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Sports lodge concept Twin Peaks partnered with Operadora 2 Montes to enter the Latin American market by bringing eight restaurants to Mexico City, with the first location estimated to open in November 2019.

Brio Tuscan Grille

Last summer, Denny’s opened a converted restaurant in Globe, Ariz., which took just two and a half months to build. David Beshay credits this speedy opening to good planning — and he should know since he is the franchise operator of 225 restaurant locations across the country, including 41 Denny’s units.

Fast-casual restaurant conceptFreddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgersopened its first international location in the Dubai Mall in the United Arab Emirates.

Fast-casual QDOBA Mexican Eats plans to expand in the Atlanta area and across the state of Alabama thanks to a partnership with Premier Queso Kings, LLC, who signed a 20-unit deal with the chain.

Huddle House reduces prototype footprint

Huddle House is getting smaller but still growing. The Atlanta-based company is expanding both via company-owned and franchised stores while offering a smaller store footprint, making the brand more accessible to franchisees. In this Q&A, Christina Chambers, senior vice president of franchise development for Huddle House, talks about the smaller store design.

Miami Grill's Kissimmee, Florida, flagship location.

Positioned near the tourist areas anchored by the Orlando theme parks, the new 2,400-square-foot restaurant offers seating for 62, will be open late night and has a double window drive-thru to provide expedited service.

Despite a slight slowdown the past couple of years and some weeding out of concepts that missed the mark or overreached, the grass on the fast-casual side of the industry is still green. In fact, against the backdrop of a stubbornly stagnant industry overall, the segment is still a bright spot, continuing to outperform others in measures both quantitative and qualitative.

This 48-year-old sandwich chain has introduced a new prototype inspired by the city that gave it its start.