Investment Group Acquires Krystal Restaurants

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Krystal filed for bankruptcy in January and was put up for sale as part of the reorganization process. Fortress emerged as the successful bidder of the business. Thomas Stager was named president of Krystal, effective immediately. He replaces Tim Ward, former president and chief operating officer. Mr. Ward, along with former chief financial officer Bruce Vermilyea, are… read more

Just Eat in Pact to Purchase Grubhub

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The European food delivery company entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Grubhub in an all-stock transaction. Combined, the two companies will create the largest online food delivery service outside of China, measured by gross merchandise value and revenues. The announcement comes after several weeks of negotiations between Uber and… read more

Starbucks Accelerating Store Portfolio Transformation

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Starbucks Corp. announced plans to accelerate the transformation of its store portfolio in the United States through the integration of the physical and digital customer experience. Over the next 18 months, Starbucks will increase convenience-led formats in company-operated locations with drive-thru and curbside pickup options, as well as new Pickup-only locations. The store experiences will… read more

Launches of LTOs and New Menu Items Accelerate

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As restaurants reopen across the country, operators are tempting consumers with new menu items and limited time offers. Some chains did release LTOs during the quarantine, but most of those products were in the pipeline before the spread of COVID-19. Now that chefs and menu developers are back in the kitchen, the pace of launches… read more

McDonald’s to Reopen 975 more UK Branches for Drive-Through or Delivery

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The news means every drive-through restaurant in the UK and Ireland will reopen between Tuesday and Thursday next week. Customers face a £25 cap on their orders, while each franchise has been asked to make sure its staff are fit and able to work. A McDonald’s spokesperson said: “We can today announce that by 4th June,… read more

U.S. Arm of Le Pain Quotidien Files Bankruptcy, Agrees to Sell Units to Aurify Brands LLC

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The parent of Le Pain Quotidien agreed to sell its U.S. locations of the bakery-cafe chain to New York-based multiconcept operator Aurify Brands LLC for about $3 million. The agreement came as PQ New York Inc., operator of 98 Le Pain Quotidien restaurants across the U.S. before the pandemic, filed for Chapter 11 reorganization. As part… read more

John Fuller, a former Johnny Rockets CEO, Joins the Company Owned by the Wahlberg Brothers

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The new CEO of the Wahlburgers restaurant chain isn’t letting the pandemic get in the way of ambitious expansion plans. As John Fuller researched the company before interviewing for the CEO job at the Hingham-based group, he was surprised to learn it only had 37 locations, given its widespread name recognition. There’s a good reason… read more

Hubworks Offering HACCP Compliance Software Free to Restaurants

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As a response to the current hardship faced by the restaurant industry Hubworks, powered by Altametrics, is now offering their HACCP compliance software, Zip HACCP, free to all restaurants for life. This decision came as a result of Altametrics seeking a way to give back to the community that supports the company. As restaurants continue… read more

5 Factors That Can Affect Your Restaurant’s Reopening

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An inability to reopen at 100 percent capacity may not even be worth it for some dining establishments. Some states across the country have reopened their dining rooms and bars to various degrees while others are still waiting for relaxed guidelines from their state. But while restaurant operators and staff members might be looking forward… read more

Bankrupt FoodFirst Global Agrees to $30 Million Deal with GP Investments, Owner of Planet Hollywood

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Bankrupt FoodFirst Global Restaurants is seeking approval to sell at least 45 of its stores to GPEE Lender in the form of a $25 million credit bid, $50,000 in cash, and $4.5 million in assumed liabilities. GPEE is an entity formed by GP Investments, the ultimate owner of FoodFirst, and Earl Enterprises, which owns and… read more