Franchising

Fast Casual, Franchising, Growth, News

Whit’s Frozen Custard Opens in Marion, Ohio

A new sweet spot has arrived in the heart of downtown Marion. Whit’s Frozen Custard officially opens its newest location on Friday, March 6, at 119 East Church Street, bringing its signature handcrafted frozen custard and welcoming neighborhood atmosphere to the community. Located in a historic downtown building with a modern twist, the new shop […]

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Franchising, News, Outside Insights, Story, Technology

How AI-Driven KPI Visibility is Changing Franchise Coaching and Operations for Restaurants

Restaurant franchise performance management has followed a predictable pattern: review financial results, identify underperforming locations, and work with operators to correct course. The challenge is that by the time financial results show a problem, it may be too late to recover or make it more difficult. As restaurant franchise systems scale and generate more operational […]

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Fast Casual, Franchising, Growth, News

Buffalo Wild Wings GO Opens in Hurricane, West Virginia

Buffalo Wild Wings GO is bringing bold flavor to Hurricane on Wednesday, March 4, with the official opening of its newest location — a fast, order-ahead destination built around the brand’s legendary wings, crave-worthy sauces and fan-favorite shareables. Owned and operated by Little General Stores, a well-established franchise group serving communities across West Virginia, Virginia and Ohio, […]

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Burgers, Fast Casual, Franchising, Growth, News

Largest Freddy’s Franchisee JRI Hospitality Acquires 43 More Restaurants

Salina-based JRI Hospitality, a leading restaurant group focused on quality, consistency, and building memorable experiences, announced today that it has acquired the restaurant operations of HCI Hospitality, a multi-brand company providing homegrown Midwest hospitality out of Manhattan, KS. JRI Hospitality is the largest franchisee of Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. Most notably, this acquisition includes HCI’s Freddy’s restaurant […]

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Beverage, Franchising, Growth, News

MilkShake Factory to Open in Scottsdale, Arizona

MilkShake Factory, the neighborhood dessert destination known for its handspun milkshakes and small-batch, premium chocolates, is expanding its Arizona presence with a new location opening in May 2026 at Seville Shopping Center in Scottsdale. The new shop marks the brand’s second location in the state, following the successful debut of its Chandler store in August 2025. […]

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Burgers, Fast Food, Franchising, Growth, News

Checkers & Rally’s to Open Another Las Vegas Location

Checkers and Rally’s, the iconic double drive-thru burger and fries brand known for its legendary taste, undeniable value, and game-changing innovation, is continuing its development in Las Vegas. Situated at 6345 S. Decatur Blvd., this will be the second location to open part of a three-unit restaurant commitment with LV Foodservice Concepts, a leading convenience store […]

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Fast Casual, Franchising, Growth, News

Playa Bowls Signs Deals with Three Franchise Groups

Playa Bowls, the nation’s leading superfruit and acai bowl concept, is continuing its rapid expansion across North America following a milestone year of growth. In the first quarter of 2026, the brand announced executed agreements with three franchise groups spanning the West, Midwest, and Southeast regions. In Southern Nevada, husband-and-wife teams Justin and Hannah Kirkland, alongside Craig and […]

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Fast Casual, Franchising, Growth, News, Sandwiches, Story

Why McAlister’s Says It’s Growing Like an Upstart

McAlister’s Deli might be a decades-old brand, but its current development pace resembles that of a concept still building national scale. The GoTo Foods brand signed 58 new franchise agreements in 2025, bringing its development pipeline to 265 restaurants through 2032. Heading into 2026, McAlister’s operated more than 570 restaurants across 31 states. The focus […]

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Fast Food, Finance, Franchising, News, pizza, Story

Papa Johns Plans 300 Store Closures, Corporate Layoffs Amid Turnaround Efforts

As part of its turnaround, Papa Johns is making major cuts across the business. The chain announced Thursday that it plans to close 300 North America restaurants—200 in 2026 and 100 in 2027—and that it laid off about 7 percent of its corporate workforce. The brand also decided it will remove Papadias and Papa Bites […]

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Beverage, Franchising, Growth, News

Scooter’s Coffee Reaches 900 Shops Nationwide

Scooter’s Coffee, one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing specialty coffee drive-thru companies, is celebrating an important milestone: 900 stores nationwide. To reach the milestone, Scooter’s Coffee added 83 stores to its network in 2025, a 10 percent increase in stores nationwide following a 16 percent increase in 2024. Nearly all Scooter’s Coffee locations are […]

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