Good, Bad, and Other News! - August 2022

The U.S. summer of ‘22 began peacefully enough, with 2½ years of Covid receding in the rearview mirror. Yet midway through, as many had predicted, a new variation appeared – more contagious, but apparently less deadly. Then came monkeypox (seriously??). Baby formula shortages. Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Congressional hearings on the Jan. 6 insurrection (or whatever you want to call it). What’s next? Is this the future we’ll all have to get used to? Yet, life goes on, and so does business-as-UN-usual. Here’s our mini-roundup of franchise news, delivered your way every first Tuesday of the month. If you’re not doing it already, send us your news here and see it next month in this newsletter!

POST-COVID REOPENING & RECOVERY

Report: Top 25 Franchises for Black Entrepreneurs 

Wyndham Plans To Boost Black Hotel Ownership

7-Eleven Cuts Nearly 900 Corporate Jobs

How Americans Are Dining Out Now (Infographic)

Yum’s 320-Unit Habit Burger Targets 2,000 Units Worldwide

Mid-2022 Lessons on Retail, Dining, and Fitness Foot Traffic (Placer.ai)

HIRING & EMPLOYMENT

How Paying Employees More Helped Lower Labor Costs and Increase Profit at The Works Café

6 Tips To Improve the Training Strategy of Your Food & Beverage Business

Chipotle Shutters Maine Restaurant About To Hold the Brand’s First Union Vote

Opinion: College-Educated Workers Are Driving the Rise in Unionization

FINANCE & M&A

Au Bon Pain Owner Ampex Brands Acquires Fast-Casual Bellagreen

McDonald’s To Buy Out 60-Unit Caspers Company Franchise Group in Florida

Private Equity Fumes as Democrats Race To Tighten Tax Loophole

Off-Premises Operator Kitchen United Raises $100 Million

Snappy Tomato Pizza Bought by 31-Year Franchisee Tim Gayhart

MARKETING/CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Applebee’s Promos Its Wing-Flavored Lip Gloss in “Taste My Face” Campaign

Hubspot Study: The Best Hours for Sending Marketing Emails

TECHNOLOGY/OPERATIONS

Chick-fil-A Tests Delivery Robots in California, Texas, and Florida 

Capriotti’s Pilot Tests Pizza-Making Robots from Piestro Pod

How On the Border Modernized Its Menu and Technology at 40

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux Finds Post-Covid Success in Smaller Spaces

What’s Next in Drive-Thru Tech Solutions