- American Freight Introduces Franchise Model Backed by 25+ Years of Growth and Profitability
(franchising.com - 3/31/2021) “In 2020, we defied the odds by opening over 25 new American Freight stores, while also growing our sales year over year,” said Will Powell, CEO. This creates an opportunity for us to open even more new stores in 2021, especially franchised locations.” (full story)
- Rush Bowls Plans to Open 14 to 16 Stores in 2021
(qsrmagazine.com - 3/31/2021) The brand is looking to further expand throughout Minnesota, Indiana, Texas, Connecticut, Washington, Florida, California and Idaho. (full story)
- ‘The store of the future’: Chief product officer Jana Henning on Athleta’s rapid retail expansion
(glossy.co - 3/31/2021) This year, the company plans to open 20-30 stores, and it’s projecting $2 billion in annual sales by 2023... (full story)
- Golden Corral is Building for the Next 100 Years
(fsrmagazine.com - 3/31/2021) Once all the innovation is fully tested, Golden Corral doesn’t plan on stopping at 490—it has visions of reaching 750 to 1,000 stores. (full story)
- The Toasted Yolk Sets Sights on Southern Expansion
(fsrmagazine.com - 3/31/2021) With its sights set on the Southeast region, The Toasted Yolk has officially added single and multi-unit franchise owners in Memphis, Tennessee as well as Dothan, Alabama, and the popular brunch destination has plans to dive into in Florida shortly thereafter. (full story)
- Cowboy Chicken Plans Introduction Into Florida
(qsrmagazine.com - 3/31/2021) The development deal represents the brand’s introduction to the Sunshine State, with four stores scheduled to open in the Orlando area in 2021 and 2022. (full story)
- PITA Mediterranean Street Food Converts Corporate Restaurants to Franchises
(qsrmagazine.com - 3/31/2021) Next month, a new location in Orlando, Florida, is scheduled to open with 11 more to follow this year. Alabama continues to be an active market for new PITA restaurants in and around Huntsville, as well. (full story)
- Volofit Appoints Fitness Industry Leader Kory Angelin As Chief Operating Officer
(franchising.com - 3/30/2021) A surging national brand, Volofit is rapidly building its presence in the US market with 30+ new franchise agreements signed in 2021. (full story)
- VERC Enterprises Sold to Multiple Buyers
(cspdailynews.com - 3/30/2021) The buyers include Energy North Group, Global Partners LP and one unspecified buyer, said Leo Vercollone, CEO of VERC Enterprises. (full story)
- Lululemon ends year strong as digital sales nearly double; upbeat on Q1
(chainstoreage.com - 3/30/2021) Lululemon is also pursuing brick-and-mortar expansion. The activewear retailer plans to open between 40 and 50 stores globally in its current fiscal year, with about half of the locations in Mainland China. (full story)
- Hoots Wings Flies into Lone Star State with Extended Franchise Efforts in Texas
(restaurantnews.com - 3/30/2021) After signing its first franchise agreement in Texas for 60 units, hoots wings is looking to spread its wings throughout the Lone Star state with 80+ additional franchise units across Texas. (full story)
- Veteran Tropical Smoothie Franchisees To Open Three Another Broken Egg Cafe Locations
(restaurantnews.com - 3/30/2021) Ray, Joy and Andrew Howell of Amazing Brandz will have exclusivity over Lee County, FL and will aim to have their first Another Broken Egg Cafe location open later this year. (full story)
- Teriyaki Madness Celebrates 100th Shop Opening in Katy, TX On the Heels of Exceptional Growth in 202
(restaurantnews.com - 3/30/2021) By the end of this year, Teriyaki Madness will add another 45-50 open shops throughout North America and another 50 new franchisees to their system. 2022 is already shaping up to add another 50%+ growth to a quickly growing success story. (full story)
- Chicken Salad Chick Opens in Johnson City, Tennessee
(qsrmagazine.com - 3/30/2021) Following the debut in Bristol last fall, the Johnson City restaurant continues Chicken Salad Chick’s growth in the Tri-Cities area, with additional locations slated to open across the state in Oak Ridge, Smyrna, and Gallatin. (full story)
- Not Even COVID Could Stop Walk-On’s Remarkable Run
(fsrmagazine.com - 3/30/2021) And the brand’s targets are back on track. It expects to open upward of 25 restaurants this year, and is holding steady on its broader view of 150 additional venues over the next five. (full story)
- Dave’s Hot Chicken franchise coming to Milwaukee
(biztimes.com - 3/30/2021) Los Angeles-based fast-casual chain Dave’s Hot Chicken is tapping the Milwaukee market as part of a larger Midwest expansion. The chain is currently seeking multi-unit franchisees to open a target of 15 to 20 locations across the Milwaukee area. (full story)
- Dunkin' Opens 1,000th Next Generation Restaurant
(qsrmagazine.com - 3/29/2021) New Next Gen restaurants are popping up across the country, including in Mira Mesa, CA, Trumbull, CT, Las Vegas, NV, Bridgman, MI, and more. (full story)
- Bridgestone Retail Operations Opening 58 Stores This Year
(risnews.com - 3/29/2021) The projected launches follow significant BSRO expansion in 2020 when 52 new locations opened amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. BSRO said 18 of the 58 stores planned are scheduled to open before the end of April. (full story)
- One Year Into COVID, First Watch Sees More Promise Than Ever
(fsrmagazine.com - 3/29/2021) On March 15, First Watch opened its first Greater Chicago location in Oak Brook. The restaurant marked the first of what the company believes will be three to four restaurants per year in the Windy City for the foreseeable future. (full story)
- Multi-Unit Operator Opening Third Slim Chickens on Florida Panhandle
(restaurantnews.com - 3/29/2021) The Pensacola opening is just a piece in Slim Chickens’ larger growth story. Since its founding in 2003, the brand has celebrated over 100 openings in 19 states, with an overall goal of opening 600 restaurants by 2025. (full story)
- Slim Chickens Gears Up for March 29 Opening in Collierville
(restaurantnews.com - 3/29/2021) Brothers, Cody and Scott Davis currently own two Slim Chickens locations in Southaven, Mississippi and Searcy, Arkansas. The Collierville location will be the brothers’ third Slim Chickens, with 14 other locations in development, including in Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Memphis. (full story)
- Scalability of Zips Dry Cleaners Attracts New Franchisee
(franchisetimes.com - 3/29/2021) Velagapudi and his brother signed an eight-unit franchise agreement to bring Zips to Charlotte, North Carolina, where the two also own residential rental properties and where Velagapudi will relocate. (full story)
- Dogtopia Signs 15 New Franchise Agreements in Texas
(prnewswire.com - 3/29/2021) With two locations under construction, the company signed agreements with three new franchisees, who committed to 15 more daycares throughout San Antonio, Houston and Corpus Christi. (full story)
- Omega Sports Files For Bankruptcy
(sgbonline.com - 3/29/2021) The retailer currently operates seven stores located in Charlotte, Greensboro, High Point, Wilmington, Raleigh, and Winston-Salem. (full story)
- Why Is Sprouts Farmers Up 36.3% Since Last Earnings Report?
(nasdaq.com - 3/27/2021) During the quarter under review, Sprouts Farmers opened six new outlets, taking the total count to 362 stores in 23 states... (full story)
- Gap Inc. in deal to sell Janie and Jack
(chainstoreage.com - 3/26/2021) The apparel retailer has entered into an agreement to sell Janie and Jack, which operates more than 115 stores in the U.S., to Go Global Retail. (full story)
- As E-Commerce Sales Surge Triple Digits, Shoe Carnival Seeks to ‘Modernize’ Stores
(footwearnews.com - 3/26/2021) "As highly profitable real estate opportunities open up in late 2022 and 2023, we plan to pursue store openings within existing operating states as a top strategic priority." (full story)
- Drake’s restaurant prepares to open Clarksville location, 100 open positions
(clarksvillenow.com - 3/26/2021) Part of the Lexington-based Bluegrass Hospitality Group, Drake’s has 16 locations across five states, with new locations opening in Louisville, Kentucky as well as Clarksville. (full story)
- Olive Garden parent’s earnings beat, forecasts stronger sales next quarter
(cnbc.com - 3/25/2021) For fiscal 2022, Darden expects roughly 35 restaurant openings and $350 million to $400 million in capital expenditures. (full story)
- PJ’s Coffee Poised for Continued Franchise Growth in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi
(restaurantnews.com - 3/24/2021) When assessing the active and future development pipeline, PJ’s Coffee already has commitments from franchisees to introduce a total of 28 additional coffeehouses across the four states in the next two-to-three years. (full story)
- Little Caesars Wants to Increase Development in New York Metro Area
(qsrmagazine.com - 3/24/2021) With several Little Caesars locations currently open and operating in the New York metro area, the brand is accelerating its search for new real estate locations. (full story)
- Del Taco Continues Momentum into 2021
(qsrmagazine.com - 3/24/2021) Most recently, the brand signed an 11-restaurant development agreement with multi-brand franchise operator Peachtree Development. Bringing strong development and restaurant experience, the group is focused on growing the brand in South Carolina and Georgia. (full story)
- Goldfish Swim School Announces Development Deal with 19-School Agreement
(franchising.com - 3/24/2021) The premier learn-to-swim franchise concept, has announced a signed area development agreement that will bring 19 new schools to Florida, Texas and Virginia. (full story)
- Levi Strauss: Solid Long-Term Potential, But Wait For A Better Entry Level
(seekingalpha.com - 3/23/2021) Levi intends to open 80 new stores in fiscal 2021, with a focus on international expansion... (full story)
- YogaSix Opens 100th Studio, Flows Past 500 Signed Franchise Agreements
(franchising.com - 3/23/2021) Even during a challenging year, YogaSix continues to prove its value to consumers, evidenced by growth with 56 new studios opened since the beginning of 2020 and the onboarding of dozens of new franchisees to continue that momentum. (full story)
- 7-Eleven Debuts Laredo Taco Co. Drive-Through at Newest Evolution Store
(cstoredecisions.com - 3/23/2021) Latest Dallas location brings testing-ground Evolution Store count to six, with more planned for later this year. (full story)
- Wayback Burgers Proves It Can Win in Any Environment
(qsrmagazine.com - 3/22/2021) In 2021, Wayback will open 15 stores across 10 states. The company also expects to award 24 new franchises and for 17 restaurants to reach $1 million in sales. (full story)
- Casey’s to Acquire 49 Sites From Couche-Tard
(cspdailynews.com - 3/22/2021) As part of a decision following a strategic review to divest 355 sites in North America, Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has agreed to sell 49 sites in Oklahoma to Casey's General Stores Inc. for $39 million in an all-cash transaction. (full story)
- Taco Bell Fuels Pipeline with Multiple 'Restaurant of the Future' Designs
(qsrmagazine.com - 3/22/2021) "In the last year, we’ve remodeled 3 restaurants into our Go Mobile format, and plan to both remodel and build over 30 additional Go Mobile restaurants by year end." (full story)
- Ono Hawaiian BBQ Celebrates its 98th Store
(restaurantnews.com - 3/22/2021) On a mission to spread to Aloha spirit across the country, the Hawaiian BBQ restaurant is well on its way to surpassing the brand’s milestone of 100 locations. The Gilbert opening will be Ono’s 98th location overall, with 11 new locations set to open across California and Arizona this year. (full story)
- American Eagle in store expansion of Aerie and new activewear brand
(chainstoreage.com - 3/22/2021) American Eagle opened its first stand-alone Offline by Aerie store in the Nashville, Tenn., area in the fall. It plans to open 25 to 30 Offline by Aerie stores this year, including stand-alone, side-by-sides and in-store shops. (full story)
- Hot Head Burritos franchise interest spikes with Tribune story
(coshoctontribune.com - 3/20/2021) "We're just trying to really grow the Hot Head brand throughout the tri-state area," Gray said. "We want to fill Ohio and get into bigger numbers in Indiana, Kentucky and Pennsylvania and then into Michigan also." (full story)
- Blo Blow Dry Bar Turns up the Heat with Significant Investment from NewSpring
(prnewswire.com - 3/19/2021) This investment will help the blow dry bar concept reach its goal of opening 300 new locations over the course of the next five years. (full story)
- EG Group to Acquire 9 Mercury Fuel Service C-Stores
(cspdailynews.com - 3/19/2021) The nine company-operated Mercury sites will be rebranded to Cumberland Farms to provide customers with a consistent offering across the network in Connecticut. (full story)
- Fabletics in new retail expansion
(chainstoreage.com - 3/19/2021) The activewear fashion brand will open 24 stores across the nation in 2021, expanding its brick-and-mortar presence to 74 U.S. locations by year-end. (full story)
- Potbelly Will Be Ready for the Restaurant Rebound
(qsrmagazine.com - 3/19/2021) Three to five new franchise shops will open in 2021. Wright said “significant annual growth” will emerge as the company works through 2022 and beyond. (full story)
- Dollar General could double store count
(chainstoreage.com - 3/19/2021) The company estimates there are now approximately 13,000 additional small-box store opportunities in the Continental United States that are are available for a Dollar General store, compared to its prior estimate of nearly 12,000 opportunities. (full story)
- Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc. Reports Record Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2020 Financial Result
(finance.yahoo.com - 3/19/2021) The Company opened 4 new stores and closed one location, ending the quarter with 388 stores in 25 states... (full story)
- Wag N’ Wash Fetches Franchise Growth in 2021
(franchising.com - 3/19/2021) During a time when the pet industry is thriving with 62% of owners making their pet’s needs a top priority, Wag N’ Wash is aiming to open 50 franchise locations by 2025. (full story)
- MassageLuXe to Continue Rapid Franchise Expansion Into Ohio
(franchising.com - 3/18/2021) MassageLuXe, a leading massage franchise, has identified great growth opportunities in the state of Ohio. Currently, the brand does not have spas in the area and is looking to open 25 locations - single and multi-unit buyers welcome. (full story)
- Five Below, Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2020 Financial Results
(finance.yahoo.com - 3/17/2021) The Company opened 2 new stores and ended the quarter with 1,020 stores in 38 states... (full story)
- Green Thumb Industries Reports Record Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2020
(streetinsider.com - 3/17/2021) Key year-over-year performance drivers were the expanded distribution of Green Thumb’s branded products, 11 new store openings and increased traffic in the Company’s 51 open and operating retail stores... (full story)
- At Home Opens Three New Stores in March
(oaoa.com - 3/17/2021) At Home Group Inc., the home décor superstore, announced today that it has opened three new home décor stores in March, bringing the retailer’s store count to 225... (full story)
- Cava flipping Zoës Kitchen locations to support suburban growth
(restaurantdive.com - 3/17/2021) So far, seven Zoës locations have been converted. The restaurant has another 12 are in the works for this year in a mix of urban and suburban locations, a Cava spokesperson said. (full story)
- Charleys Philly Steaks Celebrates 35th Anniversary with Big Expansion Plans
(qsrmagazine.com - 3/17/2021) The next 35 years look to be quite exciting for the leading cheesesteak brand, adding close to 30 new locations in 2020, with plans to open over 100 locations in 2021. We will reach a thousand locations, and very soon,” says Brian Hipsher, Chief Marketing Officer. (full story)
- New Franchising Deal Will Bring NYC’s Legendary The Halal Guys to Ohio
(restaurantnews.com - 3/17/2021) Franchisee group Smart Choice Food LLC will open seven locations in the greater Columbus area, with plans to open the first locations this year. (full story)
- This Beloved Store Is Closing 65 Locations
(bestlifeonline.com - 3/17/2021) DSW, which currently operates 501 retail locations in 44 states, is planning to close 65 of its stores in the near future. (full story)
- Brookshire’s, Spring Market Celebrate Grand Openings
(theshelbyreport.com - 3/16/2021) “Since acquiring these stores in 2019, the welcoming we have received from these communities has been incredible, and we look forward to many years ahead serving our White Hall and Redfield neighbors,” said Brad Brookshire. (full story)
- Fuzzy's Taco Shop Is Launching A Scaled-Down Sister Concept
(restaurantbusinessonline.com - 3/16/2021) “As real estate opportunities became available over the last year, we realized we didn’t want to limit our franchisees to the traditional Fuzzy’s model with larger square footage requirements,” Wescott said. (full story)
- Advance Auto Parts Announces Leadership Changes and Store Expansion in California
(businesswire.com - 3/15/2021) In addition to these executive leadership changes, Advance also announced that it plans to lease the retail space of 109 Pep Boys stores in California and convert them to Advance Auto Parts stores over the next 9-12 months. The leasing opportunity does not include Pep Boys Service Centers. (full story)
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