Quick casual is the fastest growing segment in the restaurant business today. You certainly don’t need an expensive survey conducted by a team of lawyers to tell you that. All you need to do is take a drive to the…
Starts 2014 with Pizzeria Openings
Orlando-based Flippers Pizzeria started 2014 off with the opening of two new restaurants in Florida. The 27-year old chain of casual family restaurants that features the brick oven baked pizzas opened a corporate location at the Dolphin Plaza at 11062…
Bringing the Heat to Hollywood
In early February, New Orleans-style barbeque chain VooDoo BBQ & Grill will open its fourth restaurant in South Florida. Franchisee Florida Restaurant Franchise Group LLC is opening a 3500 square foot end cap unit in the Target-anchored Hollywood Hills Plaza…
Launches Next Challenge
Recognized from the Food Network’s Cup Cake Wars program while operating the Pralines Bakeshop in downtown Newburyport in Massachusetts, Ron and Rhonda Weisheit sold the business in early 2011 in order to move onto their next challenge, to open a…
Wearing of the Green in Simsbury
Later in February, West Hartford, Connecticut-based McLadden Restaurant Group will be opening its fourth McLadden’s Irish Publick House in Simsbury, just west of Hartford, Connecticut. Renovations are well underway on the former Iron Frog Tavern location on Wilcox St. in…
Major Sports Bar for Harbor Center
In late January, John R. Koelmel, President of HarborCenter Development LLC in Buffalo in Western New York announced plans for (716) Food & Sport, a 13,000 square foot full service restaurant, “Dedicated to providing the best-in-class fan, food and sports experience,”…
Chuck E. Cheese to Join Apollo
In mid-January, an affiliate of global alternative investment manager Apollo Global Management, LLC and CEC Entertainment Inc. entered into a definitive merger agreement in which Apollo will acquire 577 Chuck E. Cheese’s family dining and entertainment restaurants for approximately $1.3-billion,…
Restaurants Coming to Charlotte Center
Columbia, South Carolina-based developer EDENS reports that John Paglia and Wendy Leege will be opening their first premium, all-natural gelato and fresh fruit sorbetto concept at the Park Road Shopping Center in Charlotte, North Carolina in February. The 620 square…
Sees Consolidation in the Future
In mid-January, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc. and U-Swirl Inc. reported that U-SWIRL International Inc., which operates and franchises self-serve frozen yogurt cafés, has acquired the business assets of two operators and franchisors of self-serve frozen yogurt cafés. Combined, the two…
Carrying Momentum into 2014
With a goal to double its footprint in the United States over the next three years, Dallas-based Corner Bakery Café signed twelve new area development agreements in 2013. This represents commitments for more than 120 new cafes and raises the…