{"id":4614,"date":"2014-12-18T09:44:45","date_gmt":"2014-12-18T09:44:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsroom.chainstoreguide.com\/?p=4614"},"modified":"2014-12-18T09:44:45","modified_gmt":"2014-12-18T09:44:45","slug":"industry-updates-restaurant-foodservice-december-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/2014\/12\/industry-updates-restaurant-foodservice-december-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Industry Updates: Restaurant & Foodservice \u2013 December 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

Personnel Update<\/strong><\/p>\n

Aramark <\/strong>announced\u00a0CEO Eric Foss will be made Chairman in February 2015.<\/p>\n

Auberge Resorts Collection<\/strong>\u00a0named Jason Niederkorn as Executive Sous Chef for Hotel Jerome<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Brinker International<\/strong>\u00a0names Scarlett May as Senior VP, General Counsel, and Secretary.<\/p>\n

Caesars Entertainment<\/strong>\u00a0announced Eric Hession as its new CFO, succeeding Donald Colvin who is retiring from the company at the end of the year.<\/p>\n

CiCi’s Pizza<\/strong>\u00a0named Jim Lebs CFO.<\/p>\n

Cinemark Holdings, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0promoted Rob Carmony to Exec VP of Innovation.<\/p>\n

Darden Restaurants Inc. <\/strong>announced near future executive changes: C. Brad Richmond, Senior VP and CFO, will retire 03\/29\/15 or sooner if\u00a0a successor is appointed; Danielle Kirgan will assume the position of Chief Human Resources Officer effective 01\/05\/15; and\u00a0Bob McAdam, SVP Government and Community Affairs, will depart the company at the end of this calendar year.<\/p>\n

Foxwoods Resort\u00a0Casino\u00a0<\/strong>named\u00a0Felix Rappaport President and CEO.<\/p>\n

Full House Resorts, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0named Daniel R. Lee CEO.<\/p>\n

Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill<\/strong>\u00a0appointed Bob Bafundo to the position of President. In addition, the company announced Michael Staenberg as Chairman.<\/p>\n

Georgia Restaurant Association<\/strong>\u00a0named Ryan Turner Chairman of the Board for 2015.<\/p>\n

Grand Hyatt<\/strong>\u00a0in New York named Jim Dale as Director of Food and Beverage.<\/p>\n

Hard Rock International<\/strong>\u00a0announced Michael Beacham as Senior VP and COO of Corporate Cafes, and Antonio Bautista was promoted to Senior VP of Franchise Operations and Development.<\/p>\n

Homestyle Dining LLC<\/strong>\u00a0announced that Jill Gouge-Laird has joined the company as VP of Marketing.<\/p>\n

Innovative<\/strong> Dining Group<\/strong>\u00a0named Dustin Guzman as VP of Human Resources.<\/p>\n

InnVest Real Estate Investment Trust (InnVest REIT)<\/strong>\u00a0announced the appointment of Edward Pitoniak as Acting President and CEO, effective immediately.<\/p>\n

InterContinental Hotels Group<\/strong>\u00a0(IHG<\/strong>) announced that Kirk Kinsell will step down from the Board and his role as President of IHG’s Americas business on 02\/13\/14. He will be succeeded by Elie Maalouf.<\/p>\n

International Franchise Association<\/strong>\u00a0added\u00a0Elizabeth Hays Taylor\u00a0as VP of Government Relations, Public Policy, and Counsel, and\u00a0Jeff Hanscom as Director of State Government Relations and Public Policy.<\/p>\n

Intrawest Resorts Holdings, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0hired Thomas F. Marano as CEO, effective immediately.<\/p>\n

Las Vegas Sands Corp.<\/strong>\u00a0announced the company has named Robert G. Goldstein as its President and COO, replacing Michael A. Leven, who is retiring at the end of the year after having served as President and COO since 2009.<\/p>\n

Live Nation Entertainment<\/strong>, parent company of\u00a0House of Blues Entertainment<\/strong>,\u00a0announced that Phil Seward as the Senior VP of Relationship and Loyalty Marketing.<\/p>\n

Loews Hotels & Resorts<\/strong> named Kirk Kinsell as President and CEO effective 03\/02\/14. Current CEO Paul Whetsell will remain in the post until that time and will then become Vice Chairman.<\/p>\n

McAlister\u2019s Deli<\/strong>\u00a0named Carin Stutz President.<\/p>\n

McDonald’s Corporation<\/strong>\u00a0announced that David Fairhurst has been promoted to Senior VP of International Human Resources and Strategy, effective 05\/01\/15.<\/p>\n

Montage Hotels & Resorts\u00a0<\/strong>named\u00a0Lance Thompson as Area Director of Operations.<\/p>\n

Noble Roman’s, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0announced Paul Mobley as Executive Chairman and CFO. Subsequently,\u00a0Scott Mobley assumed the title of CEO.<\/p>\n

Park Hyatt<\/strong>\u00a0in NY added Sebastien Archambault as Executive Chef.<\/p>\n

Pieology Pizzeria<\/strong>\u00a0named Stephanie Lambrecht VP of Operations.<\/p>\n

Project Pie<\/strong>\u00a0named Peter Wright as VP of Franchise Development.<\/p>\n

Restaurants Canada<\/strong>\u00a0announced the departure of Garth Whyte as President and CEO, effective immediately.\u00a0Past Chair, Donna Dooher, will be taking on the role of Interim President and CEO during the search for Whyte\u2019s replacement.<\/p>\n

Romacorp<\/strong>, the parent company of\u00a0Tony Roma\u2019s<\/strong>, announced John Brisco as President of International Division for Roma Systems.<\/p>\n

Scientific Games Corporation<\/strong>\u00a0announced new additions to its executive team:\u00a0Derik Mooberry as Group CEO of Gaming, James Kennedy as Group CEO of Lottery, and\u00a0Jordan Levin as President of Interactive.<\/p>\n

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood <\/strong>named Alex Becker as Executive Chef for its new concept, Kuro<\/strong>, opening January 2015.<\/p>\n

SONIC Drive-In<\/strong>\u00a0announced Paige Bass\u00a0as Senior VP and General Counsel\u00a0and Anita Vanderveer as Senior VP of People.<\/p>\n

Starwood Hotels & Resorts<\/strong>\u00a0named\u00a0Kevin Schiller as\u00a0Area Director of Sales and Marketing, Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Sysco Corporation<\/strong>\u00a0announced that Greg Keller has been appointed President of\u00a0SYGMA<\/strong>, its Columbus, OH-based subsidiary focused on serving chain restaurant customers, effective 01\/01\/15. The company also\u00a0announced Tom Ben\u00e9 as Executive VP and President of Foodservice Operations, effective 01\/01\/15.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell Corp.<\/strong>\u00a0appointed Melissa Lora as the new President of Taco Bell International, Meredith Sandland as Chief Development Officer, and\u00a0Liz Williams as CFO.<\/p>\n

Teriyaki Madness<\/strong>\u00a0hired Dave O’Connor as Director of Marketing.<\/p>\n

Texas Roadhouse, Inc.<\/strong>‘s\u00a0Steven L. Ortiz, COO, will retire effective 01\/12\/15. The Company also announced that Doug Thompson was promoted to VP of Operations.<\/p>\n

The ONE Group<\/strong>\u00a0announced\u00a0Alissa Conte as the company’s Director of Operations\u00a0and\u00a0Tim Flowers as Director of Operations for the\u00a0STK <\/strong>restaurant concept.<\/p>\n

United States Beef Corporation<\/strong>,\u00a0Arby\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0largest franchisee, has announced several executive changes:\u00a0Co-owner Jeff Davis will transition from his current role as CEO to serve as Chairman;\u00a0John Davis, co-owner, has been promoted to CEO;\u00a0Brett Pratt has been promoted to President;\u00a0Lori Pumphrey has been promoted to CFO; and\u00a0Bo Davis has been promoted to the newly created position of COO.<\/p>\n

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0announced that Gisel Ruiz is leaving her post as COO to become Exec VP of the company’s International People Division. Judith McKenna will be taking over the COO position for Walmart U.S. Additionally, <\/strong>Walmart’s\u00a0Chief Merchandising Officer, Duncan Mac Naughton, left the company. Walmart has not yet named a replacement.<\/p>\n

Walt Disney World<\/strong>\u00a0promoted\u00a0Scott Wallace to COO of Palmas Services.<\/p>\n

Wyndham Worldwide<\/strong>, parent company of\u00a0Wyndham Hotel\u00a0Group<\/strong>, promoted Gail Mandel to President and CEO of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals.<\/p>\n

Yum! Brands<\/strong> named Greg Creed as Director of the Board. Creed will take over the company’s helm as CEO on 01\/01\/15.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mergers & Acquisitions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bloomin\u2019 Brands Inc.<\/strong> has made an agreement to sell its Roy\u2019s<\/strong> brand to a Dallas-based Applebee\u2019s<\/strong> franchisee, Sunil Dharod. The transaction is expected to close in the next 30-60 days.\u00a0There are 29 Roy’s locations around the world – 21 in the continental U.S., six in HI, one in Japan, and one in Guam.<\/p>\n

Buffalo Hotel Supply Co. Inc. <\/strong>was acquired by private-equity firm\u00a0Lorraine Capital<\/strong>\u00a0for an undisclosed amount.\u00a0All of Buffalo Hotel Supply\u2019s employees, including the current management team, will remain with the company. In addition, James Bedard will continue in his role as President of Buffalo Hotel Supply.<\/p>\n

First Watch Restaurants, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0announced it has acquired Nashville-based Bread & Company, including the two restaurants operating in Green Hills and West End, as well as all recipes, marks, and intellectual property.<\/p>\n

Hyatt Hotels Corporation\u00a0<\/strong>announced that an affiliate of Hyatt has sold the 644-room\u00a0Hyatt Regency<\/strong>\u00a0in\u00a0Vancouver to an affiliate of\u00a0InnVest<\/strong>\u00a0for approximately $123 million or $190,000 per key. The hotel will continue to operate as a Hyatt Regency<\/strong> hotel.<\/p>\n

Noble Investment Group<\/strong>\u00a0announced that it has closed on the acquisition of ten\u00a0Marriott<\/strong>\u00a0and one\u00a0Hilton<\/strong>\u00a0premium branded select service and extended stay hotels from\u00a0McKibbon Hotel Group, Inc<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Papa John’s<\/strong> announced the acquisition of all Pizza Corner stores in South India, which will be converted to Papa John’s branded restaurants through Q1 2015. Papa John’s plans to expand its presence in India, specifically in Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad.<\/p>\n

Scientific Games Corporation<\/strong>\u00a0announced its completion of the merger with\u00a0Bally Technologies, Inc.<\/strong> The aggregate transaction value was approximately $5.1 billion; including the refinancing of approximately $1.8 billion of existing Bally net debt.<\/p>\n

Starwood Hotels & Resorts<\/strong> announced the sale of its Sheraton Hotel<\/strong> in Sydney, Australia, for A$463 million (US$399 million). Starwood will continue to operate the hotel as a Sheraton under a long-term management contract.<\/p>\n

Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0announced that the company closed on the acquisition of the\u00a0Four Seasons Resort<\/strong>\u00a0Scottsdale<\/strong> for $140.0 million.<\/p>\n

The Boelter Companies<\/strong> acquired\u00a0Robert Gill & Company<\/strong>.\u00a0As part of the deal, Paul, William and Steven Gill have joined The Boelter Companies.<\/p>\n

Tim Hortons Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Burger King Worldwide Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0merger has been\u00a0approved by the Minister of Industry under the Investment Canada Act.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Financial Focus<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ruth\u2019s Hospitality Group, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell substantially all of the assets related to its (21)\u00a0Mitchell\u2019s Fish Market<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Mitchell\u2019s\/Cameron\u2019s Steakhouse<\/strong>\u00a0businesses for $10M to\u00a0Landry\u2019s, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0The transaction is expected to close within 75 days.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Industry Updates<\/strong><\/p>\n

Burger King Worldwide<\/strong>\u00a0announced the company will move its headquarters to Canada, but its U.S. operations will remain in Miami. Once the merger is complete, Burger King will become a Miami-based subsidiary of the larger Restaurant Brands International<\/strong>, which is headquartered in Canada.\u00a0<\/strong>Burger King Worldwide <\/strong>also announced its expansion plans by establishing a new joint venture to increase the company\u2019s footprint in Italy, Poland, Greece, and Romania.<\/p>\n

Cinnabon<\/strong>\u00a0opened its newest concept, Bon Bake\u00a0Shop<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Denny’s Corporation<\/strong> announced the reopening of its Las Vegas restaurant.<\/p>\n

DineEquity<\/strong>,\u00a0parent company of both\u00a0Applebee’s<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0IHOP<\/strong>,\u00a0is considering expanding by adding a third concept. The new acquisition would be one that doesn’t compete directly with the existing concepts and has the potential to grow internationally.<\/p>\n

Domino\u2019s Pizza<\/strong>\u00a0opened its first store in Kenya and announced plans to expand its presence in East Africa\u00a0targeting the\u00a0port city of Mombasa, as well as Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda.<\/p>\n

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill<\/strong>\u00a0launched a new website equipped with\u00a0streamlined reservations, click-to-call capabilities, directions, simplified gift card ordering, and location-specific content.<\/p>\n

Front Burner Brands<\/strong>\u00a0sold off its 15-unit\u00a0Burger 21<\/strong>\u00a0concept to partner, Mark Johnston, and his wife, Arlene Johnston. Burger 21 will no longer operate under the Front Burner Brands umbrella.<\/p>\n

Fuddruckers<\/strong>\u00a0opened the first of ten fast casual locations in Chile.<\/p>\n

Golden Nugget<\/strong>\u00a0in\u00a0Las Vegas has completed a $15-million renovation of its Gold Tower.<\/p>\n

Hotel & Restaurant Supply<\/strong>\u00a0opened a location in Tuscaloosa, AL.<\/p>\n

Jamba Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0announced the company will sell its company units and buy back shares of its stock.<\/p>\n

King Street Food Company<\/strong>\u00a0opened another\u00a0Buca<\/strong>\u00a0concept and announced a partnership with Chef Jamie Oliver that will take the company across the country of Canada in 2015.<\/p>\n

McDonald’s<\/strong>\u00a0will expand its build-your-own-burger option to 2,000 U.S. locations next year.\u00a0Additionally, the company will open an office in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, in the first quarter of 2015, primarily to house its digital employees, which is currently at 20 with hopes to increase to as many as 250 employees.<\/p>\n

Morgans Hotel Group Co.<\/strong>\u00a0opened its newest concept,\u00a010 Karakoy<\/strong>, and first Turkey location in\u00a0Istanbul.<\/p>\n

Papa John’s<\/strong>\u00a0announced that 50%\u00a0U.S\u00a0of\u00a0sales are made from mobile and digital orders.<\/p>\n

Quiznos<\/strong>\u00a0opened the first of 100\u00a0units planned in Malaysia.<\/p>\n

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood <\/strong>announced it will open an interactive Japanese restaurant concept, Kuro<\/strong>, in\u00a0January 2015.<\/p>\n

Smallcakes: A Cupcakery<\/strong> launched the first co-brand creamery and cupcakery called\u00a0Smallcakes Creamery and Cupcakery<\/strong>\u00a0in Jacksonville, FL.<\/p>\n

Starbucks Corporation\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0new Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room<\/strong> format will serve as a launchpad for 100-store chain.<\/p>\n

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.<\/strong> signed its first Luxury Collection Hotel in Kyoto, Japan.<\/p>\n

Sunny Street Cafe<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to open two new locations, one franchised and one company owned (its first company owned restaurant since 2007), in Central OH, and will open December 2014 and early 2015, respectively.<\/p>\n

The Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group<\/strong>\u00a0reopened the company\u2019s\u00a0Brennan’s<\/strong>\u00a0restaurant concept after year-long renovations.<\/p>\n

Tom + Chee<\/strong>\u00a0will open 13 locations by spring 2015 and open a flagship restaurant at its original store in Cincinnati. The company will also launch food trucks in the first quarter of 2015 and delivery service in select markets.<\/p>\n

TravelCenters of America LLC<\/strong>\u00a0announced the opening of the first\u00a0Black Bear Diner<\/strong>\u00a0restaurant in the TA and Petro network\u00a0in Arvin, CA.<\/p>\n

Tropical Smoothie Caf\u00e9<\/strong>\u00a0expects to open 100 locations throughout the country.<\/p>\n

Vail Resorts<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to invest $50 Million in its\u00a0Park City Mountain Resort<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Veritiv Corporation<\/strong>\u00a0selected Northpark Town Center, located in the Central Perimeter area of Atlanta, for the company\u2019s executive offices. \u00a0The 68,000 sq. ft. space will be home to approximately 125-150 of Veritiv\u2019s senior leadership and corporate support functions.\u00a0No timetable was given about the move.<\/p>\n

White Castle<\/strong>\u00a0will close five locations in Northeast OH by 12\/24\/14.<\/p>\n

Yogen Fr\u00fcz<\/strong> announced its global expansion with the opening of new locations in South Korea and Spain.<\/p>\n

Yogurtland<\/strong>\u00a0opened the first of 15 locations in Thailand.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Real Estate<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another Broken Egg Caf\u00e9<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans for expanding its U.S. footprint growth with 100 stores\u00a0by 2018.<\/p>\n

Applebee\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0is seeking growth opportunities throughout NJ during the coming 18 months.<\/p>\n

Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc<\/strong>.\u00a0announced the opening of a new restaurant design and format in White House, TN, signifying a multi-year commitment to remodeling and building new restaurants.<\/p>\n

Bad Daddy\u2019s Burger Bar<\/strong>, franchise owned by\u00a0Good Times Restaurants,<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to grow in Charlotte, NC; Denver, CO; and to debut in TN.<\/p>\n

Bertucci\u2019s Corp.<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to extend its\u00a0Bertucci\u2019s Kitchen<\/strong>\u00a0remodels, now in two units, to more restaurants next year.<\/p>\n

Black Bear Diner<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to open four locations in CA, NV, and OR before year’s end.<\/p>\n

Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza<\/strong>\u00a0opened its first ID location in Meridian.<\/p>\n

Boston Market<\/strong>\u00a0stated expansion plans starting with 50 restaurants in development in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Corner Bakery Cafe\u00a0<\/strong>announced its entry into MT with the addition of a franchise partner who plans to open five neighborhood cafes throughout the state.<\/p>\n

Del Taco<\/strong> announced that the company will develop at least eight restaurants in the Chicago area, beginning by early 2016.<\/p>\n

Doc Popcorn<\/strong> announced plans to add 100 new units in Chile and Peru throughout the next 15 years with the first expected to open in\u00a0Santiago, Chile.<\/p>\n

Dunkin’ Donuts<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to develop seven new restaurants throughout the Phoenix market and continues to recruit franchisees in the cities of Prescott Valley, Lake Havasu, Sierra Vista, Benson and Wilcox.\u00a0The company also announced the signing of multi-unit store development agreements with five franchise groups for a total commitment of 63 new restaurants in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, Palm Springs, and Bakersfield over the next several years as well as a multi-unit store development agreements with two franchise groups to develop four new restaurants in CO over the next several years. Additionally, Dunkin’ Donuts\u00a0<\/strong>continued to expand its on-campus presence with the opening 10 new restaurants at 9 universities (Northwestern University, University of Alabama Huntsville,\u00a0Wayne State University, Boston University, James Madison University, Shippensburg University, Edison State College, Bowling Green University, and New Jersey City University)\u00a0throughout the country. With these openings, the company now has over 65 campus locations.<\/p>\n

Four Seasons<\/strong>\u00a0announced the company will open five new properties in 2015: HI, FL, Casablanca, Seoul, and Bahrain.<\/p>\n

Fuddruckers<\/strong>\u00a0opened its first DE restaurant in Newark.<\/p>\n

Gigi’s Cupcakes<\/strong>\u00a0will open 25 U.S. franchise locations in 2015 and 100 locations in South Korea in the next few years.<\/p>\n

Gino’s East<\/strong> opened the first of five planned TX locations.<\/p>\n

Handel\u2019s Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt<\/strong>\u00a0announced it has signed a franchise agreement to open a new location in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

HOA Restaurant Group<\/strong>, parent company of Hooter\u2019s<\/strong>,\u00a0plans to remodel an average of 30 company locations each year over the next 5 years. HOA will open 12 new franchise locations in 2014 and plans to ramp up development in 2015 with at least 20 additional franchise restaurant openings.<\/p>\n

Hurricane Grill & Wings<\/strong>\u00a0opened its first TN restaurant in Knoxville.<\/p>\n

Kona Grill<\/strong>\u00a0opened its first OH restaurant in Columbus.<\/p>\n

Little Caesars<\/strong>\u00a0commits to downtown Detroit with its new headquarters. The new 205,000-square-foot Little Caesars Global Resource Center will connect its current Fox Office Center by a pedestrian bridge. Construction will begin in the spring of 2015 and is expected to be complete by the end of calendar 2016.<\/p>\n

LYFE Kitchen<\/strong>\u00a0opened its first\u00a0restaurant in New York City and its 14th unit overall.<\/p>\n

Marriott International, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0opened the brand’s first AC Hotel <\/strong>in North American in New Orleans.<\/p>\n

McAlister’s Deli<\/strong> announced it has signed development agreements with three new franchise groups to open 20 locations throughout Rochester, NY, Northwest IN, and Chicago over the next several years.<\/p>\n

McDonald\u2019s<\/strong> launched its first McCafe inside a Clearwater, FL, store. The company also announced it will open its first store in Kazakhstan in the second half of 2015.<\/p>\n

MOD Pizza<\/strong>\u00a0announced that they have executed franchise agreements with two new partners to develop 35 restaurants in MI and SC.<\/p>\n

Panchero\u2019s Mexican Grill<\/strong>\u00a0is seeking growth opportunities throughout central and northern NJ\u00a0during the coming 18 months.<\/p>\n

Pie Five Pizza<\/strong>\u00a0announced that it has awarded up to 30 franchise units in CO beginning with the Denver market in mid-2015.<\/p>\n

Pizza Inn<\/strong>\u00a0opens first CO restaurant.<\/p>\n

Pollo Campero<\/strong>\u00a0opened a new prototype earlier this month in Dallas, with fresher colors and new menu that it plans to use in future development. The company plans to\u00a0add as many as 10 corporate US units in 2015.<\/p>\n

Potbelly Corporation<\/strong>\u00a0announced a franchise growth plan targeting NC, including Charlotte, Raleigh\/Durham, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville, Cary, and Wilmington.<\/p>\n

Red Lion Hotels Corporation<\/strong>\u00a0(RLHC) signed a franchise agreement for a new location in CO and also opened a new franchise location near the Detroit Airport.<\/p>\n

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0is seeking growth opportunities throughout Naples and south FL\u00a0during the coming 18 months.<\/p>\n

RedBrick Pizza Cafe<\/strong>\u00a0opened its first store in NE and its first in MO with a new location in Joplin.<\/p>\n

Team Schostak Family Restaurants<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to open 25 MOD Pizza<\/strong> locations in MI during the next five years, signing its first two leases in Southeast MI.<\/p>\n

The Egg & I Restaurant<\/strong>\u00a0opened its first location in NC.<\/p>\n

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0announced that it is actively seeking franchisees to bring its interactive dining experience to Little Rock, AR, naming the city as a target for future franchise development.<\/p>\n

Togo’s Eateries Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0celebrated its first restaurant in CO.<\/p>\n

Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint<\/strong>\u00a0opened its first TX location in Austin.\u00a0The company <\/strong>announced an agreement to develop three restaurants for Ocala and Marion, Lake, and Sumter counties in FL. In addition, the company has development agreements to build three more Uncle Maddio\u2019s in the Tallahassee area and five more units in the Jacksonville and Gainesville areas.<\/p>\n

Yum Brands<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to find franchisees to open 1,300 units in overseas markets.<\/p>\n

Zaxby’s Franchising Inc<\/strong>. announced it has inked a multiunit deal for 28 new restaurants in the Oklahoma City metro area. The first store, located near the University of Oklahoma in Norman, will begin construction in January 2015.<\/p>\n

Zoe’s Kitchen<\/strong>\u00a0will expand to 160 locations by the end of 2015. The company will enter the Kansas City, MO, and Philadelphia markets next year and eventually open locations in NYC and CA.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Green Initiatives<\/strong><\/p>\n

California Pizza Kitchen<\/strong>\u00a0debuted its new look after recent renovations. The renovations included new\u00a0decor using sustainable materials like reclaimed wood on walls, tables and doors, natural stone counter tops, an oak-wrapped bar and counters, LED lighting and even an herb garden.\u00a0Its Wellington location is among the first 12 in the country to be redesigned and to launch the new menu. Others in FL include Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa Bay, and Naples.<\/p>\n

Dunkin\u2019 Donuts<\/strong> launched a new program called DD Green, a green building certification program designed to help franchisees build sustainable, energy-efficient restaurants.\u00a0In conjunction with the launch, the company celebrated the grand opening of a DD Green-certified restaurant in Long Beach, CA.\u00a0Dunkin\u2019 Donuts’ goal is to have 100 new DD Green-certified restaurants opened by the end of 2016.<\/p>\n

Golden State Foods Corp.<\/strong>\u00a0opened a distribution center in Chicago focused on environmental sustainability. The 158,000-square-foot facility is its first to be gold-certified by the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design program.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Personnel Update Aramark announced\u00a0CEO Eric Foss will be made Chairman in February 2015. Auberge Resorts Collection\u00a0named Jason Niederkorn as Executive Sous Chef for Hotel Jerome. Brinker International\u00a0names Scarlett May as Senior VP, General Counsel, and Secretary. Caesars Entertainment\u00a0announced Eric Hession as its new CFO, succeeding Donald Colvin who is retiring from the company at the… Continue reading Industry Updates: Restaurant & Foodservice \u2013 December 2014<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"post-template-no-sidebar.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[11],"class_list":["post-4614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-restaurant-foodservice","tag-eupdate","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4614\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}