A round up of interesting bits of news that came across the editor’s desk, including chain news, design notes and more.
franchise & expansion notes
- Church’s Chicken signed a new 10-restaurant deal with a franchisee and expects it to be the start of a $40 million, 10-year expansion plan.
- Dunkin’ Donuts plans four new restaurants in Clarksville, Tenn., with franchisees Ray and Zak Omar and Megan Karim. There are over 80 Dunkin’ Donuts located throughout Tennessee.
- First Watch signed a 12-restaurant development agreement.
- Ways & Means oyster house in Huntington Beach, Calif., announced global expansion plans throughout the Middle East and North Africa in partnership with Trilogy Brands Group.
- Wienerschnitzel is opening a new location in Albequerue, N.M., using it’s Heritage design. The chain also signed a 10-unit deal with a franchise partner.
launches, mergers, acquisitions + reorgs
- Fiesta Restaurant Group, parent company of Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana, closed 10 Pollo Tropical restaurants. The parent company also announced they will rebrand three of the closed units to become Taco Cabana units.
- Granbury, Texas-based Revolver Brewing will add a location at Texas Live!, a hospitality district set to open in Arlington in 2018.
- Hamra Enterprises, a franchisee of Wendy’s announced it has completed the purchase of 25 Wendy’s restaurants from Wendy’s International, LLC. in the Chicago, IL market. The Wendy’s system includes more than 6,500 restaurants in 29 countries and U.S. territories.
of note
- Ando, a delivery-only concept from Momofuku’s David Chang, announced they $7 million in series A funding.
- Stantec’s Miami office received two awards during the NEWH South Florida SOFHIE & Scholarship Awards: Top Interior Design Firm 2016 and Best Restaurant Design for its interior design work for the Southeast Asian restaurant Red Ginger.