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Food Feature Articles

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Informative Food franchise articles to support business buyers, franchisees, and franchisors.

Having survived five decades, including eight recessions, a bankruptcy, the closing of nearly half its restaurants, a reputation-killing E. coli outbreak, and multiple ownership changes, Sizzler, the original "American Family Steakhouse," was on the mend as it celebrated its 50th anniversary in January 2008.
  • Michael Branigan
  • 5,035 Reads 1 Shares
As we've seen in high-definition in the past few months--from the natural and man-made disasters in Japan, to the rolling upheavals across North Africa and the Middle East, to the volatile whipsaws in food and energy prices--the factors that must be accounted for while structuring financial affairs are much more complicated than ever before.
  • Carol Clark
  • 8,201 Reads 1,023 Shares
Kevin Hatton is honest enough to admit that when he became an EMT at age 18, he came to the job with no noble or lofty motives.
  • Debbie Selinsky
  • 8,473 Reads
As savvy franchise companies continue to flourish in a changing economy, FUSR continues to bring you good news each month, highlighting brands that are adding units, increasing comp store sales, striking deals with investors, innovating, and continuing to grow, whether domestically or overseas.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 7,774 Reads 195 Shares
Forecasting is a tricky business, involving equal amounts of data crunching, interpreting economic and general news events, common sense, and guessing.
  • Darrell Johnson
  • 8,081 Reads
John Scharnweber grew up in the restaurant business, starting at the bottom as a dishwasher and busboy growing up in Minneapolis.
  • John Carroll
  • 7,084 Reads
The inspiration for Randy Elias's expansion into a new franchise concept came from a restaurant he'd been frequenting for years.
  • Tracy Staton
  • 7,715 Reads 84 Shares
Last month I discussed three steps for businesses to get started in social media.
  • Erica McClenny
  • 9,636 Reads 2,317 Shares
The stagnant economy. Sustained unemployment. Rising food and gas prices. It's no wonder consumers are more value-conscious than ever before.
  • Denise Lee Yohn
  • 6,328 Reads 30 Shares
Access to capital has been a bane to franchise growth for nearly three years. Much of the blame has been placed on lenders, who have been notoriously gun-shy since the September 2008 financial debacle.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 6,559 Reads 57 Shares
As savvy franchise companies continue to flourish in a changing economy, FUSR continues to bring you good news each month, highlighting brands that are adding units, increasing comp store sales, striking deals with investors, innovating, and continuing to grow, whether domestically or overseas.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 8,639 Reads 1 Shares
MSA Worldwide
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MSA Worldwide
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MSA Worldwide
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Mobile applications allow customers to choose location, menu, and to select from the menu.
  • James Stewart
  • 4,063 Reads 110 Shares
For years, Jeff Orlando has read with fascination the articles in franchise and business magazines about super-successful entrepreneurs. "It's amazing to read about these guys who have 87 Burger Kings and 92 Wendy's units and these unbelievable homes and lifestyles," says the Killeen, Tex., resident. However, he adds, it's also nice to read about "regular guys like me," who choose to define their success in a different way.
  • Debbie Selinsky
  • 7,248 Reads
Kevin Hatton is honest enough to admit that when he became an EMT at age 18, he came to the job with no noble or lofty motives.
  • Debbie Selinsky
  • 9,215 Reads
As multi-unit franchisees with 24 Sizzler restaurants, Gary and Sally Myers spend a lot of time together at work, where he is president and CEO of their Temecula, Calif.-based company, and she is vice president of marketing.
  • Debbie Selinsky
  • 16,554 Reads 2 Shares
In early 2008, Moe's Southwest Grill was still something of a newcomer in Mexican fast-casual segment. But in the eight years since it had been founded, not much new work had been done on either the restaurant prototype or its menu. So when Focus Brands acquired the franchisor in August 2007, then CEO Steve Romaniello reached out to Paul Damico to see if he was interested in not just running the brand, but freshening it up and reenergizing it.
  • John Carroll
  • 21,240 Reads 2 Shares
You might not know it from reading the news, but there's a lot of money out there looking for a good home, and high-performing multi-unit franchise companies have become targets for private equity investors. Estimates of available private equity peg the pent-up funds at about $500 billion, more than enough pie for most multi-unit franchisees to get a slice--if they have what it take to appeal to investors.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 10,610 Reads 634 Shares
Many retailers are interested in building up new business by offering a deeply discounted "Groupon-like" gift certificate program. These programs market to local residents that, for example, for $25 they can get $50 worth of food at Fred's Pub. To be effective, the discounted certificate almost always has a short expiration date, a few weeks or months.
  • Judith Rinearson
  • 3,460 Reads
Today's customers are omnipotent. It really is the consumer--customer or guest, however you name them--who owns your brand. They make the rules now. Then they sit in judgment and deliver the verdict to their friends and family, often with their opinions amplified on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Yelp!
  • Jack Mackey
  • 4,167 Reads 1,023 Shares
Andy Lanz got started in franchising right out of the University of Wisconsin in Madison. With the help of his parents, the newly minted economics graduate purchased a Cousins Subs franchise in nearby Verona. Then he added a Figaro's Italian Pizza franchise as well as a Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream operation, and put them all together inside his first 2,500-square-foot store.
  • John Carroll
  • 8,659 Reads 1,014 Shares
The Great Recession has shifted the thinking and behavior of consumers, forcing franchise brands to respond with changes of their own as they try to keep up with the new normal. Indeed, no discussion of franchise trends in 2011 and multi-unit operators' favorite brands can begin without a nod to the recent economic turmoil and its residual short and long-term effects.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 7,793 Reads 4 Shares
Woof Gang Bakery
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Woof Gang Bakery
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Woof Gang Bakery
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Mobile applications and technologies provide the ability to significantly improve customer experience shopping at franchise stores. The mobile device provides many opportunities for advertising, customer engagement, and most important, sales. Franchises will uniquely benefit from these capabilities along the entire spectrum, from brand marketing to closing the sale.
  • Conrad Sheehan
  • 4,344 Reads 75 Shares
Consumer marketing has emerged as a sizzling-hot topic in franchise circles. Reaching customers efficiently and cost-effectively is front and center right now. Strategies and tools are rapidly changing and those brands not keeping up will undoubtedly suffer at the hands of their competition.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 4,799 Reads 1 Shares
Glenn Miller's first look at the franchising business came in the early 1990s, when the British Chartered Accountant's brother, an attorney, wound up with six Arby's in Central Illinois. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see some of the problems that needed fixing.
  • John Carroll
  • 7,682 Reads 133 Shares
Anand Gala can remember working in his family's Jack in the Box restaurants when he was still in elementary school.
  • Anand Gala, CEO, Gala Corp.
  • 4,220 Reads 13 Shares
Joshua Burton grew up minutes away from the Cherry Hill Mall in Southern New Jersey. In the late 90s, he used to hang out in the food court, where the first-ever Saladworks location still operates today. Burton identified with the Saladworks concept and brand, and watched the franchise thrive throughout his adolescence. When he decided to go into business for himself, it was an easy choice - Saladworks. Today he has three successful locations to show for it, and he hasn't even turned 30 yet.
  • Multi-Unit Franchisee
  • 7,081 Reads 55 Shares
Greg Cutchall never expected to get into the restaurant business. As a youth growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, he saw how tough the business was on his father.
  • Multi-Unit Franchisee
  • 13,614 Reads 1 Shares
It seems that everywhere you turn there is a discussion or reference to social marketing. With more than 600 million profiles on Facebook alone, the reach is pervasive.
  • Michael Sick
  • 5,028 Reads 1,014 Shares
There's nothing more American than fast food restaurants - and some of them even serve apple pie! Fast food franchises have been meeting the growing needs of the country's on-the-go car culture and diverse life styles, complete with late-night hours and 24-hour service. For decades, hamburgers, tacos, chicken, pizza, and subs were the mainstay of the fast food sector. In recent years, as customers began seeking healthier options, these standbys have been joined by wraps, smoothies, salads, frozen yogurt, and more. In 2010, one franchisor began offering vending machines containing fresh fruits and vegetables, protein drinks, and other health-oriented snacks.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 6,761 Reads 157 Shares
Tom Kazbour doesn't believe the secret to success lies in studying the ABCs of business. He believes new franchisees can whiz on past most of the alphabet and focus on the letter "V."
  • Debbie Selinsky
  • 16,970 Reads 2 Shares
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