Food & Dining

Franklin Junction Adds Dickey’s Barbecue Pit to Roster of Brand Partners

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

Franklin Junction Adds Dickey's Barbecue Pit to Roster of Brand Partners

Franklin Junction Adds Dickey's Barbecue Pit to Roster of Brand Partners

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit looks to Franklin Junction to help expand global brand reach capital-free through host kitchens

Atlanta, GA  (-)  Franklin Junction, an Atlanta-based restaurant e-commerce platform that matches compelling restaurant brands with host kitchens, today announces its partnership with Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. Through this partnership with Franklin Junction, Dickey’s aims to open its first host kitchen location by the end of October with the goal of 25 locations by the end of 2021.

“We are thrilled to add Dickey’s Barbecue Pit to our brand partner roster as they are the leader in the barbecue segment backed by 80 years of heritage,” states Rishi Nigam, CEO of Franklin Junction. “Dickey’s family-run business resonates well with us at Franklin Junction as we are selective in partnering with brands who truly value their brand reputation while embracing the power of e-commerce as they strive for smart growth. We look forward to bringing a taste of Dickey’s authentic Legit. Texas. Barbecue to the world.”

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, with over 550 locations globally, has seen tremendous growth throughout the past two years by focusing on e-commerce and online sales, making the partnership with Franklin Junction an ideal opportunity to accelerate their presence in untapped markets.

“As the restaurant industry continues to innovate, we are looking forward to our partnership with Franklin Junction to help our brand grow in a unique way,” states Roland Dickey Jr, CEO of Dickey’s Capital Group. “Franklin Junction’s offerings provide our brand with the ability to increase our revenue within our current operating systems while also bringing us to market quickly, and we are excited that this partnership will continue to allow us to bring Dickey’s to new consumers around the country.”

Founded in 2020, Franklin Junction’s platform helps established brands optimize their existing infrastructure by serving as a Host Kitchen® and selling other brands for delivery only. Hosts are matched with a thoughtfully curated roster of proven restaurant brands, allowing them to increase revenue while providing hosted brands a platform to expand their geographic reach without capital expenditure.

About Franklin Junction

Franklin Junction created the concept of the “Host Kitchen” and is a digital platform helping restaurants monetize excess kitchen and storage capacity by facilitating the production and online sales of additional menu items.  Host facilities are matched with a carefully curated roster of exciting restaurant concepts allowing the Host to increase revenue while the hosted brands expand their geographic reach with limited capital expenditure for both. Franklin Junction’s proprietary process determines what products can be successfully sold out of host facilities, from branded hot foods to pre-packaged food items. Host facilities have now expanded to also include retailers outside the food industry who benefit from Franklin Junction’s approach to last-mile micro-distribution, including hotels and convenience stores. Franklin Junction currently has more than 500+ host facilities and 20+ partner brands. For more information, visit www.franklinjunction.com.

About Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. 

Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., the world’s largest barbecue concept, was founded in 1941 by Travis Dickey. For the past 80 years, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has served millions of guests Legit. Texas. Barbecue.™ At Dickey’s, all our barbecued meats are smoked onsite in a hickory wood burning pit. Dickey’s proudly believes there’s no shortcut to true barbecue and it’s why they never say bbq. The Dallas-based, family-run barbecue franchise offers several slow-smoked meats and wholesome sides with ‘No B.S. (Bad Stuff)’ included. The fast-casual concept has expanded worldwide with international locations in the UAE and Japan. Dickey’s Restaurant brands have over 550 locations nationwide. In 2016, Dickey’s won first place on Fast Casual’s “Top 100 Movers and Shakers” list, was named a Top 500 Franchise by Entrepreneur in 2018 and was named to Hospitality Technology Industry Heroes in 2021. Led by CEO Laura Rea Dickey, who was named among the country’s 50 most influential women in foodservice in 2020 by Nation’s Restaurant News and was recognized as one of the top 25 industry leaders on Fast Casual’s 2020 Top 100 Movers and Shakers list, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has also been recognized by Fox News, Forbes Magazine, Franchise Times, The Wall Street Journal and QSR Magazine. For more information, visit www.dickeys.com.

Contact:
Kate Laird
Trevelino/Keller
404-214-0722 x125
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

David Graves Promoted to Pizza Hut U.S. President, Effective January 1, 2022

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods
David Graves
David Graves

Graves Will Succeed Interim President Kevin Hochman, Who Is Resuming Full-Time Leadership of KFC U.S.

David Graves Promoted to Pizza Hut U.S. President, Effective January 1, 2022Plano, TX  (-)  Pizza Hut today announced the promotion of David Graves to President of Pizza Hut U.S., reporting to Pizza Hut Division Chief Executive Officer Aaron Powell, effective January 1, 2022. Graves currently serves as General Manager Pizza Hut U.S. and will succeed Interim President Pizza Hut U.S. Kevin Hochman. In this role, Graves will continue to build on Pizza Hut’s momentum and assume responsibility for driving profitable same-store sales, franchise operations and overall performance for the U.S. business.

“David has a well-deserved reputation for delivering results, repeatedly demonstrating his expertise in identifying solutions to business challenges that not only enhance the experience for customers, but also benefit restaurant economics, and I couldn’t be more pleased by his promotion,” said Powell. “The Pizza Hut U.S. strategy is strong, and the leadership and talent of this team is extraordinary. I’m confident that we’ll continue to see positive growth of this iconic brand in the years ahead,” said Powell.

With Graves’ appointment, Interim President Pizza Hut U.S. Kevin Hochman, who dually serves as President and Chief Concept Officer KFC U.S., will resume full-time leadership of KFC U.S., starting January 1, 2022. Having served in an interim role at Pizza Hut U.S. since late 2019, Hochman was brought on board to help strengthen the Pizza Hut U.S. business and accelerate innovation while continuing to lead a thriving KFC U.S. brand. Under Hochman’s and Graves’ leadership and in partnership with its franchisees, Pizza Hut U.S. has delivered product innovation, sustained sales improvement and continued to invest in its off-premise channel in response to shifting consumer demand.

“Kevin has delivered in a really meaningful and significant way, and I can’t thank him enough for his commitment and collaboration over the last two years leading two of our iconic brands in the U.S.,” said David Gibbs, Yum! Brands CEO. “We’re really pleased with Pizza Hut’s continued brand revitalization and transformation to a modern off-premise business in the U.S. I have all the confidence in David Graves – who has done an amazing job reinvigorating Pizza Hut’s innovation pipeline and bringing the brand forward to consumers in a way that’s really resonating – and believe Pizza Hut has an incredibly bright future.”

Since joining Pizza Hut in early 2020 as Chief Brand Officer, and most recently as General Manager, Graves has played a critical role in the development and continued execution of Pizza Hut’s turnaround strategy in the U.S. Prior to joining Pizza Hut, Graves spent several years at KFC U.S. leading marketing strategy and was responsible for much of the food innovation credited in KFC’s turnaround. Prior to joining Yum! in 2016, Graves spent much of his career at Procter & Gamble, where he led innovation and insights for several large brands in the consumer packaged goods space.

“I’m grateful to have worked alongside Kevin the past two years at Pizza Hut and before that, at KFC, and am honored to step into this role, leading one of America’s iconic brands,” said Graves. “In partnership with our franchisees and the Pizza Hut leadership team, I’m excited to build on our recent momentum and help guide this brand into the future.”

“The opportunity to work on the Pizza Hut brand alongside this team has been an incredible experience. It’s gratifying to see the strategy working that we put in place nearly two years ago, highlighted by an improvement in four-wall economics,” said Hochman. “David is a proven leader and an accomplished brand builder, and I can’t think of a better person to pass the torch to that ensures a seamless transition and continued success for the Pizza Hut U.S. business.”

About Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kan., Pizza Hut operates nearly 18,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. With easy order options including the Pizza Hut app, mobile site, and Amazon and Google devices, Pizza Hut is committed to providing an easy pizza experience – from order to delivery – and has Hut Rewards, the Pizza Hut loyalty program that offers points for every dollar spent on food any way you order.

Now more than ever, restaurants have an important role in helping to safely feed families. As one of the largest pizza brands in the world by store count, Pizza Hut is committed to doing its part. To help keep team members and customers safe, customers can get their favorite Pizza Hut pizza via three contactless offerings: curbside pickup, delivery, or carryout. After becoming the first national pizza brand to offer Contactless Curbside Pickup, Pizza Hut launched The Hut Lane™, a dedicated digital order pick-up window available at more than 1,500 locations across the country.

Pizza Hut is also the proprietor of The Literacy Project, an initiative designed to enable access, empower teachers and inspire a lifelong love of reading. The program is rooted in the foundation set by the Pizza Hut BOOK IT! Program, which is the longest-running corporate supported literacy program, impacting more than 14 million students each year. Pizza Hut is the Official and Only Pizza Sponsor of the NFL® and NCAA®.

For more information about Pizza Hut, visit www.pizzahut.com or www.pizzahut.com/c/content/sitemap.

Contacts:

Analysts are invited to contact:
Jodi Dyer, Vice President, Investor Relations and CFO, Digital & Technology at 888/298-6986

Members of the media are invited to contact:
Brett LeVecchio, Pizza Hut, at 972/338-6730 or [email protected]

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Food & Dining

The American Alcohol-Free Spirits Association (AAFSA) Announces That Indiegogo Is Heading Its Crowdfunding Campaign!

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

The American Alcohol-Free Spirits Association (AAFSA) Announces That Indiegogo Is Heading Its Crowdfunding Campaign!Melbourne FL  (-)  Imagine being able to drink a bottle of your favorite vodka or perhaps spend the night drinking whisky and still waking up feeling fresh and revitalized the next day. The magic of this is only possible with non-alcoholic spirits, and it is a trend much of the world is jumping on.

Since global lockdowns started in early 2020, attention towards non-alcoholic spirits has increased dramatically. Last year in the U.S. alone, sales of alcohol-free beer grew by 44 per cent and will continue to grow at a pace of 189 % the following years.

The momentum does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. It’s estimated that the non-alcoholic drinks market will be worth US$1.44 trillion by 2035. That’s more than half the predicted size of the global alcohol market, which is estimated to hit US$2.2 trillion in the same time frame.

But what exactly are non-alcoholic spirits? We are not talking about sugar-laced soft drinks or the child-friendly supermarket apple ciders that have been around forever. Sober drinks embody the essence and taste of traditional spirits, wine, and beers – simply without the alcohol.

The first popular alcohol-free producer ArKay Beverages sums it up perfectly: “The absence of alcohol enables revelers to remain clear-headed, of good cheer and in fine fettle to pursue whatever tickles their fancy the following day.”

The sober industry is exploding because consumers are discovering a new way of participating in social gatherings without the negative effects alcohol without sacrificing the flavor, and mostly because they can continue to enjoy their favorite cocktails without the alcohol.

This industry contributes in a positive way to help minimize the consequences of drunk driving and allows people under medication to drink without any negative effects, also there’s a fitness trend for people doing exercise or simply who want a better life by drinking in a smarter way. People want to get away from liquors to have a better life and non-alcoholic beverages provide a healthy alternative for them.

ArKay and its founder Reynald Vito Grattagliano created the sober concept in 2011, a new way of drinking “Sober drinking is about having a healthy relationship with drinking – it means that when you decide to have a sober drink you stay present and in control of your decisions rather than being swept away by the situation.

To keep the alcohol-free spirits alive, Reynald founded the American Alcohol-Free Spirits Association (AAFSA), a non-profit organization that will hold brands accountable for misguiding their audience by introducing alcohol free range which contains some alcohol. AAFSA’S memberships will provide multiple benefits to the people who will be associated with it in the future, including expertise, easily accessible information, committee structure, publications, and research data.

Therefore, Reynald Vito Grattagliano created AAFSA to protect and defend the sober industry he created in 2011 with ArKay.

Product Quality

AAFSA will resolve issues of concern such as presence of alcohol in some alcohol-free spirits brands that are marketing their product as alcohol free when in fact, they are not alcohol free, also AAFSA will verify if the labeling is correct and honest, if the ingredients that are inside the bottle are 100 % alcohol free and not distilled and then the alcohol removed. If sugar is present in the beverage which could harm the consumers. AAFSA’s goal is to protect consumers and help beverages manufacturers to make a good quality and safe alcohol-free spirit.

The rate of alcohol-free spirit manufacturers who boast that their drinks are 100% alcohol-free, but most of their products contain a certain amount of alcohol is alarming. AAFSA is strictly against any such false advertisements. This simply means that some companies are playing with people’s emotions and trying to get them addicted to their products. AAFSA is all set to take strict measures by informing FDA about the same.

AAFSA will work with the government authorities and FDA to organize together a safe way for the industry to develop. In no way will AAFSA be trying to act as the police of the industry, on the contrary its goal is to guide the industry so the producers can be on the same level.

Advertising

Stop the habit of buying fake honorific titles given to beverage makers who are in fact are paying the medal or awards to look better and mislead the consumers.

AAFSA wants to inform the membership applicants that have ever paid money to organizers of spirits competitors to buy awards, or have tried to display their brands on different websites to advertise their products, as best of the best, these activities will not be entertained by AAFSA

Deceptive advertisement and unfair competition are unethical, and it damages the sober industry’s image.

Brands lying to people to build revenue is not something that AAFSA will support.

AAFSA needs your support, with your support AAFSA will hire in house attorneys, open its own lab, travel to Washington to speak with law makers to pass laws to protect the consumers.

We are certain that philanthropist and donors are ready to help AAFSA to reach its goal. You may contribute by logging on Indiegogo.com or on https://www.indiegogo.com/explore/all?project_type=campaign&project_timing=all&sort=trending&q=american%20alcohol%20free%20spirits.

By 2025 hundreds of millions of consumers will not drink liquor anymore for health reason or simply to remain sober. Consumers will drink spirit alternatives instead, therefore it is important to act now to pass new regulations.

For those wondering why people would opt for non-alcoholic drinks, there are several health and wellbeing benefits to being sober.

By reducing alcohol consumption, you can reduce your risk of heart disease and some cancers, improve your sleep, help bone development, and reduce your risk of illness (especially helpful when we are battling a pandemic).

Not to mention alcohol-free spirits are generally lower in calories and are more inclusive in social settings.

From the U.S. to Europe, ArKay is the creator and the masters of mindful drinking, launched in 2011 and the first one to market before AAFSA comes into place.

What makes it special?

ArKay has been spearheading the way for the world to follow since 2011.

Founder Reynald Vito Grattagliano began his commercial journey in 2011 when he manufactured the world first a non-alcoholic whisky.

With no sugar, allergens, sweeteners, or alcohol, Grattagliano and his wife, Sylvie, launched the spirit alternative that delivers an abundance of flavor and mouth burn just like the original.

ArKay, unlike alcohol, is not constrained by strict market regulations, allowing it to be sold virtually anywhere such as coffee shops, convenience stores, supermarkets, bars, liquor stores, grocery stores, night club, universities campuses and hotels.

Founder Reynald Vito Grattagliano, the creator of the world’s first 0% ABV non-alcoholic spirit, has a great passion for caring for others’ health. His sole purpose was to make a beverage that gave you the same kick, sensation, and mouth burn as the typical whiskey, giving consumers a sober option to a night out. Reynald invested tons of time, effort, and dedication to finding a formula that would provide ArKay a taste and smell like the commonly known alcohol so consumers would not notice the difference.

In 2007, Reynald’s son Kevin came home one night and said to him, “Dad, why don’t you invent an alcohol-free whisky?” He worked on the project for over four years, and after a lot of trial and error, he pioneered the way for alcohol-free spirits. He invested millions of dollars on the project but said he was pleased and proud of what he had accomplished. When he first introduced ArKay to the market in 2011, he received a lot of controversies. Some applauded what he did for the good he was doing to those who consumed a significant excess of alcohol.

Arkay has maintained strong ties to its founder’s ideas to improve health and contribute to general wellbeing. The company’s vision is to help eradicate the most common problems related to excess alcohol consumption, bringing a wide variety of drinks that can give consumers the same pleasure and satisfaction of the alcoholic options without harm.

Imagine getting all the advantages of your favorite alcoholic drinks, and none of its cons. Imagine remaining clear headed after a night out, letting it all go, while remaining the same the next morning. None of that hangover, splitting headache, and all the other effects we try to run away from. This magic is only possible with non-alcoholic drinks. A larger part of the year 2020 was spent indoors, the bars and any other place of relaxation were closed, this had a drastic effect on the drinking habits of most folks, and there was an increase in the consumption of non-alcoholic spirits. The non-alcoholic drink industry grew a staggering 506%, and projections still state that the trend is upward, as new non-alcoholic spirit brands are being launched across countries.

Covid-19 has sparked a renewed interest in wellness, and the making of better health choices. This has caused the attention of home drinkers, and folks planning to quit on alcohol to focus more on non-alcoholic drinks.

So, what are non-alcoholic spirits anyway? This is different from the soft drinks we have always been used to, the sugar-infused drinks we have always been told to drink on a hot afternoon, or after an early morning jog. They are always refreshing, aren’t they? Nope! Arkay perfectly describes it as that “absence of alcohol which allows revelers to remain clear headed, be in control of the situation; without feeling burdened, and still be able to do whatever they want to, the next day” It is funny how the best ideas come to us most unexpectedly. Never did Arkay founder Reynald Grattagliano, in 2011 think that his idea would open the door to a trillion-dollar sober industry. Never did he think that the simple suggestion of his son after a night out drinking, feeling the after-effects of alcoholic liquor would grow to make so much impact in the world. Well, many want to leave the world better than they found it. Reynald is happy to have found his niche and become a leading voice in making the world a better place. It is not surprising that his original idea was about how to get people away from alcoholic liquors.

About Reynald Vito Grattagliano

Reynald Vito Grattagliano is perfumer, self-made scientist, an entrepreneur, and philanthropist driven to solve the world’s biggest challenges through innovation. Reynald is the spark behind the current alcohol-free spirit movement, having been the first in the field to imitate spirits giving consumers a sober option to a night out.

As the founder of Arkay Beverages, Reynald Grattagliano sees beyond the current business and technological landscape, creating a real impact company and consumers being the doyen of the alcohol-free spirits category or zero proof spirits category.

Media Contact:
American Alcohol-Free Spirits Association Non-Profit
https://americanalcoholfreespiritsassociation.org.
917-657 7126 (WhatsApp only)

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Food & Dining

Peach Cobbler Factory Opening New Store on UT Chattanooga Campus

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

Peach Cobbler Factory Opening New Store on UT Chattanooga Campus

Louisville, KY  (-)  The new Peach Cobbler Factory agreement was announced by company official Greg George whom is a twenty five year veteran in the food franchise industry. The company has now expanded in Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana and Georgia.

The company is excited to move on to a national recognized college campus property. UT Chattanooga staff and students will now get a chance to experience what customers in nearby Nashville have experienced for years.

The Peach Cobbler Factory has experienced massive success over the years and to date has (22) stores open or in the process of opening in four southern states. The company is uber focused on growing with the right partners in the right markets.

The Peach Cobbler Factory is actively recruiting multi-unit operators, individual store owners and area representatives. The franchise offers multiple revenue streams for partners including take out, delivery, catering and dine-in options.

For more information on new locations, visit their website at https://www.peachcobblerfactory.com.

Peach Cobbler Factory Opening New Store on UT Chattanooga Campus

About Peach Cobbler Factory

The Peach Cobbler Factory was founded in Nashville, TN in 2013 by Tamira Edgerton. The company offers a family style dessert shop with old fashioned cobbler, cinnamon rolls and banana pudding.

Contact:
U.S. Franchise Development
Peach Cobbler Factory
910-228-1995
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

Healthy James Expands to Wilmington, North Carolina

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

Healthy James Expands to Wilmington, North Carolina

Louisville, KY  (-)  Healthy James Meal Prep and wellness stores official Greg George announced the opening of yet another franchised location in the heart of Wilmington, North Carolina.

Healthy James offers:

  • chef made meals
  • smoothie bar
  • pressed juices
  • low calorie pizzas
  • sugar free desserts
  • smoothie bowls
  • delicious wraps
  • delivery service
  • and more…

Serving a wide health-conscious customer base, they offer a variety of meal options including, paleo, keto, vegetarian and vegan. Since launching in 2017, Healthy James has been gaining in popularly amongst people seeking a healthier lifestyle and busy parents looking for quick and nutritious meals.

Healthy James is actively recruiting multi-unit operators, individual store owners and area representatives. The franchise offers multiple revenue streams for partners including take-out, delivery, catering and dine-in options.

For more information on new locations, visit our website, http://www.healthyjames.com.

Healthy James Expands to Wilmington, North Carolina

About Healthy James

Founded in Louisville, KY in 2017, Healthy James offers ready-to-eat meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner and mid-day snacking. They currently operate three locations and are rapidly expanding via franchising. They offer take-out, delivery, catering and dine-in services.

Contact:
Greg George
Healthy James
U.S. & International Franchise Developer
910-228-1995
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

Dolly Llama Waffle Master Rapidly Expanding Nationally via Franchising

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

Dolly Llama Waffle Master Rapidly Expanding Nationally via Franchising

Los Angeles, CA  (-)  Dolly Llama Waffle Master company officials announce a partnership with national and international franchise developers Foodie Franchises. The company is now expanding throughout the United States with its ever popular ice cream and dessert offerings.

Since its inception in 2017, The Dolly Llama has dominated LA’s waffle scene with its own unique take on the Bubble Waffle, in addition to Dolly Llama Shakes, Waffle Sticks, and OG liege Waffles and continues prove that all waffles don’t need syrup.

Not just your traditional dessert shop, it is a destination! With its aesthetic flair, interactive environment, and unbeatable desserts, THE DOLLY LLAMA attracts customers from all walks of life. Families, individuals, date nights, students, Dolly Llama locations truly are magical!

Dolly Llama Waffle Master Rapidly Expanding Nationally via Franchising

About Dolly Llama Waffle Master

Founded by real estate leader, Eric Shomof and European restaurateur and entrepreneur, Samuel Baroux in 2017. The Dolly Llama made their dream of working together into a reality. When these childhood friends turned businessmen got together, magic happened!

Contact:
Greg George
Dolly Llama Waffle Master
U.S. & International Franchising
910-228-1995
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

Newk’s Debuts 9 All-New Signature Menu Items

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

Newk's Debuts 9 All-New Signature Menu Items

Menu refresh includes craveable new dishes and premium proteins

Newk's Debuts 9 All-New Signature Menu ItemsJackson, MS  (-)  Newk’s Eatery launches a revamped menu with a focus on high-quality ingredients and premium proteins such as tenderloin steak and grilled salmon.

The new menu features a new look and delicious new items, including:

    • Newk’s Cheesesteak Sandwich made with medium-rare petit tenderloin steak, Newk’s signature pimiento cheese, cheddar cheese, red and yellow bell peppers, caramelized onions and mayo on Parisian bread.
    • Portabella Veggie Sandwich made with portabella mushrooms, red and yellow bell peppers, Swiss cheese, basil pesto on Parisian bread.
    • Salmon Caesar Salad, featuring grilled salmon atop a bed of romaine blend lettuce, croutons, Parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing.
    • Supreme Pizza made with pepperoni, Italian pork sausage, red and yellow bell peppers, red onions, Kalamata olives, pepperoncini, mozzarella and pizza sauce, topped with fresh basil.

Other new items include Newk’s Sweet & Spicy BBQ Steak Sandwich made with medium-rare petite tenderloin steak and a sweet & spicy house-made BBQ sauce topped with jalapeños; a Portabella Veggie Pizza made with Newk’s signature crust, portabella mushrooms, veggies and basil pesto; and the Double Club, a fan-favorite with double the meat and cheese on Parisian bread. For kids, the menu now offers a Cheeseburger Pizza and Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese.

“In consumer research, we learned that our fans want more unique and craveable menu items in addition to our already popular menu lineup,” said Newk’s Senior Vice President of Guest Experience Denise Pedini. “In creating our incredible new recipes, we focused on our high-quality ingredients and reimagined favorites to include exciting new flavors and proteins.”

The updated menu includes a new “Pick a Pair” option that offers guests their choice of a Large Pairing, Half Pairing or new Half Salad + Half Soup pairing at a competitive price.

“We built the Newk’s brand on scratch-made dishes created from family recipes, prepared fresh every day to order in our large, open kitchens,” said Chris Newcomb, Newk’s Executive Chairman and Co-Founder. “These new items continue that tradition, and we are certain they are going to become favorites for a new generation of Newk’s fans.”

A complete menu is available at https://newks.com/newks-menu.

About Newk’s Eatery

Based in?Jackson, Mississippi, Newk’s Eatery is a fast-casual chain that operates and franchises more than 100+ units in 16 states. Founded in 2004 and named after co-founder Chris “Newk” Newcomb, Newk’s hand-preps more than 50 fresh ingredients daily for handcrafted salads, sandwiches, soups and pizzas, all made in-house without fryers or microwaves. Its Signature cakes are baked in Newk’s own bakery. Fresh grab-and-go options are also available, and Newk’s new mobile app, now available on Google Play and the App Store, offers mobile ordering for curbside, in-store pickup or delivery options. Since 2014, Newk’s Cares, the philanthropic arm of Newk’s Eatery launched by Newcomb’s late wife and co-founder Lori Newcomb after her stage IIIc ovarian cancer diagnosis, has raised more than $1.6 million to support Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA).  In 2020, Newk’s Eatery ranked in Nation’s Restaurant News Top 200 Countdown and Restaurant Business’ Top 250 Chains. Newk’s also has been selected as a Top Food Franchise by Entrepreneur. For more information, visit Newks.com, join the e-Club or follow Newk’s on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Contact:
Jami Sharp
Champion Management
972-930-9933
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

Pizza Guys Kicks off Raising Dough for a Cure Campaign

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

Pizza Guys Kicks off Raising Dough for a Cure Campaign

Popular pizza franchise teams up with American Cancer Society to raise money for breast cancer research

Pizza Guys Kicks off Raising Dough for a Cure CampaignSacramento, CA  (-)  Pizza Guys – a Sacramento-based pizza restaurant specializing in unique flavors and fresh high-quality food – is kicking off its 8th year of partnering with the American Cancer Society with its Raising Dough for a Cure Campaign. Since 2014, Pizza Guys has raised over $271,000 to help fund cancer research and programs. The campaign will run through the end of the month in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

To support and honor those affected by breast cancer, Pizza Guys will go pink! Shades of pink will be used on their large boxes, uniforms, and social media platforms. Additionally, proceeds from every large pizza sold and one dollar from every Raising Dough for a Cure Special will go towards a donation to the American Cancer Society. With the Raising Dough for a Cure Special, customers can purchase any large specialty pizza at a discount in store and online. Each specialty pizza will be available for $19.99 throughout the Sacramento, CA and Nevada markets, $21.99 in the Bay Area, and $23.99 in the Greater Bay Area. All large pizzas will come in a pink box to commemorate the cause.

In addition to the campaign, Pizza Guys will be participating in the Making Strides Event on Sunday, October 17th. The brand will have a booth at the event with prize giveaways.

“The Raising Dough for a Cure Campaign is our way of giving back to the community and encouraging others to do the same,” stated Shahpour Nejad, CEO and co-founder of Pizza Guys. “During a time of crisis like we face now, it is more important than ever that we show our support for the brave individuals fighting breast cancer.”

For 35 years, Pizza Guys has been committed to offering quality artisan pizzas and ensuring customer satisfaction. Home of the Specialty Pizzas, all locations make their dough from scratch daily and top it with their secret blend of herbs, spices, and vine-ripened tomatoes grown in Central California. All ingredients are high-quality and always fresh. Without compromising quality, Pizza Guys offers deals to meet every budget and appeals to every customer. The brand prides itself on its customer service and is looking to partner with pizza lovers and customer-oriented businesspeople. Pizza Guys’ business model has allowed the brand’s stores to continue operating successfully throughout the pandemic.

About Pizza Guys

Founded in 1986 and franchising since 1994, Pizza Guys offers high-quality and delicious gourmet pizzas at a price point that can meet every budget. Each Pizza Guys pizza is handcrafted using fresh-made dough, 100% whole milk mozzarella cheese, and a sauce made with fresh-packed, California-grown tomatoes, all topped with high quality toppings from trusted brands. The brand currently has over 70 stores open and operating across three states. For more information about Pizza Guys, please visit: https://www.pizzaguys.com.

Contact:
Anna Joubert
Franchise Elevator PR
847-945-1300 ext. 278
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

Dog Haus Revamps Menu with New Haus Chicken Creations

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods
Dog Haus The Hot Chick
The Hot Chick

Acclaimed gourmet hot dog, sausage and burger concept expands Haus Chicken, Kids Meals and plant-based meats lineups

Dog Haus Revamps Menu with New Haus Chicken CreationsPasadena, CA  (-)  Fans of The Absolute Würst have even more reasons to take a trip to Dog Haus with the addition of a variety of bold, innovative items!

Led by Dog Haus’ culinary team, the acclaimed gourmet hot dog, sausage and burger concept has enhanced its already renowned menu with more delicious items that give guests the option between meat and plant-based proteins on its Haus Chicken and Kids Meal lineups.

Dog Haus fans nationwide can now sink their teeth into The Hot Chick, the brand’s latest fried chicken sandwich creation, featuring two crispy fried chicken tenders, spiced to your liking (plain, Nashville Hot or Nashville Hotter) with secret sauce, dill pickle slices and slaw, served on grilled King’s Hawaiian rolls. Adding to its offerings, guests can also order wings and tenders, coated in their choice of flavors: Chipotle Honey, Haus BBQ, Haus Buffalo, Nashville Style or plain.

As a place known for its family-friendly atmosphere, the award-winning brand has also expanded its Kids Menu to include a new Chicken Tenders Kids Meal, with choice of two crispy fried or grilled chicken tenders, a side of tots or fries and a fountain drink or juice.

According to a 2019 survey conducted by YouGov and WholeFoods Market, 63% of millennials are trying to include plant-based foods in their diets. With plant-based foods becoming more prevalent for young people, Dog Haus – in collaboration with Impossible Foods – is supporting younger generations’ lifestyles by becoming one of the first brands to launch an Impossible™ Chicken Nuggets Kids Meal, which will include four Impossible Chicken Nuggets, a side and a choice of drink or juice. Guests of all ages can also enjoy six, 10 or 20 nuggets with the same flavor options as wings and tenders with a choice of dipping sauce.

This launch follows last month’s announcement that Dog Haus would be one of the first to offer Beyond Meat®’s breakthrough plant-based chicken product, Beyond Chicken® Tenders. The tenders were an instant hit and now fans of The Absolute Würst can get any Haus Chicken sandwich with Beyond Chicken Tenders, or munch on an order of Beyond Chicken Tenders with their choice of dipping sauce. With these innovative creations, the plant-based opportunities at Dog Haus are near limitless.

“In 2017, we introduced our Bad Mutha Clucka chicken sandwich, which marked a new culinary era for us as we began exploring other chicken offerings,” said Dog Haus Partner Hagop Giragossian. “Over the past few years, we’ve tested chef-driven creations, like our Karaage Kid Japanese fried chicken sandwich and Chris Oh’s Korean fried chicken wings. The success of these limited-time items inspired us to think bigger. We couldn’t wait to officially add to our Haus Chicken lineup and expand our plant-based protein offerings. As a leader in menu innovation, we’re constantly identifying improvements to best serve our communities and their cravings. With our creative spirit and impressive culinary team, there’s always something new at Dog Haus.”

For up-to-date location and brand information, visit doghaus.com or follow Dog Haus on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @DogHausDogs.

About Dog Haus

Dog Haus is an award-winning concept known for its gourmet hot dogs, sausages, as well as plant-based and fried chicken creations. Founded by longtime friends Hagop Giragossian, Quasim Riaz and André Vener, the first Dog Haus opened in Pasadena, California in 2010. 2020 marked Dog Haus’ 10th anniversary and the brand has since expanded into concert venues, virtual kitchens, and is poised for aggressive expansion across the country. Dog Haus was recently honored with Nation’s Restaurant News’ “Menu Trendsetter” award, as part of its prestigious MenuMasters, and continues to garner critical acclaim for its signature all beef dogs and hand-crafted sausages with no added nitrates, 100% Black Angus beef burgers, and a fried chicken sandwich – all of which are made with hormone- and antibiotic-free meat and served on grilled King’s Hawaiian rolls. With the brand’s mission to sustainably feed everyone who walks through their doors, Dog Haus also offers plant-based burger and sausage proteins. In addition to continuing to establish itself as a “haus”-hold name, Dog Haus has helped raise enough funds to provide over one million meals to kids in need through its national charity partner No Kid Hungry. For up to date location and brand information, visit doghaus.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @DogHausDogs.

Contact:
Cami Studebaker
Champion Management
972-930-9933
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

Raising Cane’s Deploys Corporate Office to Restaurants to Meet Hiring Goals

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

Raising Cane's Deploys Corporate Office to Restaurants to Meet Hiring Goals

Company announces major hiring goal ahead of 2022 growth – 10,000 new hires in 50 days

Raising Cane's Deploys Corporate Office to Restaurants to Meet Hiring GoalsDallas, TX  (-)  Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers today announced that beginning this week, 50% of its corporate team will deploy across the country to work in its restaurants.

As Cane’s wraps up a historic year, they are looking ahead to 2022 – which will be another historic year for the company. With plans to open more than 100 new restaurants, in over 10 new markets, with five Flagship Locations, 2022 will be Canes’ biggest year yet. In preparation for next year’s massive growth, Cane’s is aiming to hire 10,000 new Crewmembers over the next 50 days.

“The first thing we teach new hires at Cane’s is that we are all Fry Cooks & Cashiers, and this week, we are proving that,” said AJ Kumaran, Raising Cane’s Co-CEO & COO. “It’s no secret that today’s hiring market is a challenge, and ahead of our massive growth next year, having the support we need is critical. We are all in this together, and when our restaurants need us, we’re there.”

Background:

  • In addition to supporting day-to-day restaurant needs, members of Canes’ corporate team will also be there to actively recruit. Those deploying will be sent in teams to each market, and the team that sees the largest increase in new hires will be rewarded;
  • Cane’s currently has 40,000 crewmembers systemwide. The goal of 10,000 new hires over 50 days has been dubbed “50 in 50” – getting the company to 50,000 crewmembers in 50 days;
  • Every crewmember at Cane’s, from Founder & Co-CEO down, has “Fry Cook & Cashier” in their title – a point of pride for the company that roots itself in appreciation;
  • Every new hire at Canes’ Restaurant Support Office starts their career at Cane’s with restaurant training – earning their title of Fry Cook & Cashier, and giving them the ability to support the restaurants at any level.

Raising Cane’s is consistently ranked among the top restaurant brands for food quality, speed of service, cleanliness, and customer service. In 2020, Sandelman ranked Raising Cane’s the third-highest Restaurant brand in the U.S. for Overall Customer Satisfaction. Technomic® also recently announced Cane’s was voted by its Customers as the top fast-casual Restaurant for Customer Safety during the pandemic. 

About Raising Cane’s®

Founded by Todd Graves in 1996 in Baton Rouge, La., RAISING CANE’S CHICKEN FINGERS has more than 580 Restaurants in 31 states and the Middle East with 75 new Restaurants and 20 new markets planned for 2021. The company has ONE LOVE® – quality chicken finger meals – and is continually recrecognized for its unique business model and customer satisfaction. Raising Cane’s vision is to grow Restaurants, serving our Customers, all over the world and be the brand for quality chicken finger meals, a great Crew, cool Culture and active Community involvement. In addition to being named the “Fastest Growing Chicken Chain” by Nation’s Restaurant News in 2020, Raising Cane’s was also named the #1 fast-casual restaurant for “Keeping Customers Safe.” More information is available at raisingcanes.com.

Contact:
Jami Sharp
Champion Management
972-930-9933
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar Brings Back Fall Favorites

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar Brings Back Fall Favorites

Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar Brings Back Fall FavoritesSan Diego, CA  (-)  Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar brought back their Fall Favorites limited time only menu at all Kelly Operations Group owned locations. The menu is available for dine in, take out and third-party delivery.

The Fall Favorites menus includes seasonal favorites like the Turkey Dinner which includes slow roasted in house turkey, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, mashed brown sugar sweet potatoes and scratch made orange cranberry sauce. They also brought their made from scratch pumpkin cream cheese pie that is set in a Lorna Doone shortbread crust with creamy salted caramel sauce.

“At Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar the holiday season is the busiest time of the year for us and want our guests to enjoy the flavors of the season beginning in September.” said Jarrett Ritenour, COO for Kelly Operations Group, parent group of Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar. “If you haven’t had our pumpkin cream cheese pie than you need to order it now, the flavors and the texture are fantastic, and our guests just love it!”

The Fall Favorites limited time menu will be available until Sunday, November 28th. In addition to the Fall Favorites limited time menu Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar has begun taking holiday party reservations as well as holiday platter take out orders. More information on these offerings and the menu can be found at ClaimJumper.com.

In addition to the Fall Favorites, Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar has launched two new take-out offerings including the Tailgate Platter which consists of a dozen of Philly Cheesesteak sliders and two pounds of boneless wings. The other take-out offer is the “Bag of Bones” which includes two full racks of ribs, 30 chicken wings, two pounds of fries, one pint of coleslaw, celery, and a Claim Jumper logo reusable thermal bag, perfect for gameday. To order either of these take out offerings call your local Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar.

Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar is currently running their full core menu along with happy hour, Prime Steak menu and group menus.

To check out the other promotions and full Fall Favorites menu online visit www.claimjumper.com.

About Claim Jumper Restaurant

Claim Jumper Restaurant is California based and is a chain of casual dining restaurants within California, Oregon, Nevada, Washington, Arizona, and Illinois. Founded in 1977.

Contact:
Alisha Merico
412-646-5455
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

Hawaiian-Inspired Shaka Bowl Partners with Oakscale to Drive Franchise Growth

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods
Hawaiian-Inspired Shaka Bowl Partners with Oakscale to Drive Franchise Growth
Shaka Bowl Founders, Kiersten and Krista

Hawaiian fast-casual brand Shaka Bowl partners with Oakscale to bring its health-driven, Hawaiian-inspired menu nationwide through franchising.

Hawaiian-Inspired Shaka Bowl Partners with Oakscale to Drive Franchise GrowthHoboken, NJ  (-)  New Jersey-based Shaka Bowl was founded by two sisters who wanted to bring a piece of their life in Hawaii to the mainland. Inspired by the flavors and culture of the islands, Kiersten and Krista Gormeley opened the first Shaka Bowl, a Hawaiian-inspired fast casual health eatery in Fall 2016 in Hoboken, New Jersey, with a menu centered around acai, pitaya, poke bowls, and smoothies. The population of Hoboken embraced the Hawaiian way that the sisters had brought to them, and the sisters soon expanded their menu and opened a second Hoboken location less than a mile from their first to cater to the rising demand.

Shaka has since developed into a restaurant known for far more than acai bowls and smoothies. Their expanded menu includes an entire coffee bar, house-made baked goods, oatmeal, tacos (breakfast & lunch), and offers seasonal LTO’s. Every single key ingredient that goes into their offerings is prepared in-house daily from fresh and natural ingredients while also catering to every dietary need in the era of dietary needs. Their packaging and straws are also 100% sustainable, as the Hawaiian way extends beyond their customers, to planet earth as well.

To add to their impressive restaurants in Hoboken (a market that is only one square mile), Shaka Bowl is also home of Food Network Chopped champion, Kiersten Gormeley. As the Head Chef at Shaka Bowl, she arrived on set for the episode that aired in late May 2021, to discover her competitors were 3 men, all her senior, with extensive experience in the restaurant industry. Gormeley, who never attended culinary school, proceeded to show off her natural skills and take home the trophy.

With Kiersten at the helm of Shaka’s culinary efforts, Shaka Bowl is always keeping it’s menu as fresh as it’s food, with exciting limited time offers such as the fan favorite Cinnamon Toast Crunch Smoothie in the winter or Coconut Mango Shrimp Tacos in the summer.

Culinary creativity such as this is why Shaka Bowl has been featured in Forbes, The Digest, and several other media outlets, in addition to catering for clients such as Bloomingdales, GOAT, Snapchat, Forbes, Shutterstock, and many more.

Hawaiian-Inspired Shaka Bowl Partners with Oakscale to Drive Franchise Growth
Hawaiian-inspired Menu at Shaka Bowl

Sisters Kiersten and Krista have brought their brother Eric into the fold as the CEO of Shaka Bowl. Eric Gormeley brings a wealth of experience in construction and real estate development as the CEO of Deugen Development, also based out of Hoboken, New Jersey. With Kiersten leading the culinary efforts, Krista running marketing and operations, and Eric’s leadership and real estate development experience, Shaka Bowl is primed for national expansion, and is ready to help you #FindYourShaka in your local market.

Oakscale CEO, Joshua Kovacs, expects Shaka Bowl to be a winning franchise concept. He explains, “Shaka Bowl has built a fresh brand that has clearly resonated with the Hoboken community. They’ve found a winning formula of creating meals that are healthy for you, can cater to all dietary needs, and are packaged in an environmentally friendly way. Oakscale’s goal has always been to amplify brands that are progressive in practice, and in the restaurant industry Shaka Bowl is ahead of the curve with their emphasis on nutritional value and sustainability. These factors, combined with the strong performance of their restaurants in a small market like Hoboken, are incredibly encouraging – especially as we help Shaka Bowl expand to bigger markets that offer far more potential customers.“

Shaka Bowl is seeking passionate franchise owners that are ready to learn, work hard, and bring this positive Hawaiian inspired experience to their community . Experienced franchisees as well as first time franchise owners with management experience are invited to apply.

In partnership with Oakscale Franchise Development, Shaka is seeking experienced multi-unit franchise operators to develop franchise territories in top markets around the globe. For more information, please visit shakabowl.com.

Contact:
Joshua Kovacs
Oakscale
540-845-0751
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

Pokeworks Charges Back into NYC, Completes Home Market Reopenings

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

Pokeworks Charges Back into NYC, Completes Home Market Reopenings

Poke Concept Opens Three Locations in NYC, Boosts Post-Pandemic Brand Expansion

Pokeworks Charges Back into NYC, Completes Home Market ReopeningsNew York City, NY  (-)  Pokeworks announces the reopening of its Grand Central location in Manhattan, located at 117 E 41st St., representing the completion of the brand’s reopening to New York City residents. Following a pandemic-induced closure, on September 13 the Grand Central Pokeworks restaurant will once again welcome the NYC community to try its unique and flavorful poke creations. To celebrate this milestone, Pokeworks will be offering merchandise giveaways for first-in-line foodies all week long.

Pokeworks Grand Central is one of six locations that contribute to the brand’s growth strategy for the NYC market. Founded in 2015 in Midtown Manhattan, Pokeworks helped pioneer the mainland poke movement in the middle of the diverse New York City food scene with its first location in Bryant Park. In August, the brand reopened that flagship location and also celebrated the grand opening of a franchise-owned location near Hudson Yards.

“The growth of the New York City market goes further than hitting development milestones, as New York City continues to share a piece of the Pokeworks origin story,” said Michael Chen, Co-Founder of Pokeworks. “The Bryant Park and Grand Central locations remind us of where we started, and the new location in Hudson Yards is an example of where we’re going and growing in the market.”

Pokeworks has been hard at work building the brand, rolling out new restaurant design and development projects, menu innovations and major additions to the C-Suite, all of which have fueled rapid franchise development as the brand is on track to add 10 locations by the end of 2021.

“Pokeworks began with nine founders who shared a vision to create a concept that delivers fresh, healthy and delicious poke to all, and has grown from one location in Manhattan to 64 locations worldwide in just five years,” said Steve Heeley, CEO of Pokeworks. “We strive to continue innovating, growing and improving our brand vision – and growing our NY presence in all the boroughs is part of that vision.”

As the nation’s largest poke brand, Pokeworks has led the growth of the premium poke industry, known for fresh and flavorful traditional Hawaiian-inspired poke. The brand is known for its Signature Works poke creations as well as its ‘Poke-Your-Way’ option for guests to build their own poke bowls, burritos or salads by selecting a base protein – tuna, salmon, chicken, shrimp and tofu, unique regional mix-ins, flavoring sauces, toppings and crunchy texture.

The brand’s performance has earned multiple awards wins, including being ranked as one of NRN’s Top Five Concepts in 2018, inclusion in Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers and Shakers three years in a row, including being ranked in the top five brands for 2019 and 2020, and inclusion in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 ranking in 2021. Pokeworks has set aggressive expansion goals to double new store commitments in 2021 and 2022 as it seeks multi-unit operators throughout the United States and internationally.

Pokeworks Charges Back into NYC, Completes Home Market Reopenings

About Pokeworks

Pokeworks is the nation’s largest and fastest-growing poke brands in North America with 64 locations open and more than 75 projected to open by the end of 2022. The brand provides a fresh take on Hawaiian-inspired poke burritos and bowls and salads derived from the highest quality ingredients. The brand’s unique menu allows for complete customization to cater to almost anyone, including those maintaining gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian, vegan as well as cooked or raw protein diets. For more information on Pokeworks’ franchise opportunities, visit https://www.pokeworks.com/franchise.

Contact:
Anna Pool
Fishman PR
[email protected]
847-945-1300

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Food & Dining

Impressive Third Quarter Growth Underscores Momentum for Smoothie King

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

Impressive Third Quarter Growth Underscores Momentum for Smoothie King

World’s Largest Smoothie Brand Reports 18% Same-Stores Sales Increase, Aggressive International and Domestic Expansion Alongside Strong Financial Performance Top Stores

Impressive Third Quarter Growth Underscores Momentum for Smoothie KingDallas, TX  (-)  After a record breaking second quarter which brought a company milestone of 34% same-store sales increase, Smoothie King experienced a 5% sales increase in the third quarter of 2021 on top of an extraordinary 14.8% sales increase in the third quarter over 2019. The brand ended the third quarter positive 18% year-to-date. Further solidifying its position as the leader in the smoothie category, Smoothie King opened 21 new stores for the quarter totaling 92 new-store openings year-to-date. In addition to strong sales numbers the brand has welcomed 26 new domestic franchisees this year and signed 158 domestic store commitments to date. Looking ahead, the world’s largest smoothie brand expects a total of approximately 240 new store commitments by the end of 2021.

Smoothie King also achieved a record $834,562 average unit volume (AUV) for the top 25% of franchised units in operation. This store-level success is partly attributed to the strong digital performance the brand has seen which includes the healthy rewards app, online ordering for pickup and delivery, multiple third-party delivery partners, and the introduction of tablet devices for drive-thru locations.  The brand has seen faster, more accurate and friendlier service which has clearly translated into even stronger unit-level performance.  For the first time, Smoothie King also reported an impressive store-level EBITDA at 20%. This is a result of the implementation of store level tools to help franchisees control their costs as well as the work done to lower food costs during this challenging time. This milestone further proves the brands dedication to store level profitability and to their franchisee’s growth.

“In the wake of the global health crisis we are facing, inspiring people to live healthy and active lifestyle has proven to be instrumental to our growth and has helped introduce our brand to new guests,” said Wan Kim, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Smoothie King. “As we head in to 2022 our focus is on helping our franchisees attain higher unit volume and EBITDA through operational efficiency and new technology and to stay dedicated to our mission and vision through new product launches and system-wide initiatives. I am proud of my team and our franchisees hard work getting to where we are today and look forward to the future growth of Smoothie King.”

Smoothie King also ranked 135 on the Franchise Times Top 400 List climbing 30 spots since 2020 which lists the largest U.S.-based franchise systems according to global, system-wide sales. This year has brought multiple other accolades for the brand including ranking on Nation’s Restaurant News 2021 Top 500 list in addition to being named one of Entrepreneur magazine’s fastest-growing franchises in 2021.

“There has never been a better time to invest into a Smoothie King franchise,” added Kevin King, Chief Business Development Officer. “The fourth quarter will surely bring more wins for our franchisees and we look forward to finding even more qualified franchise candidates to expand our brand into new and existing markets across the country.”

As the world’s largest smoothie brand with more than 1,300 stores open, Smoothie King has achieved same-store sales growth for the past 9+ years by delivering masterfully crafted blends that support its guests’ healthy and active lifestyles. Get started by visiting www.smoothiekingfranchise.com for more information.

About Smoothie King Franchises, Inc.

Smoothie King Franchises, Inc., the original U.S. smoothie franchise, is a privately-held, Dallas-based franchise company with over 1,300 locations worldwide. Founded in 1973, Smoothie King has evolved into a lifestyle brand inspiring people to live healthy and active lifestyles via nutritious, great-tasting smoothies. The franchise earned the No. 1 ranking in the smoothie/juice bar category, and No. 19 overall, on Entrepreneur’s prestigious Franchise 500 list in 2021. The company also debuted on the “Inc. 5000” list in 2018.

Contact:
Conner Gossel
Fishman PR
847-945-1300
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

Hooters Releases Its 2022 Calendar

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods
Gianna Tulio, 2022 Hooters Calendar cover girl
Gianna Tulio, 2022 Hooters Calendar cover girl

$1 of Every Hooters Calendar Purchase Supports Breast Cancer Research as Part of Hooters Give a Hoot Fundraising Effort

Hooters Releases Its 2022 CalendarAtlanta, GA  (-)  Hooters, the original American wing joint, invites all wing and Hooters Girl fans to grab their 2022 Hooters Calendar. It can be purchased online as well as in-restaurant at your neighborhood Hooters.

For every calendar sold, Hooters donates $1 toward its Give A Hoot fundraising effort, benefitting the V Foundation for Cancer Research, one of the nation’s leading cancer research funding organizations, as well as other local beneficiaries through the Kelly Jo Dowd Breast Cancer Research Fund.

Gianna Tulio, the 2022 Hooters Calendar cover girl, recently claimed her title as 2021 Miss Hooters, allowing her the opportunity to contribute to marketing initiatives and special events throughout the year, from traveling to domestic and international openings and leading the crew in cheering on Chase Elliott, NASCAR driver of the No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro.

The 2022 Hooters Calendar feature girls (and the hometown Hooters location they represent) include:

  • Cover Girl: Gianna Tulio (Boca Raton, Fla.)
  • Miss January: Gracie Chamberlain (Tampa, Fla.)
  • Miss February: Jennifer Koenig (Tucson, Ariz.)
  • Miss March: Sloan Miavitz (Sarasota, Fla.)
  • Miss April: Isabel Belandres (Jacksonville, N.C.)
  • Miss May: Enayyah Musa (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
  • Centerfold: Deeanna Krakowski (Weston, Fla.)
  • Miss June: Delaney Holliday (Fairview Heights, Ill.)
  • Miss July: Blakelyn Brown (Jacksonville, Fla.)
  • Miss August: Nadira Dunn (Kirby, Texas)
  • Miss September: Ireland Dabydeen (Madeira Beach, Fla.)
  • Miss October: Eden Davis (Abilene, Texas)
  • Miss November: Kaitlin Crombie (Atlantic City, N.J.)
  • Miss December: Allie Robert (Lone Tree, Colo.)
  • Back Cover: Shelbe Boudreaux (Houma, La.), Laura Huynh (Pembroke Pines, Fla.), Ashley Ellis (Chattanooga, Tenn.)

Purchase your 2022 Hooters Calendar at Hooters.com/hooters-girls/calendar/. For more information about the Hooters #GiveAHoot fundraising campaign, visit Hooters.com/Give. Follow us at twitter.com/hooters, facebook.com/hooters, and instagram.com/hooters.

To find your nearest Hooters location, visit Hooters.com.

Hooters franchise

About Hooters of America, LLC

Hooters of America, LLC, is the franchisor and operator of more than 410 Hooters restaurants in 38 states and 24 countries. Known for its world-famous Hooters Style chicken wings, the first Hooters opened its doors in 1983 in Clearwater, Florida. Expectations were so modest at the time that the simple fact the doors opened was deemed worthy of a toast. Since then millions have been liberated from the ordinary at Hooters while enjoying great food, fun and one-of-a-kind hospitality that can only be served up by the Hooters Girls. For more information about Hooters visit www.hooters.com or follow us at twitter.com/hooters, facebook.com/hooters, instagram.com/hooters or on Snapchat at “hooters.”

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Food & Dining

Foodie Franchises Portfolio Grows to (8) Emerging Food Brands

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

Foodie Franchises Portfolio Grows to (8) Emerging Food Brands

Johns Island, SC  (-)  Gregory George, the Founder of Foodie Franchises, announced the roll out of eight emerging food franchises. After 20 plus years specializing in food franchises George knew there was need for new and innovative food franchises to get noticed so he created FoodieFranchises.com where entrepreneurs can go and review the hottest food franchises in the country.

Foodie Franchises portfolio includes:

The Peach Cobbler Factory
(Dessert Bar)

Healthy James Meal Prep
(Healthy Lifestyle Restaurant)

FoodChing
(Food and Drink Delivery)

Cru Lounge
(Lifestyle Lounge)

The Dolly Llama
(Ice Cream & Waffle Shop)

Original Hot Dog Factory
(Hot Dog Joint)

The Bagel Nook
(Bagel Shop)

Buena Papa Fry Bar
(French Fry Bar)

Foodie Franchises is the one stop shop to successful food franchising.

At Foodie Franchises they make dreams a reality! Foodie Franchises mission is to use their extensive knowledge in franchising to not only help potential food franchisees find the right business for them but also assist aspiring or established food franchisors create a well rounded and successful franchise company.

Foodie Franchises Portfolio Grows to (8) Emerging Food Brands

About Foodie Franchises

Foodie Franchises was founded in Johns Island, SC in 2021 by Greg George, a twenty five year veteran in the food franchise business. Foodie Franchises has a strong portfolio of brands that require a low startup investment and a quick ROI. The company has everything under one roof from the brands themself to marketing, real estate and site selection services, bank financing, operations and training and general support.

Contact:
Greg George
Founder/CEO
Foodie Franchises
910-228-1995

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Food & Dining

Robeks Introduces New Tea-Based Smoothies with the Warm, Rich Flavors of Fall

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

Robeks Introduces New Tea-Based Smoothies with the Warm, Rich Flavors of Fall

New Robeks App Lets Guests Order Online, Earn Rewards

Robeks Introduces New Tea-Based Smoothies with the Warm, Rich Flavors of FallLos Angeles, CA  (-)  The destination for creatively crafted fresh smoothies, juices, and bowls, Robeks today introduces new tea-based smoothies featuring freshly brewed black tea for a distinctive lighter flavor that is paired with rich warm spices, and fresh fruit for an energizing, refreshing taste of fall.

Each Robeks location freshly brews Rishi brand premium Tea that is sourced from tea gardens in the dense forests of Southeast Asia. This lightly caffeinated black tea has a malty and robust character with a remarkably smooth finish and is lightly sweetened with a zero lower calorie monkfruit sweetener. The two new smoothie flavors are:

  • Spiced Berry Tea Latte with strawberry, blueberry, banana, ginger, and almond blended with cinnamon.
  • Ginger Turmeric with Black Tea with the bright flavors of lemon, ginger and turmeric blended with peach, pineapple, and banana.

“Rich warm spices are the signature flavor of fall, and now Robeks has created a distinctively new craveable flavor profile using tea,” said Mitch Baker, vice president of marketing at Robeks. “These smoothies are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients in the perfect combinations of fresh fruit and distinctive tea that our guests will love.”

For a complete quick meal savored slow or on the go, these smoothies’ pair perfectly with Robeks premium avocado or almond butter banana and Acai Greek yogurt toast. Robeks offers two avocado toast options that start with ripe Hass avocados, hand sliced to order. The Classic is seasoned perfectly with lemon and olive oil, chili flakes, Pink Himalayan salt and pepper served on thick, airy lightly toasted sourdough bread. The Everything toast balances the avocado with Robeks own blend of savory ‘everything’ seasoning, Pink Himalayan salt and pepper, and topped with sliced cherry tomatoes on lightly toasted sourdough bread.

For those looking for a sweeter option, the Acai Almond butter toast features almond butter spread topped with a dollop of house-made Acai Greek yogurt spread and is layered with banana slices and dried blueberries then drizzled with honey.

Both the new tea smoothies and toasts can be ordered ahead on the brand new Robeks app. Available now for IOS and Android, the new Robeks app offers easy ordering from any smartphone, is a great way to track rewards and find locations nearby. Previous rewards members can easily migrate their accounts to the app and guests who download the app and sign up will receive a bonus reward and free smoothie on their birthday.

About Robeks

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Robeks is a forerunner in the wholesome juice and healthful smoothie category using  fruits and vegetables at the peak of their freshness for a delicious taste and quality nutrients. Also known for its fresh Acai bowls and now adding premium toasts, Robeks continues to innovate with creatively crafted flavor combinations with fresh, high quality ingredients that make people happy. With more than 100 locations open and in development across fourteen states and the District of Columbia, Robeks continues its stellar growth with franchise opportunities in select markets across the country. For more information, visit robeks.com.

Contact:
Barbara Caruso
714-328-3273
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

US Foods Hunger Action Month Efforts Raise More Than 240,000 Meals for Those Struggling with Food Insecurity

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

US Foods Hunger Action Month Efforts Raise More Than 240,000 Meals for Those Struggling with Food Insecurity

Campaign supports company’s continued commitment to supporting local communities in need following its $200,000 donation to the American Red Cross to aid Western wildfires and Hurricane Ida relief efforts

US Foods Hunger Action Month Efforts Raise More Than 240,000 Meals for Those Struggling with Food InsecurityRosemont, IL  (-)  US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE: USFD) announced today that the company will donate the equivalent of more than 240,000 meals to Feeding America as part of the company’s Feeding America Hunger Action Month efforts dedicated to supporting communities struggling with food insecurity. In addition, more than $16,000 in product donations has been raised to aid six additional hunger-fighting organizations selected by the company’s Employee Resource Groups as part of a month-long virtual food drive.

“We are privileged to be able to give back to the communities in which we live and work,” said David Works, executive vice president and chief human resources officer of US Foods. “The generosity of US Foods associates, and the company’s matching efforts, throughout September will directly contribute to Feeding America’s mission to make a difference in the lives of the more than 40 million Americans who face hunger every day.”

As part of US Foods’ Hunger Action Month challenge, US Foods associates across the country donated their time and resources to fight hunger in their communities through monetary donations, local volunteer participation and a virtual food drive. US Foods matched all product and cash donations made throughout the month.

The campaign is part of US Foods’ larger commitment to give back to local communities and empower people with nourishment and opportunity. Since August, US Foods has also donated $200,000 to the American Red Cross to assist communities in the U.S. affected by Hurricane Ida and support wildfire relief efforts across Washington and Oregon. 

About US Foods

US Foods is one of America’s great food companies and a leading foodservice distributor, partnering with approximately 300,000 restaurants and foodservice operators to help their businesses succeed. With 70 broadline locations and 80 cash and carry stores, US Foods provides its customers with a broad and innovative food offering and a comprehensive suite of e-commerce, technology, and business solutions. US Foods is headquartered in Rosemont, Ill. Visit www.usfoods.com to learn more.

Media Contact:
Sara Matheu
Director of Media Relations
773-580-3775
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

Introducing Oven-Baked Dips: Domino’s Newest Side Item, With a Twist

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

Introducing Oven-Baked Dips: Domino's Newest Side Item, With a Twist

Customers can choose from Cheesy Marinara, Five Cheese and Baked Apple Dip

Introducing Oven-Baked Dips: Domino's Newest Side Item, With a TwistAnn Arbor, MI  (-)  What is warm, delicious and comes in three flavors? Domino’s newest side item: Oven-Baked Dips, which pair perfectly with Domino’s Bread Twists. Customers can choose from three dip flavors: Cheesy Marinara, Five Cheese and Baked Apple.

“We recommend a twist with Domino’s new dips – Bread Twists, that is,” said Art D’Elia, Domino’s executive vice president – chief marketing officer. “Oven-Baked Dips are to Bread Twists as pepperoni is to pizza. They complement each other and make the perfect combo. We can’t wait for customers to give them a try!”

Customers can take advantage of Domino’s Dips & Twists Combos for $7.99 as part of the brand’s weeklong carryout special, and choose from the following:

  • Cheesy Marinara Dip – Layers of flavorful marinara sauce oven baked with creamy, melted cheeses. Served with a choice of Parmesan or Garlic Bread Twists.
  • Five Cheese Dip – A combination of cheddar, Asiago, Parmesan, American and pizza cheeses oven baked to perfection. Served with Parmesan or Garlic Bread Twists.
  • Baked Apple Dip – Sweet, gooey oven-baked apples with a hint of cinnamon. Served with Domino’s handmade Cinnamon Bread Twists.

“Domino’s Dips & Twists Combos make for a delicious, shareable side item on pizza night,” said D’Elia. “Whether you’re craving more warm, gooey cheese or perhaps something a bit sweeter, like cinnamon and apple, you can’t go wrong. After all, who needs pumpkin spice when you have Baked Apple Dip and Cinnamon Bread Twists?”

To view Domino’s full menu or find the nearest location, visit dominos.com.

About Domino’s Pizza®

Founded in 1960, Domino’s Pizza is the largest pizza company in the world based on retail sales, with a significant business in both delivery and carryout pizza. It ranks among the world’s top public restaurant brands with a global enterprise of more than 18,000 stores in over 90 markets. Domino’s had global retail sales of over $16.1 billion in 2020, with nearly $8.3 billion in the U.S. and over $7.8 billion internationally. In the second quarter of 2021, Domino’s had global retail sales of over $4.1 billion, with over $2.0 billion in the U.S. and over $2.1 billion internationally. Its system is comprised of independent franchise owners who accounted for 98% of Domino’s stores as of the end of the second quarter of 2021. Emphasis on technology innovation helped Domino’s achieve more than half of all global retail sales in 2020 from digital channels. In the U.S., Domino’s generated more than 70% of sales in 2020 via digital channels and has developed several innovative ordering platforms, including those for Google Home, Facebook Messenger, Apple Watch, Amazon Echo, Twitter and more. In 2019, Domino’s announced a partnership with Nuro to further its exploration and testing of autonomous pizza delivery. In mid-2020, Domino’s launched a new way to order contactless carryout nationwide – via Domino’s Carside Delivery®, which customers can choose when placing a prepaid online order.

Order – dominos.com
Company Info – biz.dominos.com
Media Assets – media.dominos.com

Contact:
Danielle Bulger
734-930-3546
[email protected]

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MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes Announces the Promotion of Mike Sebazco to EVP of Operations and Development

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods
Mike Sebazco
Mike Sebazco

Sebazco has provided critical ongoing support throughout the pandemic and over four years serving MOOYAH’s Franchise Owners

MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes Announces the Promotion of Mike Sebazco to EVP of Operations and DevelopmentPlano, TX  (-)  MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes – the nearly 90-unit fast-casual “better burger” franchise concept – has elevated one of the brand’s top executives, Mike Sebazco, to a new role as EVP of Operations and Development.

“Under Mike’s leadership through the difficulties of 2020 and 2021, I have been impressed with the way he has led MOOYAH to adapt and continue to stay focused on serving our Franchise Owners’ needs to help them grow their businesses by supporting them,” said MOOYAH CEO Anand Gala. “In Mike’s new role, he will be responsible for both franchise and company store operations, development and training. Mike will also further his involvement in the overall long-term strategy of the business and work closely bringing these plans to life for the benefit of the brand and its Franchise Owners.”

Sebazco has been promoted to Executive Vice President of Operations and Development after serving as Vice President of Operations and Development for over four years.

“I am pleased that Anand and the Board have recognized the momentum we have in the brand at this time and am honored to take these next steps with the MOO Crew,” said Sebazco. “I am proud to partner with our Franchise Owners and look forward to all that we will be able to accomplish together in the future.”

Under Sebazco’s direction, MOOYAH was able to re-engineer its offerings to bolster operational efficiencies that reduced ticket times by 35% while picking up more than 1,000 basis points in Prime Costs.

In the past 12 months, with Sebazco leading development, MOOYAH has added nearly 50 restaurants to its development queue, including the three largest territories in company history.

As the brand enters the final quarter of 2021, MOOYAH is prioritizing new market expansion. In recent years, MOOYAH has been growing rapidly in markets across the country and shows no signs of slowing down. Most recently, the brand opened locations in Upland, California; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Sacramento, California; Winter Park, Florida; and Colleyville and Abilene, Texas. Now, the Plano, Texas-based company is looking for qualified prospects to help keep this momentum going.

Looking ahead, the MOOYAH Leadership Team has immediate development plans throughout the states of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, California and Arizona, but also anticipates growth in other key markets including Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Tampa, Atlanta, Raleigh, Nashville, Orlando and Richmond.

For more information on MOOYAH, please visit http://www.MOOYAH.com. Connect with MOOYAH on Facebook.com/MOOYAH, follow MOOYAH on LinkedIn, Twitter @MOOYAHburgers and Instagram @MOOYAHburgers, and TikTok @mooyahburgers.

For franchising opportunities, please visit franchise.mooyah.com.

About MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes

MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes is a fast-casual, “better burger” concept offering mouthwatering made-to-order burgers, French fries hand cut from Idaho potatoes, and real ice cream shakes. Founded in 2007, the Plano, Texas-based company serves fresh, 100% Certified Angus Beef® brand burgers, all natural turkey burgers and Dr. Praeger’s black bean vegan burgers. MOOYAH’s non-GMO potato and multigrain buns are baked in-house daily, and Guests can choose from five real cheeses, bacon, avocado and 19 free sauces and toppings made from garden-fresh veggies. MOOYAH Guests can choose from eight flavors of 100% real ice cream shakes, including vanilla, Hershey’s chocolate, Reese’s, Oreo and more. While many Guests dine in-restaurant, MOOYAH also offers online ordering, delivery and carry out for Guests on the go as well as a loyalty app. In 2021, MOOYAH ranked on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 list, #41 on Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers and Shakers, and its Leadership Team was recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as 2021’s Most Inspiring Leaders. In 2020, MOOYAH ranked #38 on Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers and Shakers. In 2018, MOOYAH was ranked among Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 200 Food and Restaurant Franchises of 2018 and landed at #7 in the Top 10 Fast Casual Restaurant Franchises by FranchiseRankings.com. In 2017, MOOYAH was named to Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list, Franchise Times’ Fast & Serious list of the smartest growing franchise brands and was ranked #11 on Fast Casual Magazine’s annual Top 100 Movers & Shakers, a list the brand has been included on every year in the last ten years of rankings. For more information on MOOYAH, its menu or franchising opportunities, please visit www.MOOYAH.com. Connect with MOOYAH on Facebook.com/MOOYAH, follow MOOYAH on LinkedIn, Twitter @MOOYAHburgers and Instagram @MOOYAHburgers, and TikTok @mooyahburgers.

Contact:
Lauren Turner
Mainland
312-526-3996
[email protected]

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MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes Announces the Promotion of Natalie Anderson Liu to EVP of Brand

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods
Natalie Anderson Liu
Natalie Anderson Liu

Anderson Liu has provided critical ongoing support throughout the pandemic and across eight years serving MOOYAH’s Franchise Owners.

MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes Announces the Promotion of Natalie Anderson Liu to EVP of BrandPlano, TX  (-)  MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes – the nearly 90-unit fast-casual “better burger” franchise concept – has elevated one of the brand’s top executives, Natalie Anderson Liu, to a new role as EVP of Brand.

“Under Natalie’s leadership through the difficulties of 2020 and 2021, she has done an inspiring job leading the MOOYAH system to adjust and support our Franchise Owners’ needs to help them thrive in their local markets,” said MOOYAH CEO Anand Gala. “Natalie will continue to be responsible for all aspects of marketing, supply chain, as well as determining the new channels to continue our growth, and how best to drive these channels. She will also further her involvement in the overall long-term strategy of the business and work closely bringing these plans to life for the benefit of the brand and its Franchise Owners.”

Anderson Liu, who most recently served as MOOYAH’s Vice President of Brand for five years and nearly three years as Director of Marketing before that, will now serve as Executive Vice President of Brand.

“I’m so grateful for the professional growth opportunities I’ve had working alongside our Franchise Owners and the incredible professionals on the MOO Crew Support Center team,” Anderson Liu said. “I appreciate this promotion and recognition from our CEO Anand Gala and the Board and will continue to lead the Marketing and Supply Chain teams to achieve the positive results we’ve committed to our Franchise Owners. MOOYAH has been a home to me for the last eight years, and the momentum we’re experiencing now is tremendous. I’m proud of how far we’ve come and excited for what’s ahead!”

Under Anderson Liu’s leadership, MOOYAH’s sales during the pandemic have improved at a rate of 14% over industry average and 5.5% over the fast-casual segment in 2020, and she has helped grow comparable same-store sales by 32% from 2013 to 2021.

In 2015, when Anderson Liu was Director of Marketing, she led the launch of an app-based loyalty program with Punchh, growing to more than 500,000 members by Q1 2021 and maintaining 14% loyalty transactions across the brand.

In 2019, she spearheaded the development of a new brand prototype with Madrid-based firm, Livit. She has played a pivotal role in planning all new builds and renovations that have occurred over the past eight years.

As the brand enters the final quarter of 2021, MOOYAH is prioritizing new market expansion. In recent years, MOOYAH has been growing rapidly in markets across the country and shows no signs of slowing down. Most recently, the brand opened locations in Upland, California; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Sacramento, California; Winter Park, Florida; and Colleyville and Abilene, Texas. Now, the Plano, Texas-based company is looking for qualified prospects to help keep this momentum going.

Looking ahead, the MOOYAH Leadership Team has immediate development plans throughout the states of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, California and Arizona, but also anticipates growth in other key markets including Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Tampa, Atlanta, Raleigh, Nashville, Orlando and Richmond.

For more information on MOOYAH, please visit http://www.MOOYAH.com. Connect with MOOYAH on Facebook.com/MOOYAH, follow MOOYAH on LinkedIn, Twitter @MOOYAHburgers and Instagram @MOOYAHburgers, and TikTok @mooyahburgers.

For franchising opportunities, please visit franchise.mooyah.com.

About MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes

MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes is a fast-casual, “better burger” concept offering mouthwatering made-to-order burgers, French fries hand cut from Idaho potatoes, and real ice cream shakes. Founded in 2007, the Plano, Texas-based company serves fresh, 100% Certified Angus Beef® brand burgers, all natural turkey burgers and Dr. Praeger’s black bean vegan burgers. MOOYAH’s non-GMO potato and multigrain buns are baked in-house daily, and Guests can choose from five real cheeses, bacon, avocado and 19 free sauces and toppings made from garden-fresh veggies. MOOYAH Guests can choose from eight flavors of 100% real ice cream shakes, including vanilla, Hershey’s chocolate, Reese’s, Oreo and more. While many Guests dine in-restaurant, MOOYAH also offers online ordering, delivery and carry out for Guests on the go as well as a loyalty app. In 2021, MOOYAH ranked on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 list, #41 on Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers and Shakers, and its Leadership Team was recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as 2021’s Most Inspiring Leaders. In 2020, MOOYAH ranked #38 on Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers and Shakers. In 2018, MOOYAH was ranked among Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 200 Food and Restaurant Franchises of 2018 and landed at #7 in the Top 10 Fast Casual Restaurant Franchises by FranchiseRankings.com. In 2017, MOOYAH was named to Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list, Franchise Times’ Fast & Serious list of the smartest growing franchise brands and was ranked #11 on Fast Casual Magazine’s annual Top 100 Movers & Shakers, a list the brand has been included on every year in the last ten years of rankings. For more information on MOOYAH, its menu or franchising opportunities, please visit www.MOOYAH.com. Connect with MOOYAH on Facebook.com/MOOYAH, follow MOOYAH on LinkedIn, Twitter @MOOYAHburgers and Instagram @MOOYAHburgers, and TikTok @mooyahburgers.

Contact:
Lauren Turner
Mainland
312-526-3996
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

Mr Brews Taphouse Closes Out Record-Breaking Summer of Sales

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

Mr Brews Taphouse Closes Out Record-Breaking Summer of Sales

Award-winning, full-service craft brew pub and restaurant hit the $1 million sales mark, saw systemwide sales up 43.9% over 2019 and more during summer months

Mr Brews Taphouse Closes Out Record-Breaking Summer of SalesBirnamwood, WI  (-)  Mr Brews Taphouse proved to be the go-to destination for enjoying gourmet burgers and locally sourced craft beers during a hot summer day as the award-winning brand experienced record-breaking sales during the season.

On average in July, the full-service craft brew pub and restaurant saw a 49.6% increase in sales over 2020 systemwide and 27.8% increase over 2019. During the same month, Mr Brews reached a historic sales milestone, earning more than $1 million in revenue as a system.

Mr Brews’ fast-paced momentum carried throughout the summer with September’s systemwide sales up 28.5% over 2020 and 43.9% over 2019. Year-to-date, overall, the brand is up 43.3% in sales over 2020 and up 14.1% over 2019.

Along with hitting new sales record this summer, in late June, Mr Brews expanded to the southwest region of the U.S. with its Mesa, Arizona debut, which surpassed all previous opening records for the fast-growing brand. On the heels of a then-most successful opening in Melbourne, Florida in April, Mr Brews also inked a franchise deal in August to bring five more locations to the Sunshine State.

“Mr Brews has been on a winning streak,” said Mr Brews Taphouse Chief Operating Officer Mark Leach. “We experienced a record-breaking opening in Melbourne in the spring, and we brought the same high level of energy into the following season. Our sales and development strides scaled new heights this summer, and I can’t wait to see what else we achieve during the rest of the year.”

Mr Brews is continuing to expand and successfully open new locations by partnering with passionate entrepreneurs who believe in their franchise model, “Freedom Within The Framework.” Through this model, the 16-unit chain is scaling its growth by providing its partners the framework to deliver on the brand promise, while providing the freedom to embrace their location’s individual personality.

Each Mr Brews location offers a selection of more than 50 beers on tap that are threaded together by the franchisee’s personal local favorites, popular national pours and rotating taps from the region’s seasonal collections. To complement its wide selection of beers, Mr Brews offers award-winning gourmet burgers that are scratch-made daily with its brand-specific blend of fresh ground meat.

To learn more about Mr Brews Taphouse franchise opportunities, email Mark Leach at [email protected]. For up-to-date location, menu and brand information, visit mrbrewstaphouse.com and follow Mr Brews Taphouse on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Mr Brews Taphouse

Founded by Steve Day in 2013, Mr Brews Taphouse is headquartered in Birnamwood, Wisconsin. Mr Brews Taphouse is a full-service craft brew pub and restaurant known for its gourmet burgers and wide-selection of locally sourced craft beer. The craft beer industry is continuing to grow and with more than 50 craft brews on tap at each location, Mr Brews Taphouse is growing right along with it. The rapidly-growing brand currently owns and operates 16 locations throughout Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Texas and Wisconsin. Mr Brews Taphouse’s franchise incentives include: low cost start-up and operations, superior training and support, 15% discount for military veterans and more. For more information about franchise opportunities, visit mrbrewstaphouse.com/franchise-opportunities.

Contact:
Cami Studebaker
Champion Management
972-930-9933
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

Huey Magoo’s Announces Grand Opening In Jacksonville Beach, Florida On Wednesday, October 13

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

Huey Magoo's Announces Grand Opening In Jacksonville Beach, Florida On Wednesday, October 13

America’s Greatest Chicken Tenders Brand Rapidly Expanding Across the Southeast Marks the First Opening in the Jacksonville Market and the 19th Store Company-Wide

Huey Magoo’s Jacksonville Beach to Kick Off and Commemorate the Grand Opening with a Special Ribbon Cutting

Huey Magoo's Announces Grand Opening In Jacksonville Beach, Florida On Wednesday, October 13Orlando, FL  (-)  Huey Magoo’s continues to rapidly expand its footprint across Florida and the Southeast with the exciting grand opening of the first restaurant in Jacksonville Beach, Florida this Wednesday, October 13, President and CEO Andy Howard announces today. Jacksonville Beach marks the popular, fast-growing, delicious chicken tenders brand’s 19th store opening company-wide. Huey Magoo’s will commemorate the joyous occasion with a special ribbon cutting at 10:30am, followed by the official opening of the 1,600 square foot restaurant featuring a pick-up window, in which guests can order in advance through Huey Magoo’s mobile app and pick up their order at the pick-up window. This is the first of six Huey Magoo’s stores to open in Duval County, Florida under franchisee Michael Phillips, who is a former multi-unit franchisee with Little Caesars Pizza and Jersey Mikes Subs. Huey Magoo’s Jacksonville Beach will offer safe dine-in/out, take out and delivery through third-party delivery services Uber Eats and DoorDash.

Huey Magoo's Announces Grand Opening In Jacksonville Beach, Florida On Wednesday, October 13

“It feels great to open our first Huey Magoo’s store in Jacksonville Beach,” says Phillips. “I live at the beaches, and there is a lot of buzz surrounding this first unit to the Jacksonville market.” Howard continues, “We are thrilled to celebrate our first store opening in Northeast Florida and 19th restaurant company-wide under such a terrific franchisee as Michael Phillips. Jacksonville is a huge, vibrant community, which we look forward to serving our greatest tasting chicken tenders to and gaining many more raving fans all across Florida and the Southeast.”

Huey Magoo’s restaurants offer safe dine-in/out, take out, delivery through third-party delivery services, drive-thru and curbside pickup at participating restaurants. (Check www.hueymagoos.com for updates on all restaurants’ dining room openings). All guests will enjoy Huey Magoo’s signature grilled, hand-breaded or “sauced” premium chicken tenders, farm fresh salads, sandwiches and wraps. Each Huey Magoo’s tender is always made all natural, with no antibiotics ever, no hormones, no steroids and no preservatives.

Enjoy Huey Magoo’s Chicken Tenders now open at 3952 Third Street South, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250. Hours of operation are 11am-9pm daily. For more information and a complete list of locations, visit www.hueymagoos.com, and call 904-595-5172 for Jacksonville Beach. For franchising inquiries, contact Andy Howard at [email protected].

Huey Magoo's Announces Grand Opening In Jacksonville Beach, Florida On Wednesday, October 13

About Huey Magoo’s

Huey Magoo’s was founded in 2004 by Matt Armstrong and Thad Hudgens, two southern boys with a passion for quality chicken and a penchant for serving others. Voted “Best Fried Chicken”, “Best of the Best Chicken Tenders” and “The Best-Rated Fried Chicken in Florida”, Huey Magoo’s is rapidly expanding and franchising throughout the Southeast with multiple locations throughout Central Florida, in South Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and coming soon to Jacksonville, Tampa, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Ohio and many more. Huey Magoo’s prides itself on providing the greatest tasting chicken tenders in a clean, family-friendly environment, while showing their love for people. Huey Magoo’s delivers delicious, cooked-to-order chicken tenders, and they do it to perfection. Huey Magoo’s gives back a portion of profits to not-for-profit organizations and community groups. Committed to building a culture of excellence in service and food quality by serving only premium hand-breaded or grilled chicken tenders dipped or “sauced” in uniquely flavorful signature sauces, Huey Magoo’s attracts a loyal following of Millennials, families and neighboring businesses craving quality, delicious food at reasonable prices.

Media Contact:
Ilene Lieber
Passion PR Consulting
321-277-7812
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

Farmer Boys Elevates its Best-in-Class Hospitality by Leveraging Tattle and ItsaCheckmate

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods

Farmer Boys Elevates its Best-in-Class Hospitality by Leveraging Tattle and ItsaCheckmate

Insight from, and Integration Between Tattle and ItsaCheckmate Supports the Southern California-Based Fast Casual Concept’s Ability to Drive Unmatched Guest Loyalty

New York, NY  (-)  Farmer Boys® is the Southern California-based fast casual concept known for its award-winning burgers and best-in-class hospitality. Recently celebrating its 40th anniversary, the brand has tapped Tattle, the innovator in the customer experience improvement (CXI) category, to support driving elevated guest loyalty by leveraging Tattle’s ability to track incredibly detailed customer feedback across all ordering channels.

Tattle now also integrates with ItsaCheckmate, a platform already used by Farmer Boys. ItsaCheckmate simplifies the order fulfillment and menu management process by integrating with multiple online ordering sources such as GrubHub, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Postmates, Zuppler and many others, directly to Farmer Boys’ POS system.

By combining Tattle’s ability to track customer feedback across all ordering channels with ItsaCheckmate’s platform, Farmer Boys positions itself to deliver an unmatched guest experience, with actionable insights provided to their store-level and leadership teams, driving guest satisfaction and in turn, sales.

“There are many reasons why Tattle has been a game changer for us, including that it’s causal-based, and enables us to goal-set,” said Michael Berumen, Senior Director of Operations Services at Farmer Boys. “Third-party ordering platforms offer limited data, such as a general ‘food rating.’ Tattle gives us a robust picture of where we can focus to improve satisfaction, letting us fully own the guest journey. The integration with ItsaCheckmate provides additional optimization for our team members, so they can focus on what they do best – serve up Farm Fresh made-to-order food and deliver exceptional service.”

Tattle’s Heatmap feature has also played a role in energizing Farmer Boys’ team members’ desire and ability to focus on hospitality.

“With Tattle’s Heatmap feature, our team members know if they’re moving in the right direction. Combined with frequent check-ins from leadership, and the ability to benchmark in real time, we’re laying the foundation for success as we continue to expand,” added Berumen.

Core benefits of the Tattle integration include:

  • Automated post-transaction survey distribution to guests for optimal engagement
  • Pre-populated survey with transaction data to ensure 90%+ survey completion rate of 50-questions
  • Statistically significant guest feedback volume for reliable identification of high-impact areas for improvement
  • More opportunity for guest recovery methods in order to extend hospitality beyond restaurants walls

“With guest transactions today more evenly distributed across ordering channels than ever before, the measurement of the guest experience has now become paramount for operators to deliver joy to guests,” says Alex Beltrani, Tattle Founder and CEO. “Based on over 80M data points collected in 2021, delivery and take-out experience has shown to deliver a 20% lower guest satisfaction score compared to its dine-in counterpart, and dine-in showing a 7% decline in guest satisfaction since January 2021. Without on and off-premise measurement, restaurants may miss the opportunity for both operational improvement and guest recovery, both of which are key contributors to ROI. Our newest integration with ItsaCheckmate is another example of how we find synergy for our customers, integrating with leading category players.”

About Farmer Boys®

Celebrating 40 years of farm fresh, Farmer Boys® is a farm-to-table fast casual restaurant chain serving award-winning burgers and all-day breakfast, stacked sandwiches, hand-chopped salads, and signature hand-breaded zucchini sticks and colossal onion rings™. At Farmer Boys, Farm Food Ain’t Fast Food®. Farmer Boys is annually recognized with ‘Best Of’ food awards, voted by consumers who value generous portions of farm fresh food at a fair price. The burger concept has also been recognized by notable industry publications, including being named one of Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers. Farmer Boys currently operates restaurants in California, Nevada, and Arizona. For more information, visit www.farmerboys.com.

About Tattle

Tattle is the only Customer Experience Improvement (CXI) platform built for hospitality that helps restaurants collect actionable feedback data by interacting with their customers where they make transactions. Using existing third party tools and API integrations, we connect brands with their guests at every touch point of the customer journey. Through our AI, we recommend the most opportunistic operational area for improvement at each of our partners’ locations to drive the greatest increase in guest satisfaction. Tattle powers the operational improvement strategy for industry leaders, such as MOD Pizza, Bareburger, Farmer Boys, Blaze Pizza, The Halal Guys and many more.

About ItsaCheckmate

ItsaCheckmate allows restaurateurs to focus on what matters: serving up delicious food and delightful dining experiences. We invite restaurateurs to ditch the tablets and delivery headaches by cooking up powerful POS-Ordering Platform integrations, accounting reconciliation, and menu management solutions. With ItsaCheckmate, operators control their online menus straight from their POS – updating everything from item availability to pricing – resulting in higher profits, reduced order errors, and happier customers. A leader in the restaurant-tech space, ItsaCheckmate serves 10,000+ restaurant locations globally and enjoys relationships with more than 150 technology partners.

Media Contact:
[email protected]

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Food & Dining

Chicago-Area To See First U.S. Corporate Gong Cha Plus More from What Now Media Group’s Weekly Pre-Opening Restaurant News Report

by Jessica Woods
By: Jessica Woods
Chicago-Area To See First U.S. Corporate Gong Cha Plus More from What Now Media Group's Weekly Pre-Opening Restaurant News Report
Photo credit: Gong Cha.

Dive into this week’s top stories from Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, and San Francisco

Chicago-Area To See First U.S. Corporate Gong Cha Plus More from What Now Media Group's Weekly Pre-Opening Restaurant News Report(-)  What Now Media Group, Inc., the industry-leading publisher of pre-opening restaurant news, has released its weekly bulletin with the biggest stories from its 12 watchdog markets for Oct. 4 – Oct. 10, 2021:

“If you sell to restaurants and your category is still available, you should become one of our Exclusive Preferred Partners,” said Liz Vickers, Vice President of Sales at What Now Media Group, Inc. “Our Preferred Partners not only get our pre-opening restaurant news in advance, but we connect them directly to the owners of these incoming and expanding restaurants so their sales pipelines stay stocked.”

In addition to its Preferred Partner Program, What Now publishes breaking pre-opening restaurant news on dedicated market-specific websites and has an ever-growing, unique readership of 7.5 million. The publication is in 12 markets and plans on reaching 30 by the end of 2022 for coast-to-coast coverage.

To learn more about becoming a Preferred Partner, email [email protected], or to share pre-opening restaurant news, email [email protected].

About What Now Media Group, Inc.

What Now Media Group, Inc. (What Now) researchers and news reporters scour online and public information sites for intel about new leases and businesses, with a focus on restaurants, to help vendors fill their sales pipeline with actionable pre-opening data, make personal contacts and unlock targeted marketing opportunities. What Now is the first to dig up scoop on yet-to-be-announced brick and mortar businesses, publishing breaking news on dedicated market-specific websites for an ever-growing, unique readership of 7.5 million.

Founder Caleb J. Spivak launched What Now Media Group in 2010 with a blog that became a trusted source for hospitality news in Atlanta. In 2017, What Now Atlanta formalized operations with the launch of its Preferred Partner Program, monetizing and offering actionable data about coming-soon restaurants for the benefit of foodservice sales professionals. The company now serves a total of nine cities. For more information and to become a Preferred Partner, visit WhatNowMediaGroup.com or each individual web domain: WhatNowAtlanta.com, WhatNowChicago.com, WhatNowDFW.com, WhatNowDenver.com, WhatNowVegas.com, WhatNowLosAngeles.com, WhatNowNY.com, WhatNowOrlando.com, WhatNowPhilly.com, WhatNowPhoenix.com, WhatNowSanDiego.com, and WhatNowSF.com.

Contact:
Liz Vickers
631-804-5658
[email protected]

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