Keva Juice open for business
Bonnie Greene, owner of Grass Valley’s new Keva Juice along with her husband Tom Greene, work at the soft opening Wednesday evening. Keva Juice held the soft opening late Wednesday to introduce area residents to the smoothie franchise at the corner of Sutton Way and Brunswick Road in Grass Valley. The smoothie franchise formally opens today and will have a grand opening in about a month, officials said. The store is expected to employ eight to 10 people.
Oodle Noodle Franchise
EDMONTON – Sonny Pham always had oodles of optimism, right from when he arrived here from Vietnam in 1986 after two years in refugee camps.
He worked two jobs to get established in Edmonton, and now the owner of three, soon to be four, quick-service Oodle Noodle restaurants is optimistic a bold plan to franchise the brand will pay dividends.
He just opened a 5,000-square-foot manufacturing plant attached to his latest restaurant at 12517 72nd St. that will supply future franchises with fresh ingredients.
And he plans to sell packaged products to grocery stores and other restaurants.
“We’ve been successful because we provide a fresh, quality product at a reasonable price, and I want to make sure the franchisees get great value for their investment.” Read More…
Wendys Franchise
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) -It’s not hard to find the calorie count on menu items at Wendy’s. All of the nutritional information is on a large chart next to the cash register, but in the future, the calorie count on your favorite fast food will be right next to the item on the menu.
The Food and Drug Administration is working to create binding regulations for a new law that took effect in March. That law requires all food franchise chains with twenty or more restaurants to display the calorie count under your nose on the giant board, or inside the menu. It is designed to provide consumers with more information so they can make healthier choices. Lenona Lemmon was eating at Wendy’s today. She says she likes the idea. “It really makes you think about what you are eating when you look at that picture of the burger, and then you realize how many calories it’s going to put into your body.” Read More…
Falafel Franchise
MEFranchising spearheads investments to support the roll-out of Falafoul, one of the first fast food franchises serving traditional Arabic food. The company is increasing the launch rate and anticipates 50 new stores within 5 years.
MEFranchising announced today it will upgrade the expansion plan of the recently introduced Falafoul fast food concept because of overwhelming demand. Today’s announcement followed the first franchise that opened on August 1st, with another 5 to be in place before the end of the year.
“We’ve had terrific response both in focus groups and from customers who love the flavor, the packaging and the meal quality of Falafoul” says Fadil Alnassar, Director of MEFranchising. Read More…
PizzaGOGO Franchise
The award-winning restaurants are serving up much more than innovative gourmet pizzas these days. They’re also giving customers a healthy dose of nutrition with every bite. The team at pizzaBOGO developed what it considers to be an industry-changing pizza crust that passed all taste tests and is loaded with natural and organic ingredients.
Down with Obesity, Up with Heart Health:
The breakthrough pizzaBOGO Miracle Crust comes at a perfect time, as children and adults are dealing with epidemic levels of obesity, plus rampant diabetes, immune disorders and heart health problems. Robert Kopis, pizzaBOGO’s Innovative R&D Chef and Franchisee explained, “This is a critical time for our country. We want to be part of the solution, rather than contributing to the problem.” Read More…
UFood-Grill
BOSTON, Aug 31, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — UFood Restaurant Group, Inc. (UFFC 0.24, 0.00, 0.00%) announced today that it has signed an area development agreement with the Robinson Hill Hospitality Group of Chicago for additional UFood Grill units at 5 major United States airports.
The development agreement follows the successful UFood Grill opening by Robinson Hill at Cleveland/Hopkins Airport in July. The Robinson Hill Hospitality Group has more than 9 years’ experience operating airport franchise food establishments. Read More…
Tasti D-Lite, a frozen confection franchise, is expanding its presence in lower Fairfield County with plans to open three new locations in the area by next year.
Tasti D-Lite
Mark Smith, 32, a Fairfield resident quit his corporate job in New York City so he and his wife, Alison, could open a store late next month in Fairfield’s Staples Plaza.
“We saw they were offering franchise opportunities and the commute was horrible, so I wanted something closer to home,” he said.
He and his wife became fans of Tasti D-Lite — “a lower-calorie, lower-sugar, lower-carb offering to ice cream” — while working in the New York area, where the franchise has grown to 27 locations since 1987.
“It’s very much like ice cream but it has less than 3 percent butter fat, whereas ice cream has 10 percent,” Smith said, declining to specify Tasti D-Lite’s exact composition. “That’s the secret.”
They plan to launch their second Tasti D-Lite soon in Norwalk. A store recently was opened in Darien and a fourth outlet is slated for Stamford. Read More…
Subway franchise going more ‘green’
Restaurant giant Subway has long touted itself as a healthier alternative to some other fast-food chains, but the company — celebrating its 45th year in business this month — is increasingly taking steps to help protect the environment as well.
The Milford-based company has evolved over its history, from its beginning as a single sub shop 17-year-old Fred DeLuca opened in Bridgeport in 1965 with $1,000 in startup money given to him by a family friend, Subway co-founder Peter Buck.
Today the world’s largest submarine sandwich franchise has more than 33,000 restaurants located in 90 countries bearing its name — that adds up to a lot of sandwiches and, company officials say, many opportunities to cut down on waste and operate more efficiently. Read More…
Raheel Choudhery of Kauai, adopts the franchise model
If you haven’t yet heard of Kauai the chances are you will soon. When it was founded in 1996 it was the brainchild of three friends who had lived on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. There they started a bottled juice company while living in tents in a papaya field, and brought their dream of opening a sandwich and smoothie business to reality when one of them married a girl from Cape Town. They had to develop a concept that would work in South Africa, and one that would travel successfully into other markets.
However before you can go global it is vital to get the home market running smoothly. Between 2004 and 2008 the business moved from joint venture and company-owned outlets to franchises, now almost the exclusive route for expansion. In South Africa Kauai now has a total of 72 locations, and a thriving alliance with Virgin Active, which runs around 90 gyms in South Africa – Kauai has its In Motion stores in 47 of these. Read More…
Pizza Franchise
The past few years have been extremely challenging for the pizza industry. First, soaring gas prices were squeezing deliveries, while rising costs of cheese, wheat, and other pizza essentials sliced into operators’ profits. Then, as if things weren’t tough enough, the economic meltdown hit and nervous consumers closed their wallets.
The good news today is that things have gotten better. Of course the economic roller coaster ride isn’t quite over, and pizza franchises still face plenty of challenges. But for smart operators, there are also plenty of opportunities.
In a tough economy, affordability is key with consumers. And as Americans have settled into being more frugal, pizza franchises have benefited from diners trading down from upscale restaurants to pizza delivery or takeout. To capture budget-minded consumers, franchises are using tactics such as value meals and rebates. Some are also adding menu items, such as sandwiches, pasta, hot wings, and appetizers, to become “one-stop” eateries.
Pizza Hut is doing just that with its WingStreet concept. Within a couple of years, the franchise hopes to have WingStreet outlets in 85 percent its domestic Pizza Hut stores. “Each WingStreet addition to our Pizza Hut stores delivers incremental sales to our restaurants,” says Chris Tanco, a franchise business coach at Pizza Hut.
Some of the bad news is that gas prices are expected to rise this year, which will impact pizza restaurants’ delivery costs. Commodity costs will increase as well, though mildly. And last July, the federal minimum wage rose to $7.25. Still, the National Restaurant Association’s 2010 forecast predicts that the industry will show gradual improvement this year, whereas in 2008 and 2009 it experienced negative growth. However, cost containment is still crucial in 2010.
Brian Leipold, program leader of franchise recruitment and sales at Domino’s Pizza, says, “Domino’s has continuous resources focused on increasing unit economics, thereby reducing costs [and] increasing profitability.” Read More…
Saladworks Franchise
CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. – (Business Wire) Saladworks, the nation’s first and largest fresh-tossed salad franchise concept, announces today that it has signed an agreement with a multi-unit developer for three locations in Northern Orange County, CA.
Saladworks’ nationwide expansion continues with this deal, following previous agreements for stores in Southern Orange County, CA, Knox County, TN, and Wake County, NC.
“I didn’t want to bring another donut shop or unhealthy fast food franchise to California,” new franchisee, Bomby Ahuja said. “We believe in the product, the system, and the support that we’ll receive.” Read More…
Froots Franchise
FROOTS a rapidly growing restaurant franchise, is pleased to announce that DuCarr Investments has joined FROOTS as the first franchisee in New Orleans.
DuCarr Investments, operated by CJ Carr and his partner Angel Manganagua, plans to have their first location opened by fall 2010 in the food court of The Shops at Canal Place. “We are confident that New Orleanians, along with the millions of annual tourists to the city, will make our FROOTS franchise extremely successful,” CJ said. Read More…
Coffee Franchise
An historic city, Kilkenny hosts a Castle, Cathedrals, Abbeys and museums making it a prime tourist centre. Back in 2008 Richie Mackey realised that the city’s tourist industry meant that it was a great location to open an Esquires Coffee Houses franchise.
“I had been working in the hospitality industry for the past 10 years when I came across an advert for the Esquires Coffee franchise opportunity,” Richie reveals. “I was immediately interested and I followed it up. I spoke to other Esquires Coffee franchises who all spoke very highly of the franchise and I also spoke to franchisees in other sectors to find out more about the franchising industry. Everything that I heard was positive so I decided to become an Esquires
Coffee franchisee and opened my coffee house in Kilkenny in September 2008.
“I find that being part of a franchise I am part of a bigger organisation, which means I am able to source my stock much more competitively and I am constantly kept up-to-date with the latest information which helps keep my business ahead of the competition.”
Read More…
Dryer Vent Cleaning Franchise
Richmond, VA George Hostetler owns Dryer Vent Wizard, specializing in dryer vent cleaning, repair and installation services. Since purchasing his franchise, George has enjoyed a rewarding career. I purchased the franchise in July, 2009, after my neighbor had a dryer fire, said George. Over 15,000 dryer fires are reported each year; I’m committed to educating consumers in my community to reduce dryer fires and help them save energy. Read More…
Violet Morris, right, rings up a purchase as store manager Sara Holm, left, evaluates clothes to be purchased by Plato's Closet, a resale clothing store in Portage, in this 2008 file photo.
A down economy is a good time to start a resale business, a franchising company argues.
And Winmark Corp. — the company behind Plato’s Closet, Play It Again Sports and two other
retail stores — is looking for
franchise operators in Southwest Michigan.
The economy is “bringing more attention to being value-conscious,” said Pete First, director of franchise development for Minneapolis-based Winmark. “More people are paying attention to where they can get the most bang for their buck.”
Read More…
Frozen Yogurt Franchise
Is fro-yo a fad or a trend?
The answer may depend on whether you lived through skinny leggings, shoulder pads and big hair.
“It does take us back to TCBY,” says Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst for the NPD Group, a consumer research company that tracks what Americans eat.
During the 1980s, TCBY and I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt were the leaders in sweet frozen treats without the premium-ice cream guilt.
“We thought it was the answer to healthy eating,” Balzer says, “but we didn’t lose a whole lot of weight with a banana split made of frozen yogurt.”
Nearly three decades later, frozen yogurt is making a healthy comeback. Fro-yo chains such as Red Mango, Peachwave, Orange Leaf and the independent Kansas City-based Mochi-Yo dot suburban shopping centers. Read More…
Fashion opportunity is a Noa Noa brainer
THE high-end ladies’ fashion store Noa Noa is to open in uphill Lincoln.
Rebecca and Gary Owens are to open a franchise of the store on September 2.
The couple have taken on the former Callaway jewellers unit in Bailgate.
Mrs Owens, 27, plans to run the store with her mum Jayne Highfield. She said she was delighted to be moving back to Lincoln to set up the business.
“My husband and I have recently moved back to Lincoln from Leeds to be near our family,” she said.
“In Leeds I worked as an interior designer, which is what I studied at university.
“But in my late teens and early 20s I worked in
retail and I always loved it. I really enjoy the people side of retail and the customer service.”
Mrs Owens, who previously worked in Lincoln’s Accessorize store, said her interest in the Noa Noa
franchise stemmed from a chat with her mother-in-law.
Read More…
Restaurant franchises
Having shut up shop and left Singapore in previous years, several food franchises have recently returned. Here’s a list of brands that are back, and a news about what’s changed in their post-recession incarnations.
Chili’s Grill & Bar
After more than a decade away, the Chili’s American chain returned to Singapore in 2009, opening two outlets, at Tanglin Mall and Resorts World Sentosa. Seems more than a few locals missed the franchise’s famous ribs.
“Chili’s Grill & Bar marked its return to Singapore last June with the first outlet opening at Tanglin Mall,” says Maam Argos, business development manager, Grandko Restaurants. “Grandko Restaurants took the initiative of bringing back this famous brand as it was well loved and missed by many customers looking for great Southwest American cuisine.”
The restaurant closed “like several other American chain restaurants due to the Asian financial crisis,” according to Argos. She also says that its return “has had a steady response for both our restaurants and getting busier with our rib promotion.” The menu hasn’t changed much since it was last here.
Read More…
Melbourne Expo
The Melbourne Franchising and Business Opportunities Expo had a steady attendance at the weekend with regulars and franchise newbies reporting plenty of interest from visitors.
Mobile retail franchise Snap On, and business franchises Kwik Kopy and Signwave, were among the franchisors pleased with the visitor turnout.
Read More…
Home Helpers Franchise
Stephen and Robyn Davis said a family medical situation that forced them to delay opening their senior assistance business demonstrated just how important such services can be.
Stephen Davis retired last year from the United States Air Force. His final assignment was at Gunter, and with Montgomery being his wife’s hometown, they decided to retire here.
At the time, Robyn Davis’ father was living with the aftermath of a stroke, and she had plenty of experience car ing for him. That experience led her to search out career opportunities in the field, which led the couple to open the Montgomery franchise of Home Helpers, an in-home, non-medical assist ance targeted to seniors. Read More…
Steve Bullard
Steve C. Bullard, owner and president of the Coldwell Banker Bullard Realty organization, was once again included in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Who’s Who” of “The 100 Key People Who Are Shaping Atlanta’s Housing Industry”. Called a listing of “the top 100 men and women who are guiding the future of this key local industry”, the feature appeared in the Home Quarterly Industry Focus in the publication’s edition for Aug. 13-19, 2010.
The publication noted that Bullard, who has a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University, is former president of the Metro South Association of Realtors and currently serves as director and executive committee member of the Georgia Multiple Listing Service. He is also president of Bullard Property Management and The Brokerage Inc. He was quoted as saying that his most notable accomplishment is observing the growth of the company from 50 associates to more than 350 associates. Read More…
California Pizza Franchise
California Pizza Kitchen Inc. said Friday a franchise partner has opened the chain’s fourth restaurant in South Korea.
The 3,000-square-foot restaurant is in Seoul at Cheongyangri Station Mall. The store was opened by a franchise partner called Handuck Development.
California Pizza Kitchen has 262 restaurants, 206 of them company-owned, and the rest operating under franchise or license agreements. Thirty restaurants are located overseas.
U Swirl Frozen Yogurt Franchise
HENDERSON, Nev., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Healthy Fast Food, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: HFFI), parent to U-SWIRL International, Inc., the owner and franchisor of U-SWIRL Frozen Yogurt® cafes, today announced that River Jordan, Inc. has signed a new franchise agreement with plans to open a U-SWIRL self-serve frozen yogurt cafe in Marietta, Georgia, one of metro Atlanta’s largest suburbs.
Nicole Jenkins, CEO of River Jordan, stated, “It is a fun and exciting time to be a part of the U-SWIRL brand, which is fast expanding across the U.S. We are especially thrilled to be the first franchisee to bring the U-SWIRL self-serve frozen yogurt concept to the Peach State. With a goal of debuting in Marietta late this year or very early next, we are confident that area locals of all ages will flock to our cafe to enjoy the ultimate frozen yogurt experience over and over again.”
River Jordan, Inc., which is actively scouting available retail space for its first cafe, is the latest franchisee to join U-SWIRL’s fast growing network of franchise partners and area developers. Since opening the first corporate-owned cafe in Las Vegas in March 2009, U-SWIRL International has opened an additional five corporate-owned locations in the Vegas Valley and signed multi-store franchise deals with developers in Reno, Nevada; Monmouth County, New Jersey; Phoenix, Arizona; Tucson, Arizona and Boise, Idaho. Read More…
Ruby Tuesday's Franchise
MARYVILLE, Tenn., Aug 17, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Ruby Tuesday, Inc., a leader in high-quality casual dining is increasing its franchised restaurant presence in Hawaii. RT Hawaii Restaurants, Inc. plans to open three new Ruby Tuesday restaurants within the next three years; the first restaurant is slated to open in June 2011. Principal investors in the company, Ted Davenport and Rick Nakashima, are proven leaders. They currently own and operate Ruby Tuesday restaurants in Honolulu, Mililani, and Kaneohe.
“We look forward to developing again in Hawaii,” Nakashima said. “We opened our first restaurants between 2004 and 2006 and we’re very excited to expand from our current four restaurants to seven,” he added.
Ruby Tuesday is passionate about great food and gracious hospitality. Ruby Tuesday’s menu offers a fresh garden bar, premium seafood entrees, including lobster, and quesadillas, as well as classic favorites like Ruby Minis, handcrafted burgers and ribs. In 2005, the company began a reimaging initiative that included a focus on food and service and concluded with the creation of a fresh new look for its restaurants. The updated look, feel, and menu offerings are all important factors of Ruby Tuesday’s mission to consistently provide a high-quality, casual dining experience with compelling value that guests will enjoy and remember. Read More…
A sundae too far away for franchisees
Therese Evans was a franchisee of ice-cream retailer Wendy’s for six years. Evans and her husband built the franchise to the point where they were known in the Hunter Valley town of Singleton as “the pink people”.
Last Wednesday night, Wendy’s ended a six-year relationship and locked the couple out of their business for a debt Mrs Evans puts at $7000. The move by Wendy’s has been personally mortifying and financially devastating.
She and her husband have been left with a $200,000 debt on their home and a $300,000 debt on her mother’s home. Read More…
