Cuppy's Coffee sold

April 21, 2008

BlueMauMau: Cuppy's Coffee was sold this past weekend for an undisclosed amount. Dale Nabors, founder and president of FranSynergy.com, has acquired 10…

Chipotle illness outbreak tied to virus

April 21, 2008

Akron Beacon Journal: The number of people who reportedly became ill after eating at a Kent, Ohio, Chipotle Mexican Grill is up to 180, and health officials…

Buffalo Wild Wings to webcast Q1 earnings

April 21, 2008

MINNEAPOLIS — Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. has announced that it will conduct a conference call to discuss first quarter 2008 results April 29, 2008, at 4 p.m.

Jamba Inc. secures $25M line of credit

April 21, 2008

EMERYVILLE, Calif. — Jamba Inc. has secured a $25 million line of credit with Wells Fargo Foothill LLC, the company announced. Jamba plans to use the funding…

McAlister's president receives IFMA award

April 17, 2008

RIDGELAND, Miss. — The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) has awarded the 2008 Silver Plate in the Chain Full Service category to Phil…

Pinkberry earns live and active culture seal

April 17, 2008

LOS ANGELES — Pinkberry has announced that the National Yogurt Association has approved the use of the Live and Active Culture Seal on its frozen yogurt. The…

Spicy Pickle comps increase 5%

April 16, 2008

DENVER — Spicy Pickle's first quarter 2008 same-store sales increased nearly 5 percent compared with the first quarter of 2007, the company announced. The…

Jamba turnaround not without challenges

April 16, 2008

The Wall Street Journal: Jamba Inc.'s journey to simplify "healthy living" could be a lumpy ride. Competition in fruit-and-dairy drinks is intensifying…

Q&A: Panda Express founders

by Valerie Killifer — senior editor, NetWorld Alliance

April 16, 2008

Panda Express founders Andrew and Peggy Cherng talk continued growth, start-up success.

Fast casuals answer call of the wild

Operators combat cabin fever with outdoor-dining options.

Restaurants experience customer decrease

April 13, 2008

BusinessWeek: A competitive environment for restaurants is getting tougher as hungry consumers are spending more time cooking at home. Even if customers do…

McAlister's repurchases eight La. restaurants

April 10, 2008

RIDGELAND, Miss. — McAlister's Deli has announced it has purchased eight franchisee-owned restaurants in Louisiana from Mark Hagwood of Hagwood Management…

Smoothie King announces three new appointments

April 10, 2008

NEW ORLEANS — Smoothie King Franchises Inc. has appointed David W. Stidham as national marketing director, and David Tornabene and Pat Vanderpool as regional…

Chipotle to announce first quarter 2008 results

April 9, 2008

DENVER — Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. officials will host a conference call to discuss first quarter 2008 financial results April 23, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. EST. …

Chipotle CEO compensation increases

April 8, 2008

Associated Press: Compensation Chipotle Mexican Grill's CEO Steve Ells nearly tripled to $7.3 million in 2007, with more than half coming from stock and…

Starbucks to give away new brew

April 7, 2008

SEATTLE — Starbucks is launching its newest brew, Pike Place Roast, by giving away complimentary 8 oz. cups of the new coffee to customers visiting any…

Chris Prasifka named Kahala president

April 6, 2008

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Chris Prasifka has been named president of Kahala Franchise Corp., the franchisor entity of Kahala's portfolio of diversified concepts, the…

Starbucks sued in N.Y. over tips

April 3, 2008

The New York Times: A former barista has sued Starbucks Corp., accusing the company of cheating New York state baristas by giving a share of their tips to…

Panera to report Q1 '08 earnings call

April 3, 2008

ST. LOUIS — Panera Bread will report its 2008 first-quarter earnings after the market close April 29, 2008. The company will discuss its year-end results in a…

Gold Star Chili names Mike Rohrkemper as CEO

April 3, 2008

CINCINNATI — Gold Star Chili has named Mike Rohrkemper the company's new CEO. Rohrkemper succeeds John Sullivan, who will retire May 1 after an 18-year career…