Good, Bad, and Other News! – March 2022

Are we truly coming out of the pandemic, or is it “Just when you thought it was safe” time? Will our back to the future lives be snapped up yet again by the jaws of Covid, or are we truly out of the woods as mask mandates are lifted across the U.S.?

Is it too soon? Is another ugly surprise just around the corner, or can we finally move on? Oh wait, Ukraine.

… Still, the world keeps spinning and life goes on. In the midst of all this, here’s your chance to follow the leaders and catch up on franchise-related news every third Tuesday of the month. And, if you’re not doing it already, send us your good (and other) news here!

POST-COVID – REOPENING & RECOVERY Menu Price Inflation Hit 41-Year High in February DoorDash’s 2021 Revenue Tops Pandemic Record; Expects Continued Growth Restaurants Debate Masking Rules as Covid-19 Rules Rapidly Disappear Why People Keep Buying Restaurants (Robin Gagnon) IFA Launches Hispanic Latino Franchise Leadership Council How Plant-Based Menus Are Changing the Perception of Fast Food Best Cities To Start a Business in 2022 Marriott Doubles Revenue Despite Omicron Setback Epic Health and Fitness Launches as a New Franchise HIRING & EMPLOYMENT Worker Shortage Pushing Companies To Offer More Perks And Benefits Three Starbucks Stores Unionize in a Single Afternoon High-Profile Union Campaigns Offer a Learning Opportunity for HR Employees Want To Stay, But Are Employers Giving Them a Reason To? (Oracle Ebook) A Simple Guide To Designing a World-Class Employee Experience Program (Qualtrics Ebook) FINANCE & M&A BBQ Holdings To Acquire 7-Unit Fine-Dining Brand Barrio Queen for $28 Million Opinion: Burgerim’s Growth Had a Notable Enabler: The SBA LEADERSHIP Wingstop CEO Charlie Morrison Resigns To Become CEO of Salad & Go; COO Michael Skipworth Named CEO Domino’s Pizza New CEO, Russell Weiner, Faces New Set of Challenges El Pollo Loco Names Larry Roberts CEO, Effective Immediately 5 Tips on How To Stay Focused as a New CEO There Are 4 Types of Bosses The Cost of Indecision: How To Stop It from Hurting Your Business (Methodify) Franchise GrowthLab Launches To Fuel Growth of Franchises LEGAL Ice Cream Machine Hackers Sue McDonald’s for $900 Million Loyalty Programs on California’s Radar Under CCPA MARKETING/CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Almost All Consumers Expect To Shop via Social This Year (Study) Meta: Underreporting of iOS Web Conversions Down to 8% from 15% Last September The Next Next Gen: The Solos Are Coming! REAL ESTATE Drive-Through Lane Competition Heats Up Report: Commercial Real Estate Market Q4 2021 (Stan Johnson Co.)