Papa Johns Expands into Kenya and Uganda

Papa Johns on Tuesday said that it has a deal with Kitchen Express LTD to open 60 locations in Kenya and Uganda in the coming years. The first four of these locations are set to open in 2022, starting in Nairobi. Kitchen Express is a subsidiary of AAH Limited, the majority shareholder of Hass Petroleum…

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Famous Dave’s Co-Brand Strategy Gathers Momentum

In April, Famous Dave’s parent BBQ Holdings revealed an ambitious co-brand strategy for Granite City Food and Brewery. The chain’s kitchens are built to hold $6 million in AUV, instead of the pre-COVID level of $3.9 million. BBQ Holdings knew what it needed to increase volume—a concept that layers in the morning daypart. That path…

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$1 Trillion Infrastructure Law Ends Employee Retention Tax Credit

President Joe Biden signed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill into law Monday that ends the employee retention tax credit retroactive to after September 30. The ERTC provides a tax credit equal to 50 percent of qualified wages paid, up to $10,000 per employee, after March 12, 2020, and before January 1, 2021. The National Restaurant…

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Red Robin Evolves its Digital Experience

Red Robin CEO Paul Murphy believes the casual-dining chain is well-positioned to take advantage of consumers’ shift to digital and off-premises, and the rest of 2021 could prove him right. Before the calendar year ends, the burger chain plans to launch two mobile apps through iOS and Android, unveil a new website experience, and roll…

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GLOBAL FOODSERVICE NEWS – NOVEMBER 15, 2021 EDITION

The agreement calls for more than 2,000 stores . . . . Subway Inks One of the Biggest Franchise Agreements in History Subway announced Tuesday that it signed a deal to open more than 2,000 stores across South Asia, a move the fast-food chain called one of the “largest master franchise agreements in quick-service restaurant…

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McDonald’s to test US ‘McPlant’ in November

McDonald’s Corp. will launch a small-scale test of the McPlant in eight select stores for a limited time starting Nov. 3. “The McPlant includes a plant-based patty co-developed with Beyond Meat that’s exclusive to McDonald’s and made from plant-based ingredients like peas, rice, and potatoes,” the company said. “The patty is served on a sesame…

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Applebee’s, IHOP Seek ‘Audacious’ Growth Goals

IHOP and Applebee’s have spent a significant period putting net growth on hold and removing underperforming, lower-volume restaurants. When Applebee’s president John Cywinski took over in March 2017, the brand had a little more than 2,000 restaurants systemwide. Four and a half years later, the chain cut a net of more than 300 units and…

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Papa John’s Finds Strength in Third-Party Partnerships

Third-Party Delivery Sales Have Lifted Nearly 50 Percent in the Past 12 Months Two and a half years ago, Papa John’s made the call to solidify a third-party national relationship to DoorDash to bolster its delivery capabilities. It was a period in which the pizza concept’s same-store sales fell in the mid-single digits, year-over-year, as…

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