Good News! - August 2018

As summer winds down, activity continues apace in franchising, both domestically and internationally. Consolidation continues, new brands are emerging, emerging brands are growing, and the regulations just keep on coming. So we've added a new section we're calling "Regulation, Legislation, Politics, Etc."

It's not exactly "good news," but it's good to know about. It's hard keeping up with all the growth and changes, which is why we provide our "Good News!" monthly digest of selected news items on unit growth, investment and financial developments, international expansion, people, and milestones.

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 Primo Hoagies Goes To Georgia with 3-Unit Deal for Atlanta Area Cousins Subs Inks 40-Unit Deal for Chicago Area with 3 Opening this Year Twin Peaks Signs 7-Unit Deal in Ohio with JEB Food Group Firehouse Subs Opens Its First Restaurant in Alaska, Its 45th State Hampton by Hilton Opens Five New Hotels, One Including New Design Elements Potbelly Sandwich Shop To Open 1st California Unit with 3 More Coming ZIPS Dry Cleaners Inks 10-Store Deal for Metro Cincinnati Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Signs 3-Unit Deal for West LA Financial, M&A, Incentives Applebee’s Turnaround Plan: Q2 U.

S. Sales Up 5.7%, 30 Stores Closed Trilantic North America Buys Majority Stake in 52-Unit Planet Fitness Franchisee PuroClean Is Offering a Free Franchise to One U.

S. Military Veteran Krispy Kreme To Buy Majority Stake in Insomnia Cookies Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh Invests in 8-Unit La Boulangerie de San Francisco Tilted Kilt To Be Acquired by ARC Group, Owner of Dick’s Wings & Grill Regulation, Legislation, Politics, etc. Opinion: Two Bills in Congress Seek To Ease Unionization Efforts CA Supreme Court Rules Against Starbucks in “Off the Clock” Closing Duties Suit Opinion: Congress Must Act Now To Nail Down Joint Employer Rules U.

S. Treasury Announces Proposed Tax Regs for Pass-Through Business Entities Big Plans, Big Ideas, Big Picture Jack in the Box To Spend Millions Upgrading Drive-Thrus at Company Stores Buffalo Wild Wings May Introduce Sports Betting After Rebrand, Just Salad Posts 3rd Quarter in a Row of Double-Digit Sales Growth Subway Launches $80 Million Store Refresh Program “Fresh Now” Tim Hortons’ New Initiatives To Boost Sales Include All-Day Breakfast Bennigan’s Details Growth Plans for New Openings in U.S.

and Abroad Dunkin’ Donuts Plans $100 Million Spend To Boost Beverage-Led Strategy Mountain Mike’s Pizza Plans 40 New Units in Southern California Del Frisco’s Discusses Benefits of $325 Million Barteca Group Acquisition Taco Bell President Liz Williams on the Brand’s Future After CEO’s Departure TGI Fridays CEO Aslam Khan on Tech, Training, and Revamping the Brand International Pokéworks Partners with Japan’s $1.6 Billion Toridoll Holdings Corp. Club Pilates Goes International with 3 Units Opening in Canada in October Chick-fil-A’s Expansion to Canada Holds Lessons for Franchise Brands Kinderdance Continues Its Growth in India with New Deal UK’s Green Motion Expands Its Global Car Hiring Brand to Canada Wingstop’s Growth Plans Include International Expansion New and Emerging Brands Canada’s Joey’s Franchise Group Debuts strEATS, a Taco and Poutine Concept theCoderSchool To Open Second Location in Roslyn, NY People, Awards, Milestones Kona Grill Promotes Jim Kuhn to CEO; Berke Bakay Named Executive Chairman Portillo’s Hot Dogs Names Former P.