{"id":4689,"date":"2015-01-22T10:01:36","date_gmt":"2015-01-22T10:01:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsroom.chainstoreguide.com\/?p=4689"},"modified":"2015-01-22T10:01:36","modified_gmt":"2015-01-22T10:01:36","slug":"industry-updates-restaurant-foodservice-january-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/2015\/01\/industry-updates-restaurant-foodservice-january-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"Industry Updates: Restaurant & Foodservice \u2013 January 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

Au Bon Pain<\/strong>\u00a0named Katherine See Corporate Executive Chef, replacing Stefano Cordova, who left to join Starbucks<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Bob Evans Farms Inc.\u00a0<\/strong>announced the resignation of CEO Steve Davis, effective immediately. The position will be run by CFO Mark Hood and Bob Evans Foods President, Mike Townsley, until a replacement is named.<\/p>\n

Bruegger’s Bagels<\/strong>\u00a0announced the promotion of Paul Carolan to President.<\/p>\n

Bruxi\u00eb Gourmet Waffle Sandwich<\/strong>\u00a0chain named Dave Barrows as its first President.<\/p>\n

Burger King<\/strong>\u00a0named\u00a0Jos\u00e9 Cil as brand President;\u00a0Alex Macedo, President, Burger King North America;\u00a0Bruno Lino, President, Burger King Europe, Middle East, and Africa;\u00a0David Shear, President, Burger King Asia Pacific;\u00a0Jos\u00e9 Dias, President, Burger King Latin America and the Caribbean;\u00a0Axel Schwan, Global Chief Marketing Officer;\u00a0Rodrigo Musiello, Executive VP of Operations; and Paulo Barbosa, Executive VP of Finance.<\/p>\n

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group<\/strong> appointed Fred Schwartz as VP of Owner Relations, Americas.<\/p>\n

Chick-fil-A Inc<\/strong>. named\u00a0Brent Ragsdale\u00a0as CFO, Jon Bridges as Chief Marketing Officer, and\u00a0Andrew Cathy as Senior VP and Chief People Officer.\u00a0Also, joining the company is General Counsel Lynn Chastain and Senior VP of Field Operations Cliff Robinson.<\/p>\n

Churchill Downs Incorporated<\/strong>\u00a0(CDI<\/strong>) announced that Mike Ziegler has been named Executive Director of Racing, effective 01\/26\/15.<\/p>\n

CiCi’s<\/strong>\u00a0promoted two execs:\u00a0Steven Jones as COO and\u00a0Quinn Newhall as VP of Brand Excellence, Field Operations, and Franchisee Relations.<\/p>\n

Corner Bakery Caf\u00e9<\/strong> appointed Salil Bapat as CFO.<\/p>\n

Delaware North <\/strong>announced multiple personnel changes: Louis Jacobs and Jeremy Jacobs Jr. have been named as Co-CEO’s; Charlie Jacobs as CEO for Delaware North\u2019s Boston Holdings; and Charles E. Moran, President and COO of Delaware North, announced his desire to retire in December 2015.<\/p>\n

DiamondRock Hospitality Company<\/strong>\u00a0named Dustin Resnick as VP of Acquisitions and Investments, effective immediately.<\/p>\n

El Torito<\/strong>\u00a0Founder\u00a0Larry J. Cano passed away. He was known for popularizing\u00a0Mexican food in the U.S.<\/p>\n

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc.,<\/strong>\u00a0parent company to\u00a0Taco Cabana<\/strong>,\u00a0Pollo Tropical<\/strong>, and\u00a0Cabana Grill<\/strong>, announced the promotions of several of its top executives: CFO Lynn Schweinfurth is promoted to Senior VP; Chief Counsel Joseph Zirkman to Senior VP; Chief Development Officer John Todd adds a Group VP designation to his title; and Ryan Nowlin to VP of Information Technology.<\/p>\n

Golden Corral\u00a0<\/strong>named\u00a0Lance Trenary as\u00a0President and CEO.<\/p>\n

Hyatt Hotels Corporation<\/strong>\u00a0announced the appointment of Maryam Banikarim as Global Chief Marketing Officer effective 01\/26\/15.<\/p>\n

InnVest Real Estate Investment Trust<\/strong>\u00a0announced the appointment of Andrew C. Coles as President and CEO of InnVest, effective late January 2015.<\/p>\n

International Franchise Association<\/strong>\u00a0added Michael Layman as VP of Regulatory Affairs.<\/p>\n

Interstate Hotels & Resorts<\/strong>\u00a0announced the executive committee appointments of Laura E. FitzRandolph as Executive VP and Chief Human Resources Officer and Erica H. Hageman as Executive VP and General Counsel.<\/p>\n

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. <\/strong>announced that Price Cooper will join the company\u00a0as Executive VP later this month and will become CFO in April 2015.\u00a0Mr. Cooper will succeed Douglas Muir, Krispy Kreme\u2019s<\/strong> current CFO, who announced his retirement plans last year. The company also announced that former CEO James H. Morgan will transition from Chairman to non-executive chairman, effective 01\/29\/15.<\/p>\n

Logan\u2019s Roadhouse Inc.<\/strong> named Michelle Zavolta as the company\u2019s first Chief People Officer.<\/p>\n

Marshall Hotels & Resorts<\/strong>‘\u00a0founder and chairman emeritus,\u00a0Charles “Chuck” L. Marshall, passed away unexpectedly 12\/27\/14.\u00a0Marshall founded the company in 1980.<\/p>\n

Montage Hotels & Resorts\u00a0<\/strong>appointed Jason Herthel as President and COO.<\/p>\n

National Restaurant Association<\/strong> announced that John G. (Jack) Crawford, President and CEO of Ground Round Independent Owners Cooperative<\/strong> (IOC<\/strong>), was elected Chairman until January 2016. Also, Joseph J. Kadow, Executive VP and Chief Legal Officer of Bloomin\u2019 Brands, Inc.<\/strong>, was elected Vice Chair; and Jeffrey W. Davis, Chairman of United States Beef Corporation<\/strong>, an Arby\u2019s<\/strong> Franchisee, was elected Treasurer.<\/p>\n

Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt<\/strong>\u00a0appointed Geoff Goodman to serve as President.<\/p>\n

Penn National Gaming, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0announced the appointment of Chris Sheffield as Senior VP and Managing Director I-Gaming.<\/p>\n

Performance Food Group, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0(PFG<\/strong>) announced that Dr. Brad Morgan has been named Senior Director of Protein.<\/p>\n

Quiznos<\/strong>\u00a0named Doug Pendergast President and CEO, following the resignation of Stuart Mathis, who has left to pursue other opportunities.<\/p>\n

Red Mango<\/strong>\u00a0Founder and Chief Concept Officer Dan Kim announced he is stepping down to start his own consultancy.<\/p>\n

Restaurant Brands International<\/strong>\u00a0announced senior leadership team: Alexandre Behring as Chairman; Marc Caira as Vice-Chairman; Daniel Schwartz as CEO; \u00a0El\u00edas D\u00edaz Ses\u00e9 as President of Tim Hortons Brand; Jos\u00e9 Cil as President of Burger King Brand; Scott Bonikowsky as Chief Communication and Corporate Affairs Officer; Heitor Gon\u00e7alves as Chief People and Information Officer;\u00a0Jill Granat as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary; Josh Kobza as CFO; and\u00a0Cara Piggot as Senior VP of Supply Chain.<\/p>\n

Shaner Hotels<\/strong> appointed William Hoy as VP of Construction, Design, and Facilities Management.<\/p>\n

Starbucks Corp.<\/strong>\u00a0appointed\u00a0Stefano Cordova\u00a0<\/strong>as VP of its Food Category, Evenings and Food Business Development.\u00a0 <\/strong>The company also announced that\u00a0<\/strong>COO Troy Alstead\u00a0is taking an extended unpaid leave from the company with his last day being 03\/01\/15.<\/p>\n

Target Corp.<\/strong>\u00a0announced that CEO and President Gregg Steinhafel resigned, effective immediately.\u00a0Target CFO John Mulligan will lead the company on an interim basis until a replacement is named. Additionally, <\/strong>Target\u00a0promoted Casey Carl to Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer;\u00a0Jason Goldberger as President of Target.com and mobile; Dawn Block as Senior VP of Target.com and Mobile Merchandising;\u00a0Laysha Ward as Executive VP and Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer; and\u00a0John Hulbert as VP of Investor Relations.<\/p>\n

Texas Roadhouse, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0announced that Price Cooper, CFO, has resigned to take on an expanded CFO position for Krispy Kreme Doughnuts<\/strong>, Inc<\/strong>.\u00a0Scott Colosi, President of Texas Roadhouse<\/strong>, will serve as Interim CFO.<\/p>\n

The Krystal Co.<\/strong>\u00a0named Omar Janjua as President and CEO, effective 01\/21\/15.<\/p>\n

The Wendy’s Company’s<\/strong>\u00a0Chief Marketing Officer Craig Bahner is stepping down early next year and\u00a0Brandon Solano, Senior VP of Marketing, will succeed Mr. Bahner as CMO.\u00a0Additionally, the company promoted Brandon Rhoten as VP of Digital Experience;\u00a0Todd Penegor as Executive VP, CFO, and International;\u00a0Bob Wright as Executive VP, COO; and\u00a0Abigail Pringle as Chief Development Officer.<\/p>\n

The Wigwam<\/strong>\u00a0announced the addition of two new hires: Bob Nee as VP of Resort Sales and Marketing and Maureen Holden as Director of Marketing.<\/p>\n

Tim Hortons<\/strong>\u00a0named\u00a0El\u00edas D\u00edaz Ses\u00e9 brand President; David Clanachan, President and COO of Tim Hortons Canada; David Blackmore, President of Tim Hortons U.S.; Peter Nowlan, Chief Marketing Officer;\u00a0Alexandra Cygal, Chief Communication Officer and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer; \u00a0Tammy Sadinsky Martin, Senior VP of Retail;\u00a0Felipe Athayde, Executive VP of U.S. Development; and\u00a0Sami Siddiqui, Executive VP of Finance.<\/p>\n

TravelCenters of America LLC<\/strong>\u00a0appointed Homer Hogg to a newly created role of Technical Development Manager for the TA Truck Service and Petro-Lube Truck Service business.<\/p>\n

Wayback Burgers<\/strong>\u00a0parent company,\u00a0Jake’s Franchising LLC,\u00a0<\/strong>announced Jade Giamattei as Marketing Coordinator.<\/p>\n

White Lodging<\/strong> announced Jason Druso as its new VP of Restaurants.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

GPS Hospitality Partners<\/strong>\u00a0announced last week the purchase of 36\u00a0Burger King<\/strong>\u00a0restaurants located in MD, PA, and NJ from\u00a0Twoton Inc<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

InterContinental Hotels Group (The Americas)<\/strong>\u00a0parent company,\u00a0InterContinental Hotels Group PLC,\u00a0has agreed to acquire\u00a0Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Group LLC<\/strong>\u00a0for $430 million in cash.<\/p>\n

Lark Creek Restaurant Group<\/strong>\u00a0sold a minority stake in its restaurants to\u00a0Moana Restaurant Group<\/strong>, effective 01\/01\/2015.<\/p>\n

Meritage Hospitality Group Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0announced it has completed the acquisition of 9\u00a0Wendy’s<\/strong>\u00a0restaurants located in Tallahassee, FL.<\/p>\n

Morgans Hotel Group Co.<\/strong>\u00a0announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its 90% controlling interest in\u00a0The Light Group<\/strong> to\u00a0Hakkasan Group<\/strong> for a total enterprise value of $36 million.<\/p>\n

Restaurant Brands International<\/strong>\u00a0announced the successful completion of\u00a0Tim Hortons<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Burger King<\/strong>\u00a0transaction.<\/p>\n

Wendy’s of Montana<\/strong> sold all 18 of its Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers<\/strong> locations to another franchisee,\u00a0Wenspok Resources <\/strong>of Spokane, WA.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

Ark Restaurants Corp.<\/strong>\u00a0reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ending 09\/27\/14 with total revenues for the year at $139,357,000. This includes revenues of $8,753,000 related to\u00a0The Rustic Inn Crabhouse<\/strong>, which was acquired on 02\/24\/2014 and $2,621,000 related to\u00a0Broadway Burger Bar<\/strong>, which was opened in June 2013.<\/p>\n

Caesars Entertainment Corp<\/strong>. entered its largest unit,\u00a0Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., into bankruptcy after the company and 80% of bondholders agreed to the restructuring plan. Caesars executives say neither the bankruptcy nor the restructuring plan will affect day-to-day operations at Caesars properties and programs.<\/p>\n

Shake Shack<\/strong>\u00a0filed for its IPO trading NYSE under \u201cSHAK.\u201d The\u00a063-unit NY-based chain is poised to raise $100M in its IPO.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

AC Hotels<\/strong>\u00a0by\u00a0Marriott<\/strong>\u00a0announced its debut in Denmark.<\/p>\n

Auntie Anne’s Pretzels<\/strong>\u00a0opened its first location at Universal Orlando Resort<\/strong> in FL.<\/p>\n

Blake’s Lotaburger<\/strong>\u00a0announced the company is working on opening its third El Paso, TX, location; the only units located outside of the company’s home state NM.<\/p>\n

Bruegger’s Bagels\u00a0<\/strong>announced it will be relocating its HQs to Dallas where\u00a0leadership team members join management from Le Duff America, Inc. and its sister brand la Madeleine<\/strong> at the Dallas offices. No exact time table was given on the move.<\/p>\n

Chipotle<\/strong>\u00a0stopped serving pork at a third of its restaurants after suspending a supplier that violated its standards. The company learned of the violations during a routine audit, which mainly concerned the housing for pigs, and did not have a timeline for when carnitas would return to the affected stores.<\/p>\n

CKE Restaurants Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0(parent company of\u00a0Hardee’s<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Carl’s Jr.<\/strong>) showcased a self-order kiosk solution running on Windows 8 devices that enables Hardee’s customers to customize and place their own orders. The Dell Optiplex 3030 All-in-One devices are currently deployed as a pilot test in 30 restaurants, including a newly redesigned kiosk-featured restaurant in Nashville, TN. The company also announced plans to open 150\u00a0Carl’s Jr.<\/strong>\u00a0restaurants in Tokyo in the next 10 years, with its first location opening in 2015.<\/p>\n

Dairy Queen<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to expand the brand\u2019s presence in the Middle East with a multiunit development deal for\u00a0DQ Grill & Chill<\/strong>\u00a0restaurants and\u00a0DQ Treat<\/strong>\u00a0stores in Kuwait with the first of 20 set to open mid-2015.<\/p>\n

Galardi Group Inc<\/strong>. closed its Two Madres Mexican Kitchen<\/strong> restaurant in Mission Viejo and ended its foray into fast-casual Mexican-style food.<\/p>\n

Hilton Worldwide<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0DoubleTree<\/strong>\u00a0by\u00a0Hilton<\/strong>\u00a0announced the opening of\u00a0The Hollis Halifax<\/strong>,\u00a0the brand’s first property in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.<\/p>\n

HMSHost<\/strong>\u00a0signed an agreement to bring four new restaurants to Los Angeles International Airport’s Terminal 6 with\u00a0the first restaurants scheduled to open in June of 2015 and the last being completed in May 2016.<\/p>\n

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0announced that\u00a0The Powell Hotel<\/strong>\u00a0in San Francisco will be converted to a new independent identity, renamed as the\u00a0Axiom Hotel,<\/strong>\u00a0and will reopen after renovations in the fall of 2015.<\/p>\n

In-N-Out Burger<\/strong>\u00a0opened its 300th store.<\/p>\n

InterContinental Hotel Group<\/strong>\u00a0(IGH<\/strong>) celebrated the grand opening of the\u00a0Holiday Inn<\/strong>\u00a0in Manhattan-Financial District, which, at 50 stories and more than 452-ft. tall, is the tallest Holiday Inn property to date.<\/p>\n

Interstate Hotels & Resorts<\/strong>\u00a0announced six new hotels recently signed in the U.K.<\/p>\n

Jamba Inc<\/strong>. will expand into Taiwan opening its first location in Taipei as early as summer 2015.<\/p>\n

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0has opened its 100th store in South Korea. Krispy Kreme seeks to have 900 stores in international markets by the end of fiscal 2017.<\/p>\n

Live Nation<\/strong>\u00a0announced a multi-year agreement with the\u00a0Hollywood Casino<\/strong>\u00a0in St. Louis, which is\u00a0owned and operated by\u00a0Penn National Gaming<\/strong>, to be\u00a0renamed as the\u00a0Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Mama’s Fish House Restaurant & Inn<\/strong>\u00a0was named among the 100 best in the country by reviews on the reservation website OpenTable.com.<\/p>\n

Marble Slab Creamery <\/strong>opened its first Marble Slab Creamery in Pakistan.<\/p>\n

Marriott International, Inc.<\/strong> announced plans to open three properties in Greater China and one hotel in India by summer 2015 with expectations for 105 JW Marriott<\/strong>\u00a0properties\u00a0worldwide by 2020. The company also announced the expected April 2015 opening of\u00a0AC Hotel<\/strong>\u00a0Miami Beach will be AC Hotels’ first property in South FL following the lifestyle brand’s debut in New Orleans and its growing portfolio of over 50 hotels expected to open in the next few years.<\/p>\n

McDonald\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0opened a hipster cafe called The Corner<\/strong> in the inner-city Sydney suburb of Camperdown, Australia.\u00a0Described by the fast-food titan as a \u201clab,\u201d it will serve as a test run for new menu items which may then start being sold in other stores.<\/p>\n

Mexican Restaurants Inc.\u00a0<\/strong>changed the name of its\u00a0Mission Burrito<\/strong>\u00a0concept\u00a0to\u00a0\u00dcberrito Mexican Grill<\/strong>; all four locations were changed.<\/p>\n

Papa John\u2019s International, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0announced the 2015 U.S. Development Incentive Program for new and existing franchisees effective January 2015. \u00a0New and existing franchisees who sign a new Development Agreement during 2015 can receive industry-leading incentives including: no franchise fee ($25,000 value), a set of Middleby-Marshall WOW ovens and reduced royalties for four years.<\/p>\n

Pizza Hut<\/strong>\u00a0will offer 10-inch gluten-free pizzas starting 01\/26\/15 in 2,400 of its 6,300 domestic locations.<\/p>\n

Pizza Inn Holdings, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0changed its name to\u00a0RAVE Restaurant Group, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0on 01\/07\/15. The new name and a new “RAVE” trading symbol will be reflected on NASDAQ on 01\/09\/15. The renamed company includes\u00a0Pie Five Pizza Co.<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Pizza Inn<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Pizzeria\u00a0<\/strong>concept\u00a0slated to open in the Middle East\u00a0in the United Arab Emirates.\u00a0In addition to the Middle East markets, the company is in early discussions with developers in Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, and China.<\/p>\n

Potbelly<\/strong>\u00a0plans major European expansion starting with\u00a010 London locations over the next five years.<\/p>\n

RAM International LLC<\/strong>\u00a0announced that its\u00a0RAM<\/strong>\u00a0Family of Restaurants and Breweries has become an employee owned company.<\/p>\n

Russo\u2019s Restaurants<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to open its fourth out of 28\u00a0Russo\u2019s New York <\/strong><\/p>\n

Schlotzsky\u2019s<\/strong> opened its first location in Russia, part of a plan that will add more than 50 restaurants throughout the country over the next 10 years.<\/p>\n

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc<\/strong>. opened its first Tajikistan location.<\/p>\n

Sun Holdings LLC<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to bring\u00a0Krispy Kreme<\/strong>\u00a0back to the Houston market along with a\u00a0BK Whopper Bar<\/strong>\u00a0at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.<\/p>\n

Target Corporation<\/strong>\u00a0shuttered all of its 133-unit Canadian store locations.<\/p>\n

TGI Fridays<\/strong>\u00a0division in the United Kingdom\u00a0sold\u00a066-units to\u00a0London-based private-equity firm Electra Partners.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

Another Broken Egg Cafe<\/strong>\u00a0is targeting South FL for growth in 2015 with\u00a0plans to open 36 additional locations throughout the state.<\/p>\n

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

Baskin-Robbins<\/strong>\u00a0is seeking entrepreneurs in Southern CA who would like the exclusive scoop on how to own their very own Baskin-Robbins franchise. The brand is currently seeking qualified candidates who are interested in owning and operating a new or existing ice cream shop in the San Diego and Los Angeles areas. The company also announced\u00a0that it is expanding its presence in Louisville and Lexington, KY, and seeking franchisees in the Toronto area.<\/p>\n

Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza<\/strong>\u00a0opened its first NC location in\u00a0Morrisville, and announced expansion plans for Canada\u00a0targeting Toronto, Edmonton, and Calgary.<\/p>\n

Boloco<\/strong>\u00a0is seeking growth opportunities throughout New England and DC during the coming 18 months.<\/p>\n

Boomtown Entertainment<\/strong>, parent company of\u00a0Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill<\/strong>, announced its growth plans to strengthen its presence in the United States which includes plans for restaurants to open in Phoenix, AZ; College Station, TX; and Lansing, MI, in the first quarter of 2015.<\/p>\n

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream<\/strong>\u00a0plans 25 new locations in 2015.<\/p>\n

Bruxi\u00eb Gourmet Waffle Sandwich<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to open in the Los Angeles market later this year.<\/p>\n

Burger 21<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to open 10 new units in 2015 while entering three new states – IL, MI, TX – and five new franchised restaurant locations – AZ, NY, VA.<\/p>\n

Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop<\/strong>\u00a0announced the opening of its first GA location in Duluth.<\/p>\n

Carvel<\/strong>\u00a0announced\u00a0plans for adding locations in Orlando, Tampa-St. Petersburg, and Miami markets.<\/p>\n

Chipotle Mexican Grill<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to take its\u00a0ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Pizzeria Locale<\/strong>\u00a0concepts to new markets this year.<\/p>\n

Concord Hospitality Enterprises<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to develop and operate NC’s first AC Hotel<\/strong> in Raleigh and is expected to open in 2016.<\/p>\n

Corner Bakery Cafe<\/strong>\u00a0announced a 5-restaurant deal in VA throughout Richmond and Fredericksburg, and 9 CA locations are being planned between Stockton and Bakersfield and Cross, with several different sites planned for Fresno.<\/p>\n

Dairy Queen <\/strong>announced plans to develop more than 20\u00a0DQ Grill & Chill<\/strong>\u00a0restaurants and\u00a0DQ Treat<\/strong>\u00a0stores throughout the country of Kuwait over the next five years<\/p>\n

Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc<\/strong>., the parent company of\u00a0Dunkin’ Donuts<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Baskin-Robbins<\/strong>, plans to add between 410 and 440 new U.S. Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants and 5 to 10 new Baskin-Robbins U.S. restaurants in 2015.<\/p>\n

Dunkin’ Donuts<\/strong>\u00a0announced that it has signed a franchise agreement with Dunkin’ Donuts franchisee\u00a0and\u00a0the Mexican subsidiary of\u00a0Sizzling Platter, LLC,\u00a0<\/strong>to begin developing more than 100 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants throughout Mexico as well as the states of Hidalgo, Morelos, Jalisco, and Queretaro, over the coming years. The company also entered into a long-term master franchise agreement\u00a0to open and operate more than 1,400 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants across China over the next 20 years. The joint venture has exclusive rights to expand Dunkin’ Donuts in new territories, including Beijing, Chongqing, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Hong Kong, Hunan, Jiangxi, Jilin, Macau, Shanxi, Sichuan, Tianjin and Yunnan. The opening of the first restaurant is expected in Q4 2015.\u00a0Additionally, Dunkin\u2019 Donuts is on track with its plan to open approximately 250 new restaurants in CA over the next several years, with the long-term goal of having 1,000 restaurants in total throughout the state.\u00a0Dunkin’ Donuts also signed agreements in 2014 with franchisees to open new future restaurants in markets, including Northern, Central, and Southern CA; Oklahoma City, OK; Louisville, KY; Phoenix, AZ; Greensboro, NC; and Wichita, KS, among others.<\/p>\n

Famous Dave’s of America, Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0announced that it has closed its three restaurants in the Richmond, VA.<\/p>\n

First Watch Restaurants<\/strong>\u00a0entered into an exclusive franchise development agreement to develop at least 15 restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, during the next five years. The first restaurant is expected to open in late 2015.<\/p>\n

Fuddruckers<\/strong>\u00a0will debut its first ME location this May 2015.<\/p>\n

Great Wraps<\/strong>\u00a0is seeking additional leases throughout the Austin, TX, area and in the Boston, MA, area. The company also signed a deal to develop restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth market and another to enter OK for the first time.<\/p>\n

GRILLiT, Inc.<\/strong> announced that it has executed a franchise agreement to establish a\u00a0GRILLiT<\/strong>\u00a0restaurant location in Tampa, FL.<\/p>\n

Habit Restaurants, Inc.\u00a0<\/strong>announced an international franchise agreement for the development of up to 50 new\u00a0Habit Burger Grill<\/strong>\u00a0locations in six countries in the Middle East over the next 10 years exclusively targeting UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. This is The Habit Burger Grill’s first international agreement with plans to open the first restaurant in the United Arab Emirates in the second half of 2015.<\/p>\n

Hale and Hearty Soups <\/strong>opened its first MA location in Boston.<\/p>\n

Handel’s<\/strong>\u00a0debuted its first NV location in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

Heartland Brewery <\/strong>is seeking growth opportunities throughout the greater New York, NY metropolitan area during the coming 18 months.<\/p>\n

Hooters of America, LLC\u00a0<\/strong>announced a new domestic development agreement to build multiple\u00a0Hooters<\/strong>\u00a0restaurants in the Palm Springs, Indio, Coachella, and Cathedral City, CA, areas with the first location is slated to open in late summer of 2015. Additionally, Hooters\u00a0<\/strong>remodeled 17 of its TX-area locations in Dallas (9), Houston (5), and San Antonio (3), in 2014, and is implementing remodel projects in several key markets throughout the country, investing an average of $450,000 per location. The remodeling growth plan includes 30 remodels, at least 5 new corporate restaurants, and upwards of 24 franchise openings internationally.<\/p>\n

Ikea<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to open its first TN\u00a0store\u00a0in Memphis, which could open as early as fall 2016.<\/p>\n

In-N-Out<\/strong>\u00a0will begin construction on its first OR location in Medford during summer 2015.<\/p>\n

Juice It Up!<\/strong>\u00a0signed an agreement to bring the brand to OR. The Area Development Agreement includes three franchise locations in the Portland area, with the first scheduled to open in Hillsboro in early 2015.<\/p>\n

Just Salad<\/strong>\u00a0stated it will open its first restaurant in Chicago in March.<\/p>\n

La Madeleine<\/strong>\u00a0announced a multiunit agreement in Little Rock, AR.<\/p>\n

Mod Pizza<\/strong>\u00a0plans to add 50 corporate stores this year and expand into eight new US markets. The company also plans to bring on three to four more franchise partners in 2015.<\/p>\n

Mooyah Burgers, Fries and Shakes<\/strong>\u00a0signed its first FL deal with plans to bring the brand to Jacksonville first.<\/p>\n

Moxie’s Restaurants Inc. <\/strong>announced plans to open its first of many TX locations in Dallas and will soon expand to Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.<\/p>\n

Native Grill and Wings<\/strong>\u00a0announced expansion plans for 8 new restaurant openings in 2015 with 14 restaurants under\u00a0development\u00a0throughout AZ, CO, ID, MS, MT, SD, UT, and WY and plans for a total of 100 locations nationwide by 2020.<\/p>\n

Newk’s Eatery<\/strong>\u00a0announced it is expanding its AR footprint with the first of four locations\u00a0scheduled to open in the northwestern corner of the state by 2016.<\/p>\n

Noble Investment Group<\/strong>\u00a0announced it has broken ground on its first\u00a0AC Hotel<\/strong>, AC\u00a0<\/strong>Buckhead, in Atlanta which is scheduled to open early 2016.<\/p>\n

Papa Murphy’s <\/strong>said it\u00a0is eyeing expansion into\u00a0Papa John’s<\/strong>\u00a0hometown of Louisville, KY, with an additional 25 locations in the city with plans to open a new Papa Murphy’s every six months.<\/p>\n

Peet’s Coffee and Tea<\/strong>\u00a0closed or will close locations in downtown Baltimore, MD; Alexandria and Bristow, VA; PA; and MI due to store performance. <\/strong>The company\u00a0also closed all six of its remaining stores in OH, and\u00a0plans to shift its focus to Chicago, Boston, Washington DC, and CA. It’s also opening stores in IL, WI, and VA.<\/p>\n

Pie Five Pizza Co.<\/strong>\u00a0announced that it has awarded up to 55 franchise units\u00a0in MI and WI beginning in 2015. Additionally, the company opened its first FL location in Orlando and announced plans to open its first KY location in Lexington summer 2015.<\/p>\n

Pieology Pizzeria<\/strong>\u00a0announced it will open 8 new locations throughout Southern CA by April. The new locations include Culver City, Westlake Village, Korea Town, La Mirada, Whittier, Carlsbad, Cerritos and Monrovia.\u00a0Pieology is set to open a total of 180 restaurants by the end of the year.<\/p>\n

PizzaRev<\/strong>\u00a0announced an agreement to bring Los Angeles’ build-your-own pizza concept to Boston with freshly inked deal calling for at least 10 PizzaRev locations to open throughout Boston in the next four years.<\/p>\n

RedBrick Pizza<\/strong>\u00a0announced, after opening its first KY location in Louisville, that the company\u00a0is launching an expansion campaign\u00a0to add more than a dozen restaurants in KY over the next three years. Additionally, RedBrick Pizza\u00a0<\/strong>announced that the company\u00a0is launching an expansion campaign to add more than a dozen restaurants in NE over the next three years.<\/p>\n

Rita\u2019s Italian Ice<\/strong> awarded a franchise and area development deal\u00a0for more than 14 stores within NE, including Lincoln, Omaha and surrounding areas. The first store will open in Lincoln in July 2015.<\/p>\n

Romano\u2019s Macaroni Grill<\/strong>\u00a0shuttered all five of its restaurants in the MO market (Branson, Columbia and St. Louis)\u00a0as parent company\u00a0Ignite Restaurant Group Inc.<\/strong>\u00a0continues to close underperforming units of the brand.<\/p>\n

Shake Shack<\/strong>\u00a0announced plans to open at least 10 new domestic company-operated Shacks each year, beginning in fiscal 2015, for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n

SONIC<\/strong>\u00a0announced a new agreement for franchise development of 8 new drive-ins in the Albany, NY, area over the next seven years, with the first restaurant opening in Latham this spring.<\/p>\n

Starbucks<\/strong> projected about 1,650 new unit openings in fiscal 2015, including 650 locations in the Americas region that includes the US, Canada, and Latin America. Also, the company opened a ‘flagship store’ in\u00a0Chengdu,\u00a0China.<\/p>\n

The ONE Group Hospitality, Inc.\u00a0<\/strong>announced plans to open a\u00a0STK<\/strong>\u00a0in Disney Springs at the\u00a0Walt Disney World Resort<\/strong>\u00a0in Lake Buena Vista, FL.<\/p>\n

Tokyo Joe’s\u00a0<\/strong>inked its first franchise deal with plans to open the\u00a0Tuscon, AZ, location later this year.\u00a0Tokyo Joe’s also announced it is working on closing deals in Austin, San Antonio, and Kansas City.<\/p>\n

Tom+Chee<\/strong>\u00a0signed a franchise deal to bring five stores to southeast TX initially targeting Sugar Land and Katy.<\/p>\n

Tony Roma\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0opened its first restaurant in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.<\/p>\n

Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint<\/strong>\u00a0opened its first CO location in Aurora with plans for five more\u00a0restaurants\u00a0to open in the Denver area. The company is also set to open three units across three states this month: Omaha, NE; Charleston, SC; and Cary, NC.<\/p>\n

Village Inn<\/strong>\u00a0announced expansion plans with new restaurants in AZ, FL, and VA.<\/p>\n

Wyndham Hotel Group<\/strong>\u00a0signed a deal to open seven properties in Peru in 2015.<\/p>\n

Zaxby\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0opened its first OK\u00a0restaurant\u00a0in Tulsa.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

Dunkin’ Donuts<\/strong>\u00a0plans to have 100 new DD Green certified restaurants across the US by the end of 2016.<\/p>\n

Ikea<\/strong>\u00a0plans to install solar energy panels on its 380,000-sq-ft. St. Louis store, due to open in fall 2015.<\/p>\n

Panera Bread<\/strong> released company milestones on its ongoing quest to source responsibly raised livestock and poultry as part of its “clean food” policy.\u00a0Here are some milestones the company is disclosing this week:<\/p>\n