Development
- Development
- The Editors
After two decades operating quietly in Midwest and East Coast neighborhoods, J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood, one of five full-service brands owned and operated by Houlihan's Restaurants Inc., is now available for franchising. The company operates five corporate J. Gilbert's locations, one each in Connecticut, Virginia, Kansas, Ohio and Missouri.
- Development
- The Editors
Fast-growing yogurt and smoothie chain Red Mango celebrated the opening of its 300th unit this summer and the start of what founder Dan Kim says is a "new era" for the Dallas-based company. The new Oak Park, Ill., location marks the official debut of a new store design and brand positioning as Red Mango Yogurt Café & Juice Bar.
- Development
- The Editors
Buffalo Wild Wings brought its wings, beer and sports-based casual dining concept to Manhattan with the opening of a new 15,000-square-foot restaurant in Times Square.
- Development
- Thomas Henry Strenk
While overall beer sales declined by 1.9 percent last year, craft beer continues to boom, with sales rising 17.2 percent in 2013, according to the Brewers Association. That follows several years of double-digit growth, a rising tide that has buoyed the building of restaurant-brewery combos, aka brewpubs, a casual-dining category that grew nearly 7 percent last year, according to the Boulder, Colo.-based association.
- Development
- The Editors
Promising "happiness...and a side" in about 60 seconds, Los Angeles-based Box Brands aims to shake up the fast-food industry with its interactive, automated fresh burrito concept, Burritobox.
- Development
- The Editors
Auntie Anne's Pretzels has rolled out a new store design prototype, the first in the 1,540-unit chain's history. The new design is intended to incorporate the look and feel of a home kitchen with warmer tones, prominent brand messaging and enhanced equipment.
- Development
- The Editors
Huelva, Spain-based 100 Montaditos, a chain whose menu features 100 versions of the popular small Spanish sandwich called the Montadito, is expanding its presence in the New York area through its first U.S. franchise relationship.
- Development
- Caroline Perkins
Michael Haith, chairman of RainTree, an outsource franchise sales agency, counsels brands to offer sales webinars and tells them what potential partners can learn about each other. Potential franchisees learn about the brand's culture during the webinar, and the brand learns about the candidates in subsequent follow-up. When there is a match and satisfactory financials, the restaurant chain grants a franchise.