William M. Mitchell has been named chief executive officer of Cicis, a pizza buffet restaurant chain with more than 430 restaurants in 31 states. Mr. Mitchell succeeds Darin Harris, who stepped down from the role in January. Before joining Cicis, Mr. Mitchell was president of Dunkin’ Brands International at Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. He also… read more

Kenneth C. (Casey) Keller Jr. has been named chief executive officer of JAB Holding Co. subsidiary Peet’s Coffee, effective Aug. 6. He succeeds Dave Burwick, CEO of Peet’s since 2012. Casey Keller, new CEO of Peet’s Coffee Mr. Keller most recently was global president of Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., a subsidiary of Mars, Inc. He joined… read more

Anne Goldman, former senior director of global real estate and development at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Corp., has joined Biscuitville Fresh Southern as chief development officer. She succeeds Tim Hegarty, who has retired from the company. Prior to joining Biscuitville, Ms. Goldman was with Krispy Kreme for five years. Earlier, she was development manager at Dunkin’… read more

The sports nutrition market is no longer a niche sector. Rather, these specialty products are designed for appealing to a mass-market health-conscious lifestyle. Today’s shoppers seek out varied food formats — including baked goods — to get the nutrients they need to perform at their best. “Like other food groups, baked goods are trending toward… read more

Nestle S.A. and Starbucks Corp. on Aug. 28 finalized a transaction that grants Nestle the perpetual global license to market, sell and distribute certain Starbucks coffees and teas at retail and food service outlets outside of Starbucks stores around the world. The agreement does not include Starbucks’ ready-to-drink products, which are subject to other licensing… read more

While lefties may be in good company—Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Prince William are all southpaws—they’re members of a small club. Only ten percent of the world’s population is left-handed, which means a lot of basic items (scissors, video game controllers, spiral notebooks) are built solely with righties in mind. That’s why LomgHorn Steak House is celebrating International… read more

Our company spends a good deal of time designing, developing, and deploying multiunit leadership training programs for top foodservice and retail chains worldwide.  While both athletes and musicians can be good at just one thing and be successful, an effective multiunit leader, or MUL, must master several key proficiencies to be effective across his or… read more

Famous Dave’s has been a blend of innovation and legacy over the course of its turnaround stretch. The barbecue brand’s second-quarter report reflected that strategy and promised more changes, including a fresh concept from its new barbecue star, Travis Clark. Famous Dave’s earned $1.4 million in the period that ended July 1. For perspective, it lost… read more

The Wendy’s Co. on Aug. 16 said that it has sold its interest in Arby’s and Buffalo Wild Wings back to their parent company, Inspire Brands, for $450 million. Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy’s had owned 12.3% of Inspire, a legacy of the ownership interest Wendy’s kept in Arby’s when it sold the chain to private equity firm Roark Capital… read more

From the biggest players down to the startups, there’s a feeling around the restaurant industry that a second coming of casual dining has arrived. You see it touching all aspects of the business—service lifted by technology, simplified food preparation with a nod to better execution, new prototypes built around the customer experience—to provide just a… read more