Good News! - December 2016

The good news: Despite ongoing external threats to the business model, franchising is experiencing a remarkable growth phase – not only in unit count and system-wide revenue, but also in the number of new and emerging brands. The bad news: It’s harder to keep up with all the good news! That’s a nice problem to have – and why we’ve brought back our “Good News!” roundup of selected news items on unit growth, investment and financial developments, international expansion news, refranchising, and milestones attained by franchisors large, medium, and emerging. Here’s your chance to follow the leaders, every third Tuesday of the month.

So if you’re not doing it already, send us your good news here.

New Units/Growth/Expansion

Wienerschnitzel Signs 32-Unit AD Deal for Greater Houston Area

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Signs 9-Unit Deal for Orange County, California

Del Taco Inks Two Multi-Unit Deals for 14 Units in Greater Phoenix

Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar Inks AD Deal for 8 Units in 5 Southern States

Fastsigns Signs 39 Franchise Agreements, Opens 25 New Centers Through Q3

Dunkin’ Donuts Signs 9-Store Deal for NC with Safari Foods

Bojangles’ Signs 4-Restaurant Deal for Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley Area

Coffee & Bagels (Einstein Bros./Caribou Coffee Co-Brand) Nears 50 Units

Buffalo Wings & Rings To Open 2 Greater Cincinnati Locations, More Planned

Blaze Pizza Opens 3 New Locations in 3 States

Financial

Zoe’s Kitchen Reports 27th Consecutive Quarter of SSS Growth

Just Salad Receives 2nd Investment from Panda Restaurant Group

Big Plans, Big Dreams

Dippin’ Dots and Doc Popcorn Plan To Expand Co-Branded Units in 2017

Retro Fitness Seeks 30 More Locations in Florida in Next 3 Years

Dairy Queen Targets 50 to 60 DQ Grill and Chill Units in 4 SoCal Counties

Soulman’s Bar-B-Que Plans National Expansion, Starting in Texas

International

Taco Bell Plans 45 More Units in Spain with Casual Brands Group

UFC Gym To Open Units in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia

Nestlé Toll House Café Inks 10-Unit Area Rep Deal in Puerto Rico

Johnny Rockets Opens Its First Restaurant in Italy, in Brescia

Coyote Ugly Opens Franchised Location in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

New and Emerging Brands

Freakin’ Unbelievable Burgers Signs First Franchise Agreement

Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage (14 Units) Launches Franchising Plans

One River School of Art + Design Begins Franchising (School of Rock Founder)

Pokeatery To Expand Fast Casual Poké Concept Through Franchising

Milestones

BrightStar Care Opens 300th Franchise

Club Pilates To Reach 400 Studios by Year-End; Targets 600 by 2018

People & Awards

Church’s Chicken Names Joseph Christina CEO

Culver’s Promotes CFO Joseph Koss to CEO

Del Frisco’s Names Norman Abdallah CEO

Panera Bread Promotes EVP Blaine Hurst to President

Red Robin Appoints Guy Constant as EVP and CFO

Smashburger Names Co-Founder Tom Ryan CEO