Food & Beverage News

Papa John’s International Inc. has appointed Jim Norberg as the company’s first chief restaurant operations officer, the company said. Norberg, who had served as chief operating officer at McDonald’s USA until 2015, will oversee the operations of corporate and franchise stores for the Louisville, Ky.-based quick-service pizza brand. “Jim has an impressive growth track record,…

Wingstop Restaurants Inc. has named Maurice Cooper as chief marketing officer, the fast-casual brand announced. Cooper most recently served as global vice president for Holiday Inn, a division of the InterContinental Hotels Group PLC. He succeeds Flynn Dekker, who retired from Dallas-based Wingstop in March. Cooper (left) will oversee the chicken wing chain’s global marketing strategy…

Bonchon has appointed Wingstop veteran Flynn Dekker as its CEO, the Korean fried chicken chain’s board said. Dekker replaces Bonchon founder Jinduk Seo, who remains a shareholder and will continue to be a member of the board of directors. VIG Partners, a private-equity firm based in Seoul, South Korea, acquired majority control of the company…

DQ is introducing the fast-food chain’s first subscription box, featuring a different summer-themed activity each month. The concept, developed with agency Barkley, launches with June’s Camp In — in which the box transforms into a nonflammable, family-room-safe campfire illuminated by a flame video via smartphone. The box also includes a shadow-puppet storybook, flashlight and playing cards.…

As chief restaurant officer Scott Boatwright recently shared with QSR, Chipotle understands the value of retention all too well. Just last year alone, the company promoted 13,689 people at all levels. Its rate of internal promotion was 79 percent. Chipotle employed more than 73,000 people in 2018, including roughly 67,900 at the hourly level. But…

Through the diligent efforts of those billboard cows with their poor penmanship and dubious spelling skills, Chick-fil-A has moved up the ranks from the seventh-largest restaurant chain in the United States to become the third. The chicken sandwich giant blew past Wendy’s, Burger King, Taco Bell and Subway on its ascent, with $10.46 billion in…

The label on a bottle of the cold-pressed juice Wtrmln Wtr doesn’t mention food waste. But the problem was the inspiration for the company, which launched six years ago. When the founders learned that hundreds of millions of pounds of watermelon stayed in fields to rot because the fruit was judged too unattractive for sale…

“I’m so excited. You’re the first person I’ve talked to about this,” says Arby’s chief marketing officer, Jim Taylor. “I’ve been working behind the scenes for three months.” In this moment, I cannot possibly anticipate what Taylor, who leads menu development at Arby’s, is going to tell me next. “People love meat already. What Americans…

Denny’s Corporation, one of the world’s largest full-service family dining chains, announced the opening of the eighth Denny’s restaurant by franchisee Grupo Comidas in the Northern Triangle of Central America comprised of the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Grupo Comidas has established a strong presence of Denny’s restaurants since becoming a franchisee in…

Four Corners Property Trust, a real estate investment trust engaged in the ownership of high-quality, net-leased restaurant properties, announced the acquisition of six Red Lobster restaurant properties in Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, and North Dakota for $25.9 million. The six newly acquired properties are under a single, triple-net master lease, which includes two other…