Good News! – February 2019

Changes in franchising in 2018 were turbo-charged (see the BizBuySell report in the preceding article). Mergers and acquisitions abounded last year in a wave of private equity-fueled investments and consolidation - accelerating the merry-go-round of C-suite changes. It's hard keeping up with all the changes - which is why we provide this monthly digest of selected news items on unit growth, investment and financial developments, international expansion, people, and milestones. 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.

Leadership

Survey Finds 6 Leadership Habits To Develop in 2019

Gold's Gym CEO Brandon Bean Discusses Leadership

Chick-fil-A: 90% of Its Scholarship Program Employees Intend To Stay

Papa John's Debuts Tuition Assistance Program for 90,000 Employees

Carstar To Provide 20 $1,000 Scholarships To Technical Students

Neighborly's Women in the Trades Program Continues To Grow (Video)

New Units/Growth/Expansion

Blaze Fast Fire'd Pizza Signs 10-Unit, 5-Year Deal for Dallas Area

The Goddard School Opens a 9,300-s.f. Preschool in Carol Stream, Illinois

NYC's Mamoun's Falafel Signs 8-Unit Deal for Southern California

The Learning Experience Opens New Academy in Denver Area

Financial, M&A, Private Equity, Refranchising

Jack in the Box: Potential Sale May Be Off

Sun Holdings' Guillermo Perales Buys Taco Bueno

Steak 'n Shake's Biglari Lends $20 Million to Fat Brand's Wiederhorn

Applebee's Dallas-Based Franchisee SSCP Buys 13 More in California

What Private Equity Firms Look for in a Franchise System

Fogo de Chao CEO: Why Restaurant Chains Are Going Private (Podcast)

Denny's Refranchises 10 Restaurants of a Planned 125

Del Taco Refranchising To Cut Company Units from 55% to 45% by Mid-2020

Incentives

A&W Lowers Royalties for New Franchisees; Incentives for Current Zees Coming

Wienerschnitzel Cuts Franchise Fees, Royalties for First 20 Franchisees in 2019

Regulation, Legislation, Politics, Etc.

Dept. of Labor Kills 80/20 Rule on Tip Credit for Servers

IRS Releases Rules on 20% Deduction for Pass-Through Businesses

National Restaurant Association Outlines 2019 Political Outlook

Franchisor-Franchisee Relations

McDonald's Slows Remodel Schedule, Boosts Local Media Options

Big Plans, Big Ideas, Big Picture

Domino's Sets Goal To Grow 60% by 2025 with 9,700 New Stores

Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar Targets 15 North Carolina Locations by 2023

Report: Quiznos' New Owner Looks To Buy 6 to 10 More Brands

KFC Pledges Conversion to Renewable, Recycled Plastic by 2025

New and Emerging Brands

Launch Trampoline Park Set To Open in Lansing, Michigan

Buff City Soap, Franchising Since 2018, Has 11 Shops and 20 in Progress

Famous Toastery, with 35 Units, To Add 20 More in 2019

International

IHG To Open 25 Kimpton Hotels Worldwide, from Paris to Bali to Shanghai

Church's Chicken Adds Four New Franchisees Across Canada

Anytime Fitness To Open on Chilean-Owned Antarctica Cruise Ship

People, Awards, Milestones

Tropical Smoothie Promotes Charles Watson from CDO to CEO

Caribou Coffee Promotes John Butcher from President to CEO

Restaurant Brands International Names new CEO and COO

Carstar Celebrates 30 Years in Business