Food Franchise Industry News & Announcements

March 02, 2015 // Franchising.com // MINNEAPOLIS - Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the world's largest and most dynamic hotel groups, today appointed Greg O'Stean as chief development officer. He will report directly to Javier Rosenberg, chief operating officer and executive vice president, Americas.
"Our development activities have been on a strong, upward swing, and we are delighted to add a development professional with a solid hotel finance and development pedigree to our team," said Rosenberg. "The momentum across our brands and the launch of Radisson Red has received an enthusiastic response from the investment and development community, and Greg will be a strong asset in moving that brand forward."
O'Stean will also spearhead the aggressive growth strategy Carlson Rezidor has set forth for Latin America as well as for the Radisson® and Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM brands...

Popular Brand Increases Flavors of the South with Craveable Mexican and American Favorites
March 02, 2015 // Franchising.com // LAKE FOREST, CA - Del Taco, a leader in the Mexican quick service restaurant (MQSR) category, reported that the brand is making significant strides in the South, with a focus on expansion in Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas. With its fresh made-to-order Mexican and American classics drawing success in the region and beyond, Del Taco is truly a national brand.
Franchisee Clay Gullatt of Columbus, Georgia is no stranger to Del Taco's growing popularity. In 1997, he began his franchise career with a BBQ chain, followed by becoming a franchisee for a popular widespread pizza chain in 2002. Finding significant growth opportunity in the MQSR space, especially in the South, he was compelled to expand his portfolio...

Originator of Down-the-Line Pizza Category Offers $3.14 Discount and $3.14 Your Pi(e)nts To Celebrate
Athens, GA (PRWEB) March 02, 2015 - Your Pie, the originator of the down-the-line pizza category, will hold the brand's 7th annual celebration of Pi(e) Day® on March 14th. The holiday to celebrate pi (or π), the mathematical symbol that gives pizza its shape, will be celebrated at the brand's 21 locations across four states.
Pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, which equates to roughly 3.14, thus the celebration on 3/14 and Your Pie offering a $3.14 discount on all orders. Your Pie will also be toasting the holiday by offering Your Pi(e)nts of craft beer for $3.14.
"There are nearly as many different combinations of toppings you can get at Your Pie as there are digits of pi," said Drew French, Founder of Your Pie...

Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt Store Fulfills Cravings with Family-Friendly Treats
March 02, 2015 // Franchising.com // CREVE COEUR, Mo. – Menchie's, the friendliest place on earth with a mission to make every guest smile, has opened its newest store in Creve Coeur, MO at 12587 Olive Blvd, Creve Coeur, MO 63141. Offering high quality, delicious self-serve frozen yogurt, Menchie's is sure to become a Creve Coeur favorite!
To celebrate the opening, Menchie's will spread smiles with a seven-day grand opening celebration from Saturday, March 7 to Friday, March 13, packed with free giveaways including t-shirts, Menchie's merchandise, family-friendly activities and free servings of its best-in-class frozen yogurt.
"Menchie's prides itself on connecting with the community, which is what drew my husband and I to the brand," said franchisee, Monique Bingham...

Guests can also celebrate the spring season with Green Waffle Cones and festive lineup of ice cream cakes.
CANTON, Mass. - Baskin-Robbins, the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty shops, today announced its new March Flavor of the Month, Snacknado, which is a delicious whirlwind of its guests' favorite sweet and salty snacks. Snacknado features salty caramel-flavored ice cream loaded with chocolate-covered potato chips and pretzels, all swirled together with candy pieces and chocolate fudge and salted pretzel ribbons. Guests can enjoy Snacknado ice cream in a cup, cone or as a sundae for the ultimate sweet and salty treat all month long at participating Baskin-Robbins shops nationwide.
To celebrate Baskin-Robbins' Snacknado ice cream flavor, movie star and TV personality Ian Ziering recently visited a Baskin-Robbins shop in Burbank, CA to surprise guests and offer them the exclusive sneak peek of Snacknado before it was officially launched at Baskin-Robbins shops nationwide...

Krispy Kreme packaged coffee now available at Amazon.com and fine retailers throughout the US.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Mar. 2, 2015 - Krispy Kreme (NYSE: KKD), a global retailer of sweet treats and complementary beverages, and Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA , a leading roaster of proprietary and private label coffee, tea and drink mix, today announced a multi-year licensing agreement to roast and distribute Krispy Kreme® Coffee for grocery, mass merchants and club stores.
Per the agreement, which was brokered by Krispy Kreme’s exclusive licensing agency, Brand Central, 12oz branded bags of Krispy Kreme ground coffee in Smooth, Decaf, and Rich blends are now available for purchase at fine retailers throughout the United States, and online at Amazon...

EMERYVILLE, Calif. - March 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -




What: 


Jamba Juice announces its continued commitment to putting our nation's youth to work this summer. For the fourth consecutive year, select Jamba Juice locations across the U.S. will be hosting a "Summer Jobs+" National Hiring Day to identify and recruit youth for up to 3,500 Jamba team member, shift leader and assistant manager positions. 



 
 


 

Jamba Store Management will be conducting interviews from 1-5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3rd with the goal of identifying qualified applicants to fill summer and/or regular job positions in local stores*...

Free Pizzas for Blaze Pizza Fans at Evanston Location on Friday, March 6
LOS ANGELES, CA - (Marketwired - Mar 2, 2015) - Blaze Fast Fire'd Pizza, the nation's leading build-your-own pizza chain, announced today that it will open its 5th Chicago area restaurant, near Northwestern University, on Thursday, March 5th. To celebrate the grand opening, the restaurant will offer FREE build-your-own artisanal pizzas on Friday, March 6th from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. to anyone who follows Blaze Pizza on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. The fast-casual concept, known for its chef-driven menu and casually hip restaurants, will be located near Northwestern University's campus in Evanston at 1737 Sherman Avenue.
Blaze Pizza is a modern day "pizza joint" known for its custom-built artisanal pizzas, freshly made salads, blood orange lemonade and s'more pies...

Customers Love Food; Investors Love Stable, Experienced Leadership
March 02, 2015 // Franchising.com // Raleigh, N.C. – Golden Corral®, the nation's largest grill-buffet chain, continued its growth in 2014 and is on track to open more new stores than all of its direct competitors combined. Between franchised and company stores, 14 new Golden Corrals opened in 10 different states in 2014, representing a significant capital investment in the brand.
Golden Corral now has 500 restaurants operating in 41 states. In 2015, the company will add 20 new locations, including restaurants that have already opened this year in Richmond, Ky., Christiansburg, Va. and Bellflower, Calif.
Company leaders attribute the growth in sales to continued food innovation, strict adherence to its founding mission of making pleasurable dining affordable®, and Golden Corral's famous best-in-class food offering and value pricing...

Leading Fast-Casual Pizza Brand Brings Back Peanut Butter Cup Brownie for Round 2
DALLAS - March 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - Pie Five Pizza got a little naughty last year when it rolled out its new chocolate, peanut butter and brownie medley; and, no surprise, customers begged for more.
So, in its passionate pursuit of its customers' ultimate satisfaction, Pie Five is bringing the Peanut Butter Cup Brownie back, and it's just as rich and sultry as before. Whipped up in Pie Five's hot and steamy kitchen, this dessert comes with a warning: You may find it difficult to end this relationship.
Beginning today, customers of the nation's leading fast-casual pizza concept will once again get to follow their favorite personalized pizza with a delicious slice of Peanut Butter Cup Brownie...

Orange Leaf Also Rewards Registered Ounce Back Members With Double Points in March
OKLAHOMA CITY - March 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt is teaming up with The Hershey Company again to introduce a new REESE'S® Peanut Butter Cup froyo in response to the high demand from chocolate and peanut butter lovers. This new flavor will be featured in more than 300 participating Orange Leaf locations from March 2 to April 26.
"Since chocolate and peanut butter are two of our most popular froyo flavors, and REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups are among our most popular toppings, we are excited to reward our customers with this new froyo flavor that fans will find there's no wrong way to eat," said Geoff Goodman, President of Orange Leaf...

National Casual Dining Brand Adds 'No Fuss' Items & New Drinks to Menu; Gives Guests Something to Cheer About
DALLAS - March 02, 2015 - (BUSINESS WIRE) - As winter comes to an end and sports fans begin to search for a place to watch NCAA March Madness, a preseason baseball game or even an NHL or NBA playoff game, Dallas-based Boston's Restaurant & Sports Bar announced today the additions of its new shareable menu items. Boston's already has an extensive selection of fan favorites that offer a plethora of options for every sports fan, but the addition of the smaller portions is perfectly suited for a large group of hungry spectators.
Starting March 2, Boston's guests can indulge their cravings with a variety of new, smaller menu items which allow groups of guests to enjoy a wide variety of appetizers and small portions - similar to tapas-style dining...

Washington, DC (PRWEB) February 28, 2015 - Red Hot & Blue Restaurants in Virginia and Maryland are celebrating National Pig Day on Sunday. March 1, 2015 by offering a pulled pork sandwich with Red Hot & Blue’s famous potato salad for only $3.01 with the coupon available online. A link to the coupon is available at: http://bit.ly/1EVL354.
The observation of National Pig Day occurs annually on March 1. The celebration originated in 1972 by two sisters, Ellen Stanley of Lubbock, Texas and Mary Lynne Rave of Beaufort, North Carolina. According to Rave, the purpose of National Pig Day is "to accord the pig its rightful, though generally unrecognized, place as one of man's most intellectual and domesticated animals."
"Our Memphis-style, slow, hickory-smoked pork is the most popular item at our BBQ restaurant; so celebrating National Pig Day has become an annual event," said Red Hot & Blue President, Randy McCann...

OKLAHOMA CITY - March 2, 2015 - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Sonic Corp. (NASDAQ:SONC), the nation's largest chain of drive-in restaurants, today announced that system-wide same-store sales for its second fiscal quarter, which ended February 28, 2015, increased approximately 11.5%. Same-store sales reflected an increase of approximately 11.3% at company drive-ins and approximately 11.5% at franchise drive-ins.
"Product innovation, continued growth in our core menu items and our national media strategy all contributed to an exceptionally strong sales quarter," said Cliff Hudson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We are particularly pleased that the majority of our sales growth was driven by traffic, reflecting the positive impact of our multiple initiatives and economic tailwinds...

Starting March 1, Noodles and Company will begin exclusively serving Schlafly beer at its seven St. Louis and Columbia restaurants.
St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) February 28, 2015 - Starting March 1, Noodles and Company will begin exclusively serving Schlafly beer at its seven St. Louis and Columbia restaurants. Schlafly's Hefeweizen, Kölsch and Pale Ale, and two seasonal selections will be available year-round. Seasonal selections will include Pumpkin and Christmas Ale, Helles-Style Summer Lager, Oktoberfest, Winter ESB and Raspberry Hefeweizen.
"We are excited to begin this partnership with a strong, local company," says Noodles & Company Franchise Partner Mike Hamra, President and CEO of Hamra Enterprises. "The wide variety of options offered by Schlafly is great to pair with the fresh options offered by Noodles & Company...

Customers Now Have even more Options for Tracking and Placing their Orders
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - March 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - Domino's Pizza (NYSE: DPZ), the recognized world leader in pizza delivery, is giving customers yet another new way to place their order, all from the convenience of their own wrist. Domino's customers can now place and track their order via Pebble and Android Wear smartwatches.
This marks the first time that Domino's ordering is available on smartwatch technology. To utilize this new ordering feature, Pebble and Android Wear smartwatch users must have Domino's app for their smartwatch, along with a Pizza Profile with a saved Easy Order™ or recent order.
Customers can also use the fan-favorite Domino's Tracker® on their smartwatch to follow the progress of their order, from the time it is taken, to when it is placed in the oven, and ready for delivery or carryout...

March 02, 2015 // Franchising.com // Columbia, MD - Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries, Inc., which trades as Boardwalk Fries, Burgers, Shakes, has announced that they are no longer represented by Fransmart of Alexandria, VA.
Boardwalk's expansion continues. Boardwalk began expanding internationally last year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. There are now two locations open, and a third is set to open this year. Dave DiFerdinando, President, says "We are very positive and excited about our successful expansion in the Middle East and look forward to a rejuvenated and energized growth in 2015." Boardwalk continues its international expansion with pending deals in the Middle East, as well as the U.S and Canada. Boardwalk has over 33 years of brand recognition and offers development opportunities to qualified candidates...

JERICHO, N.Y. - Feb. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - Nathan's Famous, Inc. (NASDAQ: NATH) ("Nathan's") announced today that it has priced an offering of $135.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 10.000% Senior Secured Notes due 2020 (the "Notes"). The offering was increased from a previously announced size of $125.0 million in aggregate principal amount of Notes. The Notes will be sold to qualified institutional buyers in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and outside the United States in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act.
Nathan's expects the offering to close on March 10, 2015, subject to customary closing conditions.
Nathan's intends to use the net proceeds of the Notes offering to pay a special dividend of up to approximately $116...

OTTAWA, ONTARIO - (Marketwired - Feb. 27, 2015) - Giant Tiger is proud to announce the opening of its newest location in Sioux Lookout, Ontario.
The store will be located at 12 Fifth Avenue South, and will occupy 16,635 square feet of selling space.
Giant Tiger Sioux Lookout is scheduled to open on October 10, 2015.
Under a master franchise agreement with Giant Tiger Stores Limited, The North West Company operates Giant Tiger stores in Western Canada, including its newest location in Sioux Lookout.
Be sure to follow the new store's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/gtsiouxlookout for information on all of the exciting opening day events, or sign up for the Giant Tiger email club at http://www.gianttiger.com/emailclub to have all the latest GT news delivered right to your inbox!
About Giant Tiger
In 1961, Giant Tiger Stores Limited opened its first store in Ottawa...

ATLANTA - Feb. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - The Krystal Company® and Stevi B's Pizza® announced that they have selected OnsiteRIS, Inc.® as their one-stop provider of information technology infrastructure maintenance. Effective immediately, OnsiteRIS will be responsible for the entire Information Technology (IT) infrastructure for both restaurant brands– from in-restaurant Point of Sale (POS), to back office management solutions to the corporate offices' data centers. Both The Krystal Company and Stevi B's are owned and operated by Argonne Capital Group.
"For Krystal, OnsiteRIS will eliminate the need for multiple IT partners, providing our restaurant chains with one go-to resource for managing data centers, hosting digital assets, maximizing POS connectivity and streamlining the flow of critical financial and operations data," said Carl Jakaitis, Chief Financial Officer for The Krystal Company...