Development & multi-unit

Restaurant operators should prepare for due diligence 12-18 months before a sale to ensure a smooth transaction, a managing director advises.

Restaurant brands face a tighter market for new sites than the national vacancy rate suggests, with usable vacancy in growth markets estimated to be 2-3%.

Burger King, Jersey Mike's, and El Pollo Loco leaders discuss the importance of value, traffic, and franchisee profitability in the QSR industry.

Burger King, Jersey Mike's, and El Pollo Loco leaders discuss the importance of value, traffic, and franchisee profitability in the QSR industry.

ServiceMaster Restore ranked No. 48 on the 2026 Franchise Times Top 400 with $1.5 billion in systemwide sales and over 65 years of restoration expertise.

Food Lion has entered into an agreement to purchase five Winn-Dixie stores in Southern Georgia, expanding its presence in the region.

YouFit Gyms secures $10M+ investment from Skyline Investors to upgrade its 49 gyms across four states over the next few years.

Founder-led, regional restaurant brands, such as In-N-Out Burger, are thriving due to their focus on employee care and customer lifetime value.

BJ's Restaurants focused on building a strong foundation for future growth, celebrating its ninth straight quarter of same-store sales and traffic growth.

Restaurant chains are making menu upgrades to win back increasingly selective diners, with some seeing significant increases in sales.

Sweetgreen's same-store sales fell 6.4 percent in Q3, but comps were up about 5 percent by October, driven by a 4 percent transaction increase.

Planet Fitness acquires Be-Fit, a Portuguese fitness platform with 25 clubs and 80,000 members, for $114.8 million, advancing its international growth strategy.

Sweetgreen relaunches its Plates category on the menu, adding new items and positioning itself to capture the dinner daypart.

Smalls Sliders has opened a new location in Hammond, Louisiana, offering its signature cheeseburger sliders, fries, shakes, and queso.

Hawaiian Bros has signed a five-unit development agreement to open restaurants across the West San Fernando Valley, marking the first California development commitment for the concept.

24 Hour Fitness has completed a multimillion-dollar remodel of several Bay Area clubs and is preparing for further growth with a new gym in Nevada.

Snooze is strengthening its leadership and operations to support its next stage of growth, including opening six new restaurants in 2027.

McDonald’s and Uber have announced a multi-year expansion of their partnership that adds delivery and loyalty features in 14 markets.

Bubbakoo’s Burritos has opened its first restaurant in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area and signed a deal to expand into Greensboro and High Point.

Delays in commercial build-outs can cost restaurants revenue and damage their reputation, with common mistakes including starting the permit process too late.

BAAN Powertrain expanded its Canadian distribution network with a new location in Oakville, Ont., reducing delivery times and freight costs for automotive repair businesses.

Franchisors must adapt to an evolving development landscape, focusing on marketing and attracting new franchisees.

Military installations offer new growth opportunities for restaurant franchises with established communities of service members and families.

NakedMD has expanded to over 50 locations nationwide, bypassing franchising in favor of a corporate-owned model for direct control over operations and pricing.