Look Who’s Franchising Now: Spring 2023 edition

Mar 21, 2023

Seven early and mid-staged concepts that have just announced franchising, from multiple fried chicken spots to vegan cookies

Fat Boy’s Pizza: Selling the world on its 16-inch pizza slices

Mar 21, 2023

The restaurant, home of the “world’s largest pizza slice,” just began franchising, with goals of expanding outside of its hometown of New Orleans.

Smalls Sliders: Little product, big plans

Mar 21, 2023

Louisiana’s Smalls Sliders has fewer than 10 locations but expects to open up to 30 restaurants a year toward its eventual goal of 400.

Wendy’s and more restaurant brands are moving away from the ghost kitchen model

Mar 20, 2023

Post-COVID-19 pandemic, ghost kitchens won’t work for everyone: But don’t expect dark kitchens to go dark

Sip Fresh is poised to meet the growing demand for beverages

Mar 20, 2023

Sharon Arthofer, who has spent nearly 30 years in franchising, is bullish on her fresh fruit-based beverage concept.

Why are we still talking about NFTs?

Mar 20, 2023

While we’ve known for over a decade that punch cards are not enough to keep customers’ interest, as it turns out—traditional digital rewards programs are starting to become passé as well. Enter the NFT membership program: brands from Wow Bao...

NRN editors talk about labor, The Happy Customer Index, and dynamic pricing

Mar 17, 2023

Plus hear from Becky Boyd, director of menu innovation & strategy at Bloomin' Brands, and Chef Efrem Cutler, vice president for research and development at Bloomin' Brands

Is the pizza industry in trouble or normalizing after a long pandemic?

Mar 17, 2023

Both Papa Johns and Domino’s are struggling with sales and traffic, though Pizza Hut’s traffic has spiked recently: is anyone really winning the pizza wars?

How the Women’s Foodservice Forum has evolved since the pandemic

Mar 17, 2023

The organization has added more programming year-round, sharpened its focus on mental wellness and launched a new DEI council.

Why Brinker’s CPO is focused on building a diverse leadership bench

Mar 17, 2023

Aaron White was promoted to CPO for Brinker International in October and is leveraging her unique experience to empower others in the company.