September 03, 2010
Franchise News Watch

Topics:

Industries:

Your Food Franchise News Source

Franchise News Watch brings you the latest in food franchising news from around the web. As a news aggregator for the food franchise industry, Franchise News Watch streams the latest ground breaking franchise articles, features, guides, blogs, news and more directly to your desktop.

RSS Subscribe

Food Franchise News

Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut Franchise Named Most Trusted Food Service Brand in India by the Economic Times for the Sixth Year

The Economic Times' (India) Brand Equity Most Trusted Brands 2010 annual survey has named Pizza Hut the "Most Trusted Food Service Brand' in India for the sixth year, ahead of all other Indian and global food service brands. Pizza Hut is also the only res

Smashburger Franchise Announces New Location In Cypress

Burger lovers in the Cypress district of Houston will be treated to a new dining destination when Smashburger, a fast-casual "better burger" restaurant, opens its ninth Houston-area location on Wednesday, September 22, 2010. The restaurant will open at 14

Calling all Citizens: If You Want Your Free Paciugo Pack, We'll Need to See Your Passaporto

Paciugo Gelato & Caffè is inviting customers on a sweet travel journey that offers big rewards and freebies.

Pizza Inn Franchise Veteran Bob Singh Signs Area Development Agreement for Another 20 Years

Pizza Inn, Inc. (Nasdaq:PZZI) today announced that veteran franchisee and Mississippi area developer Bob Singh, of Greenwood, Miss., who has been with the system for more than 30 years, has signed a new Area Development Agreement, committing to another 20

HuHot Mongolian Grill

HuHot's Franchise Annual "How Do You HuHot?" Recipe Contest Enter your best recipe and you could win!

HuHot Mongolian Grill has started the third annual How Do You HuHot Recipe Contest, which runs through the month of September. Customers enter their best grill meal recipe using any of the available ingredients at HuHot then have a chance to win free HuHo

Spicy Pickle Franchising, Inc. Reports Second Quarter Results

Spicy Pickle Franchising, Inc. (OTCBB: SPKL), fast casual restaurant operator and franchisor of its Spicy Pickle and Bread Garden Urban Café brands, announced today its results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2010.

Yum! Brands

Yum! Brands Franchise to Present at UBS Best of Americas Conference

Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM) today announced that the company will present at the Fifth Annual UBS Best of Americas Conference on Thursday, September 9, 2010 in London, England. The presentation is scheduled to begin at approximately 9:20 a.m. British Sum

Baskin Robbins

Baskin-Robbins Franchise Opens New Orleans Location on Five-Year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

Baskin-Robbins, the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty shops, today announced the Grand Opening of the company's first shop to open in New Orleans since the Hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005.

Hardee's

North Carolina Hardee's Franchise and Tar Heels Celebrate Football Wins on 'Tar Heel Tender Tuesdays'

North Carolina Hardee's® restaurants want to celebrate every victory with University of North Carolina Tar Heels' fans during the 2010 football season by offering something special on Tuesdays. Every Tuesday this season following a Tar Heel football w

Tasti D-Lite

Tasti D-lite Franchise Continues Expansion In Connecticut

Tasti D-Lite, the lower-calorie frozen treat chain with a cult following among health-conscious consumers as well as celebrities, will open its second Connecticut center in September at 1201 Kings Highway in Fairfield. It will join a center in Darien, whi

Burger King Holdings, Inc. Franchise to Be Acquired by 3G Capital

Burger King Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BKC) (the "Company") and 3G Capital today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which affiliates of 3G Capital will acquire the stock of the Company for $24.00 per share, or $4.0 billion, incl

Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. Better Football. Papa John's Franchise Calls All-Out Blitz in Support of NFL Sponsorship

With the NFL's regular season just days away, as the Official Pizza Sponsor of NFL, Papa John's is kicking off its busiest season of the year with an integrated marketing program designed to make the football season better than ever for fans and pizza lov

John F. Bowie is Named President, US Operations of Church's Chicken Franchise

Church's Chicken announced today that John F. Bowie has joined the company as President, US operations for the globally recognized QSR chain. John will be responsible for overseeing all company and franchise restaurants operations. He joins a team of vete

30 Years of El Pollo Loco Franchise Calls for 30 Days of Savings

El Pollo Loco has plenty to crow about as the restaurant chain celebrates 30 years of flame-grilled perfection. For this milestone, you won't find the corporate office holding obligatory award banquets or giving out traditional 30th anniversary gifts like

Celebrating National Shake Month, Johnny Rockets Franchise Debuts Deluxe Shakes and Online Contest

Johnny Rockets, known worldwide for its authentic, all-American menu, announces the addition of 17 Deluxe Shakes to its Company-wide selection of classic Shakes and malts. In celebration of the national Deluxe Shake roll-out and September's National Shake

Pizza Hut

The Magic Numbers: Pizza Hut Franchise To Celebrate New Simplified Menu Pricing By Rewarding Customers Wearing Jersey Numbers 8, 10 and 12

What's your lucky number? Next week, the numbers 8, 10 and 12 will take center stage at participating nationwide Pizza Hut restaurants.

7-Eleven

Rapper Snoop Dogg Touches Down on Fourth 7-Eleven(R) Franchise 'Coffee Cup With A Cause' Benefiting Inner-City Football League

7-Eleven, Inc. has scored Snoop Dogg, a global superstar, as the fourth designer in their charitable "Coffee Cup With A Cause" program. Proceeds from Snoop's cup will benefit the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL), a Los Angeles-based football club founde

Dunkin' Donuts

Dunkin' Donuts Franchise Announces Ten New Restaurants in South Florida

Dunkin' Donuts, America's favorite every day, all-day stop for coffee and baked goods, announced today the signing of a multi-unit store development agreement with existing franchisee, David McNulty, for ten new restaurants in Monroe and Miami-Dade Counti

Margaritas Mexican Restaurant Franchise Named Tops in New England

Diners have spoken, and the verdict is clear: Margaritas Mexican Restaurant is the best place to find south-of-the-border cuisine in New England.

Bruegger's Franchise Announces Second Quarter Financial Results

Bruegger's Enterprises, Inc. (BEI) announced today that the system showed positive sales growth during the second quarter ending July 13, 2010. The 428-unit restaurant operator recognized sales of $58.7 million, a 2.5 percent increase over the second quar

St. Jude, Chili's Franchise Expand Online Giving Efforts During Seventh Annual Create-A-Pepper to Fight Childhood Cancer Campaign

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital(R) and Chili's(R) Grill & Bar are tapping into the power of the digital world, making it easier than ever for guests to donate to St. Jude during the seventh annual Create-A-Pepper to Fight Childhood Cancer campai

New Take on a Classic Dish: 'Cheesy Chicken Cordon Bleu' Wins Papa's Specialty Pizza Challenge

Papa John's pizza fans can now say "bonjour" to the "The Cheesy Chicken Cordon Bleu" - the winning pizza in Papa's Specialty Pizza Challenge. Created by Barbara Hyman of Los Angeles, Calif., the rendition of the classic dish struck a chord with Papa John'

Sonic Franchise Announces Changes in Board Membership

Sonic Corp. (NASDAQ: SONC), the nation's largest chain of drive-in restaurants, today announced that Leonard Lieberman has retired from the Board of Directors after 21 years of service, effective August 27, 2010. The company also announced that Jeffrey Sc

Red Mango Franchise Extends Its Contract With Cassidy Turley Corporate Services

Cassidy Turley, a leading commercial real estate services provider in the U.S., announced today that Red Mango has extended its service agreement with Cassidy Turley Corporate Services. In 2009, Cassidy Turley developed and implemented a cost effective an

UFood Grill Franchise Announces Additional Five Airport Area Development Agreement with Robinson Hill Hospitality Group

UFood Restaurant Group, Inc. (OTCBB: UFFC) announced today that it has signed an area development agreement with the Robinson Hill Hospitality Group of Chicago for additional UFood Grill units at 5 major United States airports.

Smashburger(R) to Target South Korea for 2011 Expansion

Smashburger®, a fast-casual "better burger" restaurant concept, has partnered with Bridging Culture Worldwide, a professional consulting, strategic planning and cross-cultural management service, to lead its expansion into South Korea. With Bridging C

California Pizza Kitchen Franchise Opens First Location in India

California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. (CPK) (NASDAQ: CPKI), home to the Original BBQ Chicken Pizza and other innovative hearth-baked pizzas, made-to-order pastas, creative salads, appetizers, soups, sandwiches and desserts, today announced the opening of its fir

Margaritas Mexican Restaurant Franchise Named Tops in New England

Diners have spoken, and the verdict is clear: Margaritas Mexican Restaurant is the best place to find south-of-the-border cuisine in New England.

SONIC(R) Franchise Renews $500,000 Commitment to Public Schools

Today marks the second year of SONIC Drive-In's commitment to Limeades for Learning, a cause branding initiative that empowers consumers to direct more than $500,000 in grants to public school teachers nationwide. Thanks to SONIC's renewed partnership wit

After 25 Years, Famous IHOP Franchise Dish Still Embarrassing to Say, but More Delicious to Eat

Twenty-five years ago, IHOP's Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity debuted in a star-studded premiere, complete with Groucho Marx-style funny glasses. Along with other unforgettable pop culture classics from the year -- such as Back to the Future, Golden Girls, Se

Freshii Franchise Opens Doors With Fast, Fresh, Customizable Menu In Brentwood

On August 30th, the first of several Freshii locations in Los Angeles will celebrate its grand opening in epicurean Brentwood at 11740 San Vicente Boulevard/Gorham. Joining the community's zeal for green and healthy, Freshii will debut its delicious, full

Johnny Rockets Franchise Lures the Local Lunch Crowd With DBM Group's 'Please Post Immediately!' Program

Johnny Rockets announces a new partnership with Database Marketing (DBM) Group to launch a direct marketing campaign that connects Johnny Rockets venues with local businesses and their employees. In addition to attracting key customers during peak work ti

Burger King Corp. Franchise Named One of "40 Best Companies for Diversity" by Black Enterprise Magazine

Black Enterprise magazine has named Burger King Corp. (NYSE: BKC) one of the "40 Best Companies for Diversity" in the publication's 6th Annual Diversity Report, which is a comprehensive analysis of the top 1,000 publicly-traded companies and 50 leading gl

Sarku Japan Franchise to Launch New Store-Front Teriyaki and Sushi Express Franchise in College Park, MD

On August 12th, Sarku Japan the largest and most successful Japanese quick service restaurant chain (QSR) in the United States, takes its sizzling Teriyaki and made-to-order sushi from mall food courts to the streets of College Park, MD with the opening o

Health-Oriented Energy Kitchen Franchise Signs Agreement for Three Local Restaurants; Offers Fast Food Without the Guilt

Energy Kitchen, a Manhattan-based fast-casual chain whose health-centric menu features no meal that exceeds 500 calories, announces the signing of an area development agreement for three restaurants in Westchester County, N.Y.

Baskin Robbins

Create a Group, Get a Scoop! Baskin-Robbins Franchise Launches 'Group Scoop' for Its Facebook Fans

Baskin-Robbins, the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty shops, today launched a new way for Baskin-Robbins Facebook fans to earn free scoops of ice cream. For a limited time, Baskin-Robbins Facebook fans can sign up for "Group Scoop" on Facebook&

FORTUNE Magazine Names Panera Bread(R) Franchise to '100 Fastest-Growing Companies' List

FORTUNE magazine has named Panera Bread (NASDAQ: PNRA) to its 2010 list of 100 Fastest-Growing Companies, a first for the Company. Panera is one of only two restaurant concepts to make the 2010 list.

Shane's Rib Shack Franchise Presents the 'Ultimate BBQ Side Contest Finalists Cook-Off Challenge'

Shane's Rib Shack, a Petrus Brands Company, is proud to announce the "Ultimate BBQ Side Contest Finalists Cook-Off Challenge" on Tuesday, August 31st from 11am - Noon at the Shane's Rib Shack location located on 3155 Cobb Parkway in Atlanta, Georgia! The

It Is All About Apples With Krispy Kreme's Franchise Apple Harvest Doughnuts

Krispy Kreme ushers in fall by debuting an orchard-fresh apple duo and bringing back an undisputed fan-favorite, the football-shaped doughnut.

Denny's

Denny's Corporation Appoints Robert Rodriguez as Chief Operating Officer

Denny's Corporation (NASDAQ: DENN) today announced that Robert Rodriguez has been appointed to the position of Chief Operating Officer, effective no later than September 13, 2010. Mr. Rodriguez brings deep leadership and restaurant operations experience.

Saladworks Franchise Signs Three-store Deal In Northern Orange County, Ca

Saladworks, the nation's first and largest fresh-tossed salad franchise concept, announces today that it has signed an agreement with a multi-unit developer for three locations in Northern Orange County, CA.

Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. Franchise to Present at Two Investor Conferences in September

Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. (NYSE: WEN) announced today that the company plans to participate in two upcoming investment conferences. The dates, times and speakers are as follows:

Burger King Corp. Franchise Announces the Winner of the 2010 BK(R) NEXT BEST MOVE(SM)

Burger King Corp. (NYSE: BKC) today announced the winner of the BK(R) NEXT BEST MOVE(SM) five-month, 41-city national tour. Excited fans from all over the country sent in their votes and crowned Shane Wise of Warrensburg, Missouri the winner of the compet

Applebee's(R) New Stuffed Pasta Items Are Stuffed With Flavor -- and Value

The best deal in the neighborhood keeps getting better as Applebee's adds two new choices to its 2 for $20 menu. Applebee's guests can now enjoy the rich flavors of Florentine Ravioli with Chicken and Provolone-Stuffed Meatballs with Fettuccini on its 2 f

Jamba Juice Franchise Launches 'Sip to Support(TM)' 10% Give Back Program as Part of Jamba's Commitment to Building Healthy Communities

At Jamba Juice, nothing feels quite as good as helping out the community. That's why the Company announced today it is making support for schools and community organizations easy, fun and healthy by launching Sip to Support – a 10% give back swipe c

Jersey Mike's Subs Franchise Raises Funds For United Way At Grand Opening

Jersey Mike's Subs opened its first store in Port Orange. Jersey Mike's owners Lisa Ceide and Jackie Ceide know the importance of community relations and celebrated their new ties with the area during their grand opening on August 25, 2010.

Little Caesars

Little Caesars Pizza Franchise Expands in the Northeastern United States

In the Northeastern United States where locally owned pizza shops are abundant, Little Caesars Pizza has been growing with its unique business model and operating system. Little Caesars' concept offers menu items such as pizza and Crazy Bread® at a gr

Healthy Fast Food Announces Boise Area Developer to Begin Construction on First U-SWIRL Frozen Yogurt(R) Franchise Cafe in Idaho

Healthy Fast Food, Inc. (OTC Pink Sheets: HFFI), parent to U-SWIRL International, Inc., the owner and franchisor of U-SWIRL Frozen Yogurt® cafes, today announced that Regents Management, LLC will immediately commence construction on its first of sever

Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza

Papa Murphy's Franchise Highest-Ranked Pizza Chain in Zagat's Annual Fast Food Survey

Papa Murphy's International announced today that it secured for the second year in a row a spot in Zagat's Annual Fast Food Survey. America's largest take 'n' bake pizza chain ranks second in the "Top Food" and fourth in the "Top Service" categories. No o

Dunkin' Donuts

Dunkin' Donuts Franchise Announces Strong Development Growth in First Half of 2010

Continuing to hold its spot as one of the fastest growing brands in the QSR industry, Dunkin' Donuts, America's all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, announced today strong expansion results for the first half of 2010. Since January through J


RSS Subscribe

Features & Special Reports

Franchising With Family Members Can Be Fraught With Danger Or Filled With Success

It can be difficult enough to get a franchise up and running on your own, or with other operational and investing partners, but it can be downright arduous if family members are involved in the deal. But that's the route some franchisees take and when done properly this management model can provide years of personal and professional harmony. But there are some secrets to making it work. Go in unprepared and you could break up a business and a family.

The Winner's Column

As savvy franchise companies continue to flourish in this challenging economy, FUSR will continue to bring you good news each month, highlighting brands that are adding units, increasing comp store sales, striking deals with investors, and continuing to grow despite the economy - maybe even because of it. And, as the U.S. struggles through its "jobless recovery," growth-oriented franchisors continue to look overseas for expansion opportunities.

Sales Intelligence for Superior Performance, Part 2

Aggressive growth companies measure the performance of their sales personnel just as they do their advertising. With high recruitment expenses you can't afford mediocre selling performance, which costs dearly in lost franchise deals. A policyholder survey by Prudential Insurance revealed that the greatest influencing factor in the buying process is the sales person.

Turning Around Struggling Franchisees

Two years of tight credit and reduced consumer spending have left many franchisees reeling and put a serious crimp in franchisors' royalty streams. Workout professionals and bankruptcy attorneys experienced in franchising discuss what franchisors can do to help turn around distressed units - without spending scarce funds or getting themselves into legal hot water.

New Gift Card Regulations Kicked in August 22nd

Last year when President Obama signed the Credit Card Act of 2009 (the Act") into law, the nation's attention largely focused on those provisions of the law that aim to change the way credit card companies do business with consumers. However, since the Act imposes requirements on gift card issuers, it also changed the way many retailers and franchise companies will do business with consumers.

Strong Cultures Sell More Franchises!

Every franchise organization has a culture, the same way every person has a personality. If your franchise brand is serious about growth and development, ask yourself these two questions: 1) Does our franchise system have a strong, positive culture?; and 2) Is it a culture that promotes selling franchises?

Special Operations: Franchising in a Strange Land

Opening franchise units in nontraditional locations has been the domain of specialists--but not anymore. With the economy still slumping, lending still tight, and suburban expansion at a standstill, many multi-unit franchisees are exploring the viability of sites such as airports, hotels, colleges, senior centers, highway rest stops, hospitals, and military bases.

Rolling with the Punches: Franchisors Continue Adapting to Change

The rules and methods for franchise sales are changing daily with the general public's increasing awareness of the economy, deficits, lending, the housing market, and more. As some of us "graybeards" can remember, this isn't the first time the rules have changed--and it won't be the last.

Change on the Horizon

Just like any business, the franchising business is one that I have seen evolve tremendously over the past 30 years. While many of the cornerstones and crucial elements - product, simplicity, control, and support - remain the same, so much is changing.

Hiring Entrepreneurs: A Case Study of Hiring the Spirit of Success

As we continue to mine Dave Melton's book, <i>Hire the American Dream,</i> I thought it would be interesting to highlight a case study that demonstrates just how successful smart hiring can be. Here Melton describes his experience hiring an immigrant.

Franchise News Watch is a Franchise Update Media Group Production

All articles, blogs, news, guides, documents, trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners.
Franchise News Watch © 2008-2010 by: Franchise Update Media Group. All Rights Reserved