Good News! - November 2017

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

Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom Inks 11-Unit, 4-State Deal with New Franchisee

The Pie Hole Will Open 3 New Shops in Southern California by December

Can Carl's Jr. Take New York with Its First Manhattan Location?

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Opens 4 Locations in 4 States

Artichoke Basille's Pizza Inks Multi-Unit Deal for 5 New Jersey Cities

SpeedPro Imaging Awards 11 Franchises in 2017; Now Up to 125 Open

Flippin' Pizza To Open 25 Units in Texas, Georgia, and California

ZIPs Dry Cleaners Signs 5-Unit Deal for Tampa Bay Area

Financial/M&A

Panera Bread To Acquire 304-Unit Au Bon Pain, Reuniting the Brands

Roark Capital Closes on Acquisition of UK's International Car Wash Group

Roark Capital Offers To Buy Buffalo Wild Wings for $2.3 Billion+

Denny's Establishes New 5-Year, $400 Million Revolving Credit Facility

Kevin Durant Invests in Pieology Pizza

Big Plans, Big Dreams

East Coast Wings & Grill Unveils Plans for Complete Brand Overhaul

Tim Hortons Targets 105 Locations in Ohio in 2018

Kwench Juice Café Looks To Expand Nationally

Main Squeeze Juice Co. Opens in Katy, Targets 10–15 Units in Houston Area

International

FAT Brands Inks UK Deal for 15 Co-Branded Fatburger and Buffalo Express

OXXO Care Cleaners Opens 2 More Stores in Indonesia

Domino's Pizza Opens New Store in Vienna, Its First in Austria

Muscle Maker Signs First International Deal for 10 Locations in Kuwait

Jon Smith Subs Inks Its 1st International Location with UK Deal

Nestlé Toll House Café Opens 6th Location in Lebanon

Bennigan's Opens 2nd Restaurant in Bahrain

New and Emerging Brands

Melt Shop Inks Its First Domestic Franchise Deal (Staten Island, NY)

DMK Burger Bar Signs 1st Franchisee in Multi-Unit Chicago Deal

Slaters 50/50, a Burger Brand, Reaches 10 Units with 3 New Deals

Rising Roll Café, with 19 Locations, Looks to Expand in Nashville

Nékter Juice Bar To Hit 100 Locations in December; 75 More in 2018

Global Garage Expands to Houston with 4-Unit Deal

Zoom Room, Dog Training and Gym Brand, Starts Franchising Again

People & Awards

Golden Corral Franchisee Eric Holm To Serve 20,000+ Meals on Thanksgiving

Famous Dave's Appoints Jeffery Crivello as New CEO

Panera CEO Ron Shaich To Step Down Jan. 1; Blaine Hurst Promoted to CEO

Wetzel's Pretzels Promotes CMO Jennifer Schuler to President

KFC Names Andrea Zahumensky Its New CMO

Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza Hires Wayne Jones as New CEO

Subway Promotes Trevor Haynes to Chief Business Development Officer

Jamba Juice Names Claudia Schaefer New CMO