How Newk’s Eatery is faring after being quietly sold to Beef O’Brady’s parent company - Restaurant news - NewsLocker (2024)

Frank Paci, CEO of Newk’s Eatery, discusses the benefits of operating under FSC Franchise Co. – from resource-sharing to real estate opportunities

More restaurant bankruptcies, outdoor dining, Massachusetts happy hour

Get all the headlines in the Restaurant Daily podcast.

Bar Louie is partnering with Illy Caffè in new espresso program

The chain is installing machines and incorporating the coffee in its co*cktails

Jennifer Jasinski and Beth Gruitch hand management of two restaurants to a new generation

Adam Branz is now sole operating partner of Ultreia and Tim Kuklinski is in charge of Bistro Vendôme

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From ‘emerging leader’ to the C-suite: A look at Michelle Hook’s career path to Portillo’s CFO

Hook spent 17 years at Domino’s working her way up from senior manager to vice president. She joined Portillo’s as chief financial officer in late 2020

New York City is about to get rid of about 75% of its pandemic-era outdoor dining structures

Applications to operate an outdoor dining structure as part of the new Dining Out NYC program were due Aug. 3 and only 3,000+ operators applied

Popeyes adds chocolate chip biscuit and apple caramel cheesecake

Menu dessert items debut Aug. 5, and $20 and $25 Bigger Boxes will launch Aug. 12

Scooter’s Coffee expands across six states

Fast-growing Brand Adds 17 New Franchises in July

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Restaurant veteran Lynette McKee of Potbelly on the state of franchising

This week on Extra Serving, a podcast from Nation’s Restaurant News, editor-in-chief Sam Oches sits down with Lynette McKee, senior vice president of franchising for Potbelly Sandwich Works. Lynette is an industry franchising veteran who worked with

Buca di Beppo files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

The family-style Italian concept closed more than a dozen underperforming stores last week

Buca di Beppo files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

The family-style Italian concept closed over a dozen underperforming stores last week

Jimmy John’s, Hardee’s, and Taco John’s join the value-menu game

The bundles come as many limited-service chains struggle with traffic

The Tampa, Fla.-based concept experienced a 13% sales decline in 2023 versus 2022, as well as a 12.5%-unit count decline.

Menu Tracker: New items from Dunkin’, IHOP, and Sonic Drive-In

Plus innovation at Baja Fresh, Blaze Pizza, Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, Burgerville, Friendly’s, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, Gott’s Roadside, Junior’s Restaurant, La Madeleine, Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Robeks, Snappy Salads, Taco Time, Tender Greens, and Velvet Taco

El Pollo Loco’s margin improvement efforts seem to be paying off

The chain reported a 4.5% increase in comp store sales and a 170-basis-point improvement in margins, to 18.6%

Chili’s shifts back to Ziosk for tabletop tablets

Casual-dining brand rolls out pay-at-table platform to more than 1,100 locations

How Starbucks can get back on track after two rough quarters

Analysts and experts weigh in on the best ways to get Starbucks’ same-store sales numbers back in the black again

Wingstop teases Paris debut with Olympics pop-up

‘House of Flavor’ activation features tossed wings as well as basketball, art and culture

CEOs across industries join No Kid Hungry to help close the summer hunger gap

Iconic Brands like Chipotle Mexican Grill, Denny’s, Inspire Brands, Fogo de Chão, Jack in the Box, Macy’s, Inc. and Tropical Smoothie Cafe Pioneering the Effort

12 restaurant executives on the move in July, including leaders at Starbucks, Topgolf, and Cracker Barrel

Three restaurant companies got new CEOs last month

Restaurant sector experiences its lowest monthly quit rate since 2015

Eating and drinking places added a net 19,500 jobs in July, versus -3,100 in June, and about 16,500 in May

Papa Johns’ new CEO, Rubio’s sale to lender, Shake Shack’s good quarter

Get all the headlines in the Restaurant Daily podcast.

Wendy’s sees sales strength in breakfast daypart

CEO Kirk Tanner says burger brand has yet to reach potential in ‘highly profitable’ menu offering

FAT Brands reports 1.6% same-store sales decline as company continues to focus on development

FAT Brands has a pipeline of 1,100 stores even though the company reported another net loss for the second quarter

Rubio’s sold to its lender The Original Fish Taco, affiliate of TREW Capital Management, for $40 million

TREW Capital had acquired Rubio’s debt, reportedly over $72 million, in March, two months before the California-based brand declared bankruptcy

2024 Top 500: Restaurants ranked No. 250 – No. 201

Every year, Nation’s Restaurant News presents the Top 500 biggest restaurants in America, ranked by systemwide sales in the previous fiscal year. This year, we’re using data from our partners at Technomic to give you the best report yet.In this rep

Starbucks confirms activist investor Elliott Management’s involvement with the chain

Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan says Elliott is a shareholder and that ‘their conversations to date have been constructive’

Cheesecake leans into rewards program in promotional environment

Casual-dining company taps its year-old platform to communicate with customers

Shake Shack moves to improve throughput

New CEO Rob Lynch lays out his priorities for the restaurant chain

Why Todd Penegor came out of retirement to lead Papa Johns

The former Wendy’s CEO has embarked upon an ‘aggressive 100-day plan to get fully immersed’ and learn what the pizza chain’s priorities should be