6 biggest casual chain bankruptcies since the COVID-19 pandemic

    CEC Entertainment and CPK have long since recovered from Chapter 11, while others like Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy last year after failing to grow sales.

    By • March 12, 2025