Top Franchising News

Newk’s Opens New Unit in Alabama’s Eastern Shore

One of Newk’s Eatery’s most successful franchisee teams is taking fresh, flavorful eating across the bay to the Eastern Shore with the first location in Spanish Fort, Alabama. Newk’s franchisee group— consisting of managing partners and seasoned restaurateurs Kevin Fitzpatrick, Roman Mayer, and Craig Reeder— is serving up the fast-casual brand’s signature foodie flair in […]

Bowl Of Heaven Opens Five Units in Three Months

Bowl of Heaven—the innovative, health-casual concept featuring delicious acai bowls, smoothies, and juices made with plant protein and super food ingredients— has opened five new units in only the past three months. Bowl Of Heaven’s recent openings include corporate locations in Provo, Utah, and Huntington Beach, California, as well as three new franchised stores in […]

Burger 21 Signs Deal for Third North Carolina Unit

Burger 21, an award-winning, "beyond the better burger" fast-casual franchise, signed a new franchise agreement with an existing Burger 21 franchisee to develop one restaurant in the North Ridge Shopping Center located in North Raleigh, North Carolina. To date, Burger 21 has 19 restaurants open, including two restaurants in North Carolina, and more than 20 […]

Donatos Pizza Targets Pittsburgh

Donatos Pizza, a Top 25 pizza chain once owned by McDonald’s Corp., is targeting Pittsburgh as part of its next franchise expansion wave. The Ohio-based company, which is known for toppings that extend to the edge of the pizza, believes the Pittsburgh market can support 10–20 restaurants. The growth will be driven by franchising. “Pittsburgh […]

Halal Guys Ink Five-Unit Deal in Quebec

The Halal Guys, the innovative American Halal food concept, announced the signing of a new franchise deal for Quebec. The new franchisee, who worked with Fransmart director of development, Paul Tran, has signed on to develop five units in the city of Montreal, after a separate multiunit deal closed earlier this year for Toronto. With […]

Military Vet and Dickey’s Franchisee Builds Family Empire

For John Lockett, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is a family affair. Currently the owner of four locations throughout Mississippi and Alabama, his daughter Eden co-owns and manages two of the stores and various other family members help in the operations, administration, and marketing of the stores. The Lockett family has recently executed development agreements with Dickey’s […]

Rounds Premium Burgers Heads To Middle East

Rounds Premium Burgers, California’s premiere better-burger brand and winner of The Cooking Channel’s “Best In Chow: Hollywood Burger Wars,” has signed a multiunit franchise deals for the Middle East. The brand, which currently has three units open in California, will develop in Qatar, under a new franchise agreement. Rounds recently announced a partnership with Fransmart, […]

Smiling Moose Rocky Mountain Deli Gets a Makeover

The future looks bright for the Smiling Moose Rocky Mountain Deli. The Colorado-based fast casual is gearing up for unprecedented growth with a new menu, revamped store and logo design, and a streamlined approach to operations. “What’s that next step that’s going to allow us to differentiate ourselves? I think when the concept started back […]

USCIS Bolsters Growth for Boardwalk Fresh Burgers

Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries Inc. announced that one of its master franchisees in the Midwest has received six I­-526 approvals from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for the construction and operation of six new units of Boardwalk Fries Burgers Shakes in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area. The master franchisee who received the six […]

Penn Station Inks Multiunit Deal in Greater Chicago

Penn Station East Coast Subs, the fast-casual restaurant known for its grilled, made-to-order sub sandwiches, hand-squeezed lemonade, and fresh-cut fries, has signed a multiunit agreement with Chicago native Tony Zagone. Zagone has committed to opening three to five restaurants in the near north suburbs of Chicago over the next three to five years. Cincinnati-based Penn […]

Rita’s Expands with Four New Area Development Deals

Rita's Italian Ice, the world's largest Italian Ice concept with more than 600 stores, continues its impressive expansion into the fourth quarter, awarding four new area development deals for Washington, Idaho, Hawaii, and Ventura County and San Jose, California, respectively. The company opened 2015 with a renewed focus on growth at home and abroad, and […]

Nestlé and Red Mango Offer Two-for-One Franchising Deal

Two is better than one. At least that is the thinking behind a new franchise partnership. Red Mango and Nestlé Toll House Café by Chip have teamed up to incentivize new and existing franchisees to operate cobranded stores. Ziad Dalal, cofounder of Nestlé Toll House Café by Chip and CEO of Crest Foods, which is […]

Two Families Open Mooyah Units in Illinois and Wisconsin

Mooyah Burgers, Fries & Shakes, a fast-casual, “better burger” chain, opened its fourth Illinois location on November 23 at 2611 West Jefferson Street in Joliet. The location is owned and operated by father-son team, Faysal and Kal Mohamed, who opened their first location in Oak Lawn in July. The new locations are accelerating Mooyah’s presence […]

Wayback Promotes and Hires Two New VPs

Wayback Burgers, serving delicious, fresh, never-frozen burgers, and hand-dipped milkshakes amidst an atmosphere reminiscent of a hometown burger joint, announced the promotion of Gillian Plummer, CFE, to vice president of marketing and the hiring of Sally Velcofsky, vice president of franchise relations, to its growing Connecticut-based corporate team. In her new role as vice president, […]

Dickey’s Plans for Four New Virginia Locations

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is slated to open four new stores in Virginia over the next year, according to the most recently executed development agreement. Two of the new stores will be located in Alexandria and Thornburg, Virginia, and the last two sites are to be determined. “Dickey’s is expanding at a rapid pace throughout the […]

Uncle Maddio’s Ramps up Orlando Growth

Uncle Maddio's Pizza, the create-your-own fast-casual pizza restaurant, signed an agreement to open an additional restaurant in Orlando with local franchisees Lance and Stephanie DeWitt. The Dewitt’s are slated to open their first Uncle Maddio’s restaurant in South Orlando in early 2016. The Atlanta-based pizza franchise restaurant has also partnered with Michael Holmes, an existing […]

Juice It Up! Opens Second Eastvale Location

Juice It Up!, one of the nation’s leading raw juice bar and hand-crafted smoothie franchises, has opened its second Eastvale, California, location. This is the fourth location operating under the ownership of local franchisees Parvinder and Ravneet Shahi. “We’re thrilled to make the signature Juice It Up! experience, along with our delicious raw juices and […]

McDonald’s Turnaround to Include Refranchising, No REIT

During McDonald’s investor meeting Tuesday, president and CEO Steve Easterbrook and members of senior management provided an update on the company's turnaround plan and made the following announcements: ·      It expects positive fourth-quarter comparable sales in all segments; ·      Sales, operating income, and one-year return on Incremental Invested Capital targets for 2016 are more consistent with […]

Uncle Maddio’s Signs Franchisees in D.C. Area

Uncle Maddio's Pizza is continuing its expansion in the Northeast and opens its first Maryland restaurant in Frederick, Maryland. Owned by local franchise partners Doug Sellers and Kane Wright, the newest fast-casual, build-your-own pizza restaurant, is located at 5597 Spectrum Drive across from the Frances Scott Key Mall. Wright and Sellers have signed on to […]

The Halal Guys Sign New Multiunit Franchisee in Dallas

The Halal Guys, the innovative American Halal food concept, announced the signing of a new franchise deal for Dallas, Texas. The new franchisee, who worked with Fransmart director of development, Paul Tran, has signed on to develop 10 units for Dallas, after multiunit deals closed earlier this year for Houston, Texas. With territories selling out […]

Newk’s Franchisees Plan 10 Units in Florida

Newk’s Eatery, the fast-casual restaurant known for its culinary-driven menu and open kitchen, announced a new development agreement that will bring 10 Newk’s locations to Southeastern Florida. Newk’s newest franchisees, Pat Tracy, his father Tom, and brothers Matt and Ryan, are seasoned restaurateurs who opened the first Five Guys Burgers and Fries locations in Palm […]

Air Force Vet Expands Dickey’s Franchise in Florida

Florida continues to be a hot market for Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants Inc., as a new development agreement has been signed for three stores. Owner-operator Tim Hershberger has already opened one of the three in Pensacola, Florida, with plans to open another store in the same city and a third slated to open in Fort Walton […]

Dunkin’ Donuts Takes Georgia By Storm

Dunkin’ Donuts, America’s all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, announced that 46 new restaurants will be developed throughout Georgia over the next several years, with six franchise groups. The company remains on track for the development of 410–440 net new Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in the U.S. in 2015. The franchise groups and their […]