Food Franchise Industry News & Announcements

Income from Operations Grew 199%Restaurant Level Cash Flow Margins increased 100 basis pointsNet Income per Share increased 600%Adjusted EBITDA improved 73%
MINNEAPOLIS, April 23, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Famous Dave's of America, Inc. (Nasdaq:DAVE) today reported financial results for the first quarter ending March 30, 2014.
Key items for the first quarter of 2014 as compared to the first quarter of 2013 include:

Revenue was $35.7 million for the first quarter of 2014 compared to $36.6 million for the first quarter of 2013;
Comparable restaurant sales for Company-owned restaurants open 24 months or more decreased 4.9% compared to a decrease of 1.8% for the first quarter of 2013;
Comparable restaurant sales for franchise-operated restaurants decreased 3...

DALLAS - April 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ - Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT) today announced results for the fiscal third quarter ended March 26, 2014.
Highlights include the following:

Earnings per diluted share, excluding special items, increased 16.7 percent to $0.84 compared to $0.72 for the third quarter of fiscal 2013 (see non-GAAP reconciliation below)
On a GAAP basis, earnings per diluted share increased 15.5 percent to $0.82 compared to $0.71 for the third quarter of fiscal 2013
Company sales increased 2.0 percent to $739.2 million and restaurant operating margin1 improved approximately 80 basis points to 18.7 percent compared to 17.9 percent for the third quarter of fiscal 2013
Brinker International comparable restaurant sales at company-owned restaurants increased 0...

New Zinga! store opens in Malden, MA, with more to follow in region.
Malden, MA (PRWEB) April 24, 2014 - A new Zinga! Frozen Yogurt store opened in Malden, MA, this week, further enhancing Zinga's growing presence in the Greater Boston area. Grand Opening is Saturday, April 26.
The store is located at 775 Eastern Avenue, across from Planet Fitness at the entrance to Crystal Street and Malden Catholic High School, and shares a new building with Domino's Pizza. Local Zinga! Saugus franchisees Shannon Astle of Wakefield, MA, and Leonard Ceglarski of Byfield, MA, teamed up again to bring even more local ties and experience to the new Zinga! Malden location.
"At Saturday's Grand Opening we're donating free froyo to the first 500 customers and encouraging our patrons to donate to the Julia E...

Seymour, Tennessee (PRWEB) April 23, 2014 - Beef Jerky Outlet in Richmond, Virginia will be participating in the annual A Taste of Hanover in Ashland, Virginia. The event will be held on April 30th from 5:00-8:00 p.m., inside Bass Pro Shops at 11550 Lakeridge Parkway. With the purchase of a $25 ticket, all attendees will be able to try samples from participating restaurants, chefs, and caterers. There will be wine and beer tastings, as well as musical entertainment for the whole family.
The goal of this event is to raise $25,000 for children and adults with disabilities in Hanover County. The funds from the event will improve lives by providing communication devices, gait trainers, wheelchairs, portable ramps, and other adaptive equipment, and providing interval care for children, adults, and their families...

The Melting Pot Fondue Restaurant Franchise offers Memorable Mother's Day Dining Experience
TAMPA, Fla. - April 24, 2014 - (BUSINESS WIRE) - This Mother's Day, fondue at The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., the world's premier fondue restaurant franchise, can transform a typical Mother's Day celebration into one a mom will always remember.
"The Melting Pot is the perfect Mother's Day restaurant for moms who want to escape their busy everyday routines and spend quality time with their families over a leisurely-paced interactive dining experience," said Mike Lester, president of The Melting Pot. "The fondue experience provides more than just a meal. It brings people together for a communal dining experience best enjoyed when surrounded by loved ones...

ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Domino's Pizza, Inc. (NYSE:DPZ) announces the following webcast event:




What:            


First Quarter 2014 Earnings Conference Call



 
 



When:   


Thursday, May 1, at 10 a.m. Eastern Time



 
 



Where:          


www.dominosbiz.com



 
 



How:              


Live over the Internet (Web address above)



 
 



Contact:        


Lynn Liddle:  734-930-3008




This event will be archived on the Domino's website for replay...

CANTON, Mass. - April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ - Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN), the parent company of Dunkin' Donuts (DD) and Baskin-Robbins (BR), today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend to shareholders. The dividend of $0.23 per share of common stock is payable on June 4, 2014 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 27, 2014.
About Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc.
With more than 18,000 points of distribution in nearly 60 countries worldwide, Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) is one of the world's leading franchisors of quick service restaurants (QSR) serving hot and cold coffee and baked goods, as well as hard-serve ice cream. At the end of fiscal 2013, Dunkin' Brands nearly 100 percent franchised business model included nearly 11,000 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants and 7,300 Baskin-Robbins restaurants, which are primarily owned and operated by approximately 2,000 franchisees, licensees and joint venture partners...

Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) April 23, 2014 - Corner Bakery Cafe is happy to again team up with The Mom Strategist™ and author Mia Redrick to help busy moms in Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. get the most out of motherhood. Redrick and Corner Bakery Cafe know that being a mom is the toughest job in the world, so beginning May 1st they will be providing moms with a comfortable atmosphere, freshly baked sweets, and a welcoming environment to build community during Redrick’s six-week Time for Mom-Me® groups.
Redrick and Corner Bakery Cafe encourage moms to schedule weekly “me time” by participating in a local Time for Mom-Me® group. Registered moms will receive complimentary sweets and beverages when they attend a group held at a neighborhood Corner Bakery Cafe...

Booming Build-Your-Own Pizza Concept Poised to Reach 65 Units in 2015
April 24, 2014 // Franchising.com // Los Angeles, CA - Two years ago, PizzaRev forever changed the rules of the Los Angeles pizza game by empowering customers to "Craft Their Own." The anniversary was marked yesterday with a special $5 pizza day at PizzaRev’s inaugural Northridge, Calif. location – the restaurant served more than 1,000 pizzas.
PizzaRev currently operates eight LA-area restaurants and is on pace to open 65 franchised and corporate locations across the country by the end of 2015. Named "Best New Restaurant 2013" by the L.A. Daily News, PizzaRev has some of the highest Yelp ratings of any pizza restaurant in LA. Guests also increasingly take to Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to show off their uniquely crafted pizzas and sing PizzaRev’s praises for developing a completely customized, more satisfying pizza experience...

China Division System Sales Increased 17% with Operating Profit Growth of 80%; Yum! Reaffirms Full-Year Guidance of at least 20% EPS Growth
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - April 22, 2014 - Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) today reported results for the first quarter ended March 22, 2014, including EPS of $0.87.
Beginning this quarter, our financial reporting will reflect our new structure with comparable prior periods adjusted accordingly. Effective the beginning of 2014, we combined our Yum! Restaurants International and U.S. divisions into three global brand divisions: KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. China and India remain separate divisions given their strategic importance and enormous growth potential. This new structure is designed to drive greater global brand focus, enabling more effective know-how sharing and accelerated growth...

Build-Your-Own Artisanal Pizza Concept Set to Open in Bethesda, MD This Summer
LOS ANGELES, CA - (Marketwired - Apr 23, 2014) - Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza, the leading fast-casual built-to-order artisanal pizza chain, today announced that it will soon be entering the Washington, D.C. area with three locations set to open over the next six months. The company's first D.C. area location will be in Westfield's Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, MD. Additional locations in College Park, MD (adjacent to the University of Maryland campus) and Laurel, MD (Town Center Shopping Center) are also set to open this year and will be announced soon.
Scheduled to open this summer, the new Blaze Pizza in Montgomery Mall (7101 Democracy Blvd.) will be located near The Cheesecake Factory and Bobby's Burger Palace...

DALLAS, TX - (Marketwired - April 23, 2014) - The launch of Pizza Patrón's La Ch!#gona pizza shattered all-time sales records, making it the most successful LTO product launch in company history. During the first three weeks of sales, Pizza Patrón reported that La Ch!#gona represented more than 4 percent of the pizza sales mix, more than doubling the company's peak historical average for a new LTO launch.
The success of the pizza launch came on the heels of local and national media coverage over censorship of the product name La Chingona (or La Ch!#gona for branding purposes). Just weeks before radio spots were scheduled to premiere on Monday, March 31st, the pizza chain was informed that its new advertising campaign would not be permitted to air on a number of major radio networks...

April 23, 2014 // Franchising.com // WEST PALM BEACH, FLA – Hurricane Grill & Wings®, a restaurant franchise known for its never-frozen jumbo wings and more than 35 signature flavors, announced today the signing of five multi-unit development agreements, representing 22 new locations. The Florida-based brand opened two locations in early 2014, with plans for a total of 14 new units by the end of the year.
"The Hurricane Grill & Wings brand is on the move and we are proud that our current and future franchisees want to be a part of this exciting time," said Martin O'Dowd, president, Hurricane Grill & Wings. "With our number of units expected to increase this year from 58 restaurants to 72, it's rewarding to us as a brand to bring our fun, family-friendly restaurants to new communities...

New Sea Salt & Caramel Shake and Made from Scratch Strawberry Biscuit arrive at Carl's Jr.
April 23, 2014 // Franchising.com // CARPINTERIA, Calif. – Caramel is good. But with a pinch of sea salt, it's much, much better. Today, Carl's Jr.® introduces a sweet-and-salty spin on its Hand-Scooped Ice Cream Shakes & Malts™ lineup with the arrival of the new Sea Salt & Caramel Shake. Featuring hand-scooped vanilla ice cream blended with buttery caramel syrup and topped with sea salt toffee crumbles and whipped cream, the new Sea Salt & Caramel Shake is available today at all participating Carl's Jr. locations.
"Since we first introduced Hand-Scooped Ice Cream Shakes & Malts in 2005, we've continued to look for the most interesting new flavors we could serve to our guests," said Brad Haley, chief marketing officer for Carl's Jr...

April 23, 2014 // Franchising.com // MADISON HEIGHTS, MI – Hungry Howie's Pizza, the originator of flavored pizza crust, announced today its second location in the Las Vegas area. The pizza franchise offers a mouthwatering selection of eight famous crust flavors including; butter, butter cheese, cajun, garlic herb, ranch, onion, sesame, and asiago cheese.
In celebration of the brand's newest location, Hungry Howie's Pizza will be making donations to two local organizations, The Boys and Girls Club of Las Vegas as well as Big Brothers and Sisters of Southern Nevada. Both groups provide guidance and support to at-risk youth. In addition to both donations, one lucky guest will be offered free pizza for a year.
Franchisee Chadi Hamzen is no stranger to the Hungry Howie's Pizza brand, as this will be his second restaurant location...

Upscale Buffalo Wing Franchise Carves Its Niche in the Casual Dining Industry
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - April 23, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - East Coast Wings & Grill, a casual dining restaurant known for its 75 flavors of award-winning buffalo-style wings, is elevating the climate of casual family dining by focusing on success one unit at a time.
Set to average more than 23 percent new unit growth in 2014 and 10 years of positive same store sales, the cutting-edge franchise is leading the buffalo wing segment in profitability and franchisee satisfaction. East Coast Wings & Grill grew its Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) by 1.05 basis points in 2013 to 17.06 percent ($260K) compared to 16...

April 23, 2014 // Franchising.com // Houston, Texas – Shipley Do-Nuts is celebrating the grand opening of its 15th San Antonio area location, at 1303 Pat Booker Rd, Universal City, Texas 78148 on Saturday, April 26th, 2014.
Along with other prizes and gifts, the store will offer a free glazed do-nut and coffee to each guest from 8am to 11am (no purchase required). There will also be a special appearance from “Glaze”, the do-nut shaped company mascot. “The grand opening event will be well attended and a lot of fun,” says franchise owner, Mr. Veasna Heng. “I’m excited to introduce our wonderful do-nuts and kolaches to a new group of potential customers. Our hot glazed do-nuts are definitely hard to beat...

Bar Louie will 'Go BIG' and Give Back in Celebration of its One-Year Anniversary
SAN ANTONIO - April 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ - Bar Louie, a neighborhood bar and eatery located at the Villages at Stone Oak, announced today they will host a four day celebration in honor of their one-year anniversary. The festivities beginning Thursday, May 1 through Sunday, May 4, will feature some amazing food and drink specials with ALL net sales benefiting their local Fire Station 46 in Stone Oak.
"We are going BIG with this event," says Bar Louie General Manager Richard Gerber. "We're not only going to raise a lot of money to benefit our local fire station, but over the course of 4 days we are going to throw a series of events the people of Stone Oak will be talking about for months...

New Mobile App and Loyalty Framework Allow Hooters to Customize Guest Experiences and Offers
ATLANTA - April 23, 2014 - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Iconic dining destination Hooters launched its first multi-channel customer loyalty program with a pilot in the Atlanta market. The new program enables Hooters to communicate more effectively with guests and cater to their personal preferences by offering customized discounts, rewards and promotions. The cornerstone of the marketing effort is the new mobile app called Hooters HootClub, which makes it easy for guests to earn rewards on their favorite food and drink items, stay up-to-date on the latest events at Hooters and register for sweepstakes to win awesome prizes.
"Thirty years old and still growing… pretty awesome!" said Chris Duncan, chief information officer, Hooters of America...

West Coast Expansion Continues to Brew in California for Dunkin' Donuts
April 23, 2014 // Franchising.com // CANTON, MA – Dunkin' Donuts, America's all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, announced today the signing of multi-unit store development agreements with two new franchise groups to develop 20 new restaurants in South Orange County and the San Fernando Valley area over the next several years.
The two franchise groups and their development plans include:

New franchise group Precision Hospitality & Development, which plans to develop 10 restaurants in South Orange County and the surrounding cities. Led by real estate developer, Joe Haupt, the group's first restaurant is planned to open in 2015...