Good News! - November 2017

The good news: Despite ongoing external threats to the business model, franchising is experiencing a remarkable growth phase - not only in unit count and system-wide revenue, but also in the number of new and emerging brands. The bad news: It's harder to keep up with all the good news! That's a nice problem to have - and why we've brought back our "Good News!"

roundup of selected news items on unit growth, investment and financial developments, international expansion news, refranchising, and milestones attained by franchisors large, medium, and emerging. Here's your chance to follow the leaders, every third Tuesday of the month. So if you're not doing it already, send us your good news here.

New Units/Growth/Expansion Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom Inks 11-Unit, 4-State Deal with New Franchisee The Pie Hole Will Open 3 New Shops in Southern California by December Can Carl's Jr. Take New York with Its First Manhattan Location? Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Opens 4 Locations in 4 States Artichoke Basille's Pizza Inks Multi-Unit Deal for 5 New Jersey Cities SpeedPro Imaging Awards 11 Franchises in 2017; Now Up to 125 Open Flippin' Pizza To Open 25 Units in Texas, Georgia, and California ZIPs Dry Cleaners Signs 5-Unit Deal for Tampa Bay Area Financial/M&A Panera Bread To Acquire 304-Unit Au Bon Pain, Reuniting the Brands Roark Capital Closes on Acquisition of UK's International Car Wash Group Roark Capital Offers To Buy Buffalo Wild Wings for $2.

3 Billion+ Denny's Establishes New 5-Year, $400 Million Revolving Credit Facility Kevin Durant Invests in Pieology Pizza Big Plans, Big Dreams East Coast Wings & Grill Unveils Plans for Complete Brand Overhaul Tim Hortons Targets 105 Locations in Ohio in 2018 Kwench Juice Café Looks To Expand Nationally Main Squeeze Juice Co. Opens in Katy, Targets 10–15 Units in Houston Area International FAT Brands Inks UK Deal for 15 Co-Branded Fatburger and Buffalo Express OXXO Care Cleaners Opens 2 More Stores in Indonesia Domino's Pizza Opens New Store in Vienna, Its First in Austria Muscle Maker Signs First International Deal for 10 Locations in Kuwait Jon Smith Subs Inks Its 1st International Location with UK Deal Nestlé Toll House Café Opens 6th Location in Lebanon Bennigan's Opens 2nd Restaurant in Bahrain New and Emerging Brands Melt Shop Inks Its First Domestic Franchise Deal (Staten Island, NY) DMK Burger Bar Signs 1st Franchisee in Multi-Unit Chicago Deal Slaters 50/50, a Burger Brand, Reaches 10 Units with 3 New Deals Rising Roll Café, with 19 Locations, Looks to Expand in Nashville Nékter Juice Bar To Hit 100 Locations in December; 75 More in 2018 Global Garage Expands to Houston with 4-Unit Deal Zoom Room, Dog Training and Gym Brand, Starts Franchising Again People & Awards Golden Corral Franchisee Eric Holm To Serve 20,000+ Meals on Thanksgiving Famous Dave's Appoints Jeffery Crivello as New CEO Panera CEO Ron Shaich To Step Down Jan.