Food Franchise Industry News & Announcements

Owners Celebrate With Free Sub Fundraiser
July 24, 2014 // Franchising.com // Dublin, CA - Jersey Mike's Subs, known for its fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs, opened in Dublin on July 16. First friends and now business partners, David, Cody, and Bennett Ball, and Michael and Beverly Mills, held a grand opening and free sub fundraiser from Wednesday, July 16 to Sunday, July 20 to support Police and Fire: The Fallen Heroes.
The new restaurant, located at 3740 Fallon Road, circulated 10,000 coupons throughout the community offering a free regular sub for a minimum $1 contribution to The Fallen Heroes.
"We are so fortunate to take part in developing the Jersey Mike's brand in the Bay Area," said Bennett Ball. "The opportunity to open our doors in Dublin is very exciting for us and we look forward to serving and supporting this community...

Owners Celebrate With Free Sub Fundraiser
July 24, 2014 // Franchising.com // Grosse Pointe, MI - Jersey Mike’s Subs, known for its fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs, opened in Grosse Pointe on July 16. Franchise owners Louis Asher and Shawn Grafstein, along with manager Don VanDamme, held a grand opening and free sub fundraiser from Wednesday, July 16 to Sunday, July 20 to support Jack’s Place for Autism and Grosse Pointe South Athletics.
The new restaurant, located at 17020 Kercheval Avenue, circulated 10,000 coupons throughout the community offering a free regular sub for a minimum $1 contribution to Jack’s Place for Autism or Grosse Pointe South Athletics.
"Jersey Mike’s is such a great opportunity and we immediately connected with the quality of the product and the company culture of giving back," said Asher...

CANTON, Mass., July 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Second quarter highlights include:

Dunkin' Donuts U.S. comparable store sales growth of 1.8%
Added 151 net new restaurants worldwide including 75 net new Dunkin' Donuts in the U.S.
Revenue increased 4.6%
Adjusted operating income increased 3.3%; adjusted operating income margin of 49.3%
Diluted adjusted EPS increased 14.6% to $0.47
Board of Directors declares $0.23 third quarter dividend

Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN), the parent company of Dunkin' Donuts (DD) and Baskin-Robbins (BR), today reported results for the second quarter ended June 28, 2014.
"Second quarter sales growth was below our expectations with Dunkin' Donuts U...

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. - July 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ - Rockin' Jump – the Ultimate Trampoline Park brand - headquartered in Pleasanton, CA - is celebrating an exciting new multi unit franchise agreement for the Maryland market. This six (6) unit agreement includes the territories of Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Charles County and Howard County, MD.
After achieving success with their first four corporate locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, Rockin' Jump began offering franchises in June of 2013. With their first franchise location opening this past May, 2014 in Trumbull, CT. Rockin' Jump is continuing to realize excellent growth with this latest agreement bringing the total number of franchise units sold to 27 with 4 corporate units...

July 24, 2014 // Franchising.com // Dublin, Ohio - The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ: WEN) announced today that Brandon Solano, 43, a veteran brand builder and product innovator, has been named Senior Vice President of Marketing.
Solano will report to Wendy's® Chief Marketing Officer Craig Bahner and will lead the Company's Brand Marketing efforts.
"Brandon has a proven track record of building businesses and organizations. He's a step change thinker who delivers innovation in everything he does," Bahner said. "He will be a huge asset to The Wendy's Company and our system, and will help lead our brand transformation to the next level."
Over the course of his professional career, Solano has worked for some of the world's leading brands in positions of increasing scale and complexity...

EMERYVILLE, Calif. - July 24, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Jamba, Inc. (Nasdaq:JMBA) today announced that it will host a conference call and webcast on Monday, August 4, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. ET to review second quarter 2014 financial results. Participating on the call will be James D. White, chairman, president and chief executive officer and Karen Luey, executive vice president and chief financial and administrative officer. A press release with second quarter 2014 financial results will be issued shortly after the market closes on Monday, August 4, 2014.
The conference call can be accessed live over the phone by dialing (877) 407-3982 or for international callers by dialing (201) 493-6780. A replay will be available at 8:00 p.m. ET and can be accessed by dialing (877) 870-5176 or (858) 384-5517 for international callers; the pin number is 13586372...

Neighborhood Cafe Improves Franchise Model with Increasingly Efficient Cloud-based Applications
July 24, 2014 // Franchising.com // DALLAS – Corner Bakery Cafe, a fast-casual restaurant concept known for its ingredient-inspired menu and neighborhood cafe atmosphere, announces the implementation of Altametrics’ e*Restaurant and e*SmartClock to improve labor, food, human resources and administrative costs at all of its cafes. Through a variety of increased process efficiencies, these solutions will improve the franchise’s overall economic model beginning in August.
"Our ability to adopt forward-thinking technology has put us in the position to more than double our national footprint by 2017. For that reason, we knew there was room for growth in the way we handle a number of our staffing, scheduling, human resources and administrative functions," says Gary Price, president of Corner Bakery Cafe...

Handcrafted pizzas, endless amounts of unique beers, all in a classic rock ‘n’ roll setting, are just a few great reasons to stop into Mellow Lafayette today.
Lafayette, LA (PRWEB) July 23, 2014 - Located at 3151 Johnston St. on the corner of Doucet Rd., Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers offers the ultimate dining experience for guests of all ages.
The owners of this location, Todd Moffatt and William Maisano, are excited about bringing Mellow Mushroom to Lafayette, in which they have some history themselves - their college Alma Mater from University of Lafayette is there. “Between the amazing food, beverage selection and unique environment, we felt that the community of Lafayette was in need of something fun and different," states Maisano...

CANTON, Mass. - July 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 September 3, 2014 to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 25, 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...

July 24, 2014 // Franchising.com // DALLAS - Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), has scheduled its earnings conference call at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014 to review fourth quarter fiscal 2014 earnings, which will be announced before the market opens on Aug. 7, 2014.
The live audio webcast can be accessed through the Investor Relations section of Brinker International, Inc.'s Web site at http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=119205&p=irol-irhome. A replay of the conference call will also be available on the Company's Web site for 30 days after the event and via Thomson StreetEvents for their service subscribers.
About Brinker International 
Brinker International either owns, operates, franchises, or is involved in the ownership of restaurants under the names Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy...

Maui Wowi Hawaiian, gourmet coffee and fruit smoothie company, kicks off a new location in Highland, Calif. with a fun community celebration, giveaways, and informational franchise opportunity sessions.
Greenwood Village, Colo. (PRWEB) July 23, 2014 - It's almost here! The new Maui Wowi store in Highland, California recently opened its doors earlier this summer and now it's time to celebrate! Located at 28924 Greenspot Rd., the new store's owners, franchisees Jason Kounas and Jordan Lovato, invite the community to a fun Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, July 26th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The day will kick off with an official ribbon cutting ceremony with the Chamber of Commerce at 11 a.m. There will also be live entertainment from local hula dance groups and not to mention, two hours of free smoothies...

Hooters calls on chicken wing enthusiasts to beat two million wing challenge with all-you-can-eat deal.
ATLANTA - July 23, 2014 - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Professional eating wonder Joey "Jaws" Chestnut once again claimed victory in record-breaking fashion at the Hooters World Wing Eating Championship last night, devouring 182 Hooters world-famous wings in 10 minutes. The champ is now setting his sights on National Chicken Wing Day, as Hooters issues a significant call-to-action for chicken wing enthusiasts across the nation to collectively eat two million wings in one day. In full support of this mission, Hooters is offering a $12.99 all-you-can-eat wing deal on Tuesday, July 29, at participating locations throughout the country.
Hooters commissioned Major League Eating (MLE) to officially sanction the Hooters World Wing Eating Championship, which took place at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas...

National Pizza Franchise Continues Texas Expansion
July 23, 2014 // Franchising.com // MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. – Hungry Howie's Pizza continues its expansion in the state of Texas with its first Houston metro area restaurant in the city of Katy. With dough baked in-store fresh daily, the brand offers a mouthwatering selection of eight famous crust flavors including; butter, butter cheese, cajun, garlic herb, ranch, onion, sesame, and asiago cheese.
The Katy location will be the first Hungry Howie's Pizza restaurant for franchise group 3 Hungry Brothers LLC, comprised of long-time friends Roscoe Overton, Clay Nutall and Brian Davis. The trio originally met while attending college at the University of Houston, and after spending many years working in sales, decided they wanted to open their own business...

Premium Fresh Juices and Smoothies Franchise Plans up to 37 Stores in the Region
PHILADELPHIA, PA - (Marketwired - July 23, 2014) - Robeks fresh juices and smoothies franchise will debut the first food truck in the Philadelphia market devoted exclusively to smoothies and fresh-squeezed juices this month. The rollout of the food truck marks the beginning of the Robeks footprint in Philadelphia and surrounding areas.
Later this summer, a brick and mortar Robeks store will open at 1035 Chestnut Street near Jefferson University Hospital.
Kimberly and Matthew Berger, and their friend Michael Fornaro, are pioneering the brand in the area. The partners plan more co-owned stores. Kimberly also serves as Regional Director for Robeks in the area...

Newest Michigan Location Kicks Off with Three-Day Grand Opening Event
July 23, 2014 // Franchising.com // Ferndale, MI - The Detroit mortgage market slowed down in the summer of 2013 and shortly after JP Morgan Chase shut down their lending office where Jason Irvine and Craig Southerland were mortgage underwriters. Irvine and Southerland had always wanted to own their own business and on Thursday, July 24 at 11 a.m., the new business partners will open Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Ferndale. To celebrate their new career path, the new restaurant is throwing a three-day grand opening celebration
"We would eat at Dickey's Barbecue in Troy all the time with co-workers from Chase and really enjoyed the food," said first time franchise owner, Jason Irvine...

The Durham Phenomenon to Expand Breakfast/Café Concept Internationally
July 23, 2014 // Franchising.com // Durham, NC - Rise Biscuits & Donuts, Durham, NC's award-winning concept featuring both sweet and savory breakfast and lunch options, has just announced the launch of its worldwide franchise program. Rise has quickly become a local sensation and customers routinely line up to buy unique specialty biscuit and donut creations, which often sell out before closing time.
Rise has partnered with Fransmart, the franchise development company behind the explosive growth of brands like Five Guys Burgers and Fries and Qdoba Mexican Grill, who will serve as the exclusive franchise development partner.
"We've been blown away by the response to Rise in the Triangle and have been looking for the best way to grow the brand," says Rise Biscuits & Donuts founder Tom Ferguson...

Minty Fresh Products Now Available at Cousins Subs Stores
July 23, 2014 // Franchising.com // MILWAUKEE – Cousins Subs® is launching a twelve month system wide test of Wrigley® chewing gum and mint products, including Orbit® Spearmint Sugarfree Gum, Hubba Bubba bubble gum and Altoids® Peppermint mints at all locations. The products were originally tested at 18 Cousins Subs stores in the first quarter of 2014 and proved to be popular among restaurant guests.
"This is a great brand partnership," said Justin McCoy, vice president of marketing at Cousins Subs. "The Wrigley name is certainly well known and respected, and their products provide a wonderful opportunity for incremental sales within our stores."
Wrigley products will be available next to checkout registers and can be purchased soon using Cousins' new online ordering app, which is available through the App Store or Google Play...

Grand Opening Includes Free Barbecue for a Year Giveaways and $2 Sandwiches
July 23, 2014 // Franchising.com // CASTLE ROCK, Colo. - Seth Warren will bring a new family friendly restaurant option to Castle Rock when he opens Dickey's Barbecue Pit on Thursday, July 24 at 11 a.m. The first location in Castle Rock kicks off with a three-day grand opening celebration where the first 50 dine-in guests receive gift cards worth up to $50.
Friday, the new Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Castle Rock will offer all day merchandise giveaways. Saturday, radio station 98.5 KYGO is onsite from noon to 2 p.m. This location will be serving $2 pulled pork barbecue sandwiches. Also, one lucky winner will be chosen for a $500 gift card and three winners will receive free barbecue for an entire year...

July 23, 2014 // Franchising.com // TAMPA, Fla. – The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., the world’s premier fondue restaurant franchise and a leading polished casual dining franchise has promoted Bob Margait to vice president of operations to focus on building sales and driving operational excellence for its franchise system of more than 135 restaurants in North America.
"Margait is a strong operational leader who will help The Melting Pot continue to evolve to provide guests with the flexibility, variety and value that they crave in their dining experiences," said Mike Lester, president of The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. "In his previous position as director of restaurant operations, Margait led a two-year menu revamp process that has resulted in increased value perception for The Melting Pot as it offered guests more ways to customize their dining experiences than ever before...

30-Year Restaurant Industry Veteran Ward Whitworth Set to Take Helm of World's Largest Casual Dining Mexican Concept; OTB CEO Steve Clark Announces Retirement
DALLAS - July 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ - On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina®, the world's largest casual dining Mexican concept, which was recently acquired by Border Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of Argonne Capital Group, today announced the appointment of Ward Whitworth as President of On The Border.
The move follows the resignation of On The Border Chief Executive Officer Steve Clark, who has committed to Argonne Capital Group to stay on for a period of time in order to ensure a smooth transition to new leadership.
"My goal four years ago was to transition OTB to stand-alone status, return the brand to category leadership and create new restaurant growth," said Clark, who has led several leading brands over his 40 years in the restaurant industry...