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CHAIN NEWS – Performance |
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LRI Holdings, Inc., the Parent Company of Logan's Roadhouse, Inc., Announces Financial Results for the Second Quarter and Year-to-Date Periods of Fiscal Year 2012
Selected Highlights for the Second Quarter 2012 Compared to the Second Quarter 2011: Opened seven new company-owned Logan's Roadhouse restaurants during the second quarter 2012. Net sales increased 7.8% to $156.9 million from $145.5 million. Comparable store sales declined 0.6%, average check increased by 4.3% and customer traffic decreased by 4.7%. Net income of $0.6 million compared to $1.1 million.
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Tootie Pie Company February Same Store Sales Up 25%
Tootie Pie Company, Inc. announced that February 2012 same-store sales for its Tootie Pie Gourmet Cafes were up 25% over February 2011. The Company also extended its consecutive sales increases to 28 months with sales increases in February. "Another strong month for our Tootie Pie Gourmet Cafes," said Don Merrill, President & CEO. "We continue to be very pleased with customer responses to our full menu, because we already knew they loved our pies!"
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CHAIN NEWS – Marketing |
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Get in the Game for the Wendy's High School Heisman
Wendy's announced today they are accepting applications for the annual Wendy's High School Heisman Award, a program honoring outstanding high school student-athletes for their commitment to academic achievement, community service involvement, and athletic prowess.
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Bar Louie to Kick Off St. Patty's Day Bright & Early with Kegs & Eggs Party
Guests will pay a set price per package, and for three hours enjoy, you guessed it... Kegs & Eggs! In addition to a breakfast buffet and green beer, included in the cost of the package is a Bar Louie St. Patty's Day T-shirt, live entertainment and much more. Advance purchase for Kegs & Eggs packages are required and on sale now at your local participating Bar Louie or online purchases are available through Bar Louie local facebook pages.
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Applebee’s Fan Fanatics Contest Rewards College Basketball Fans Who Talk Smack
The final weeks of the college basketball season means buzzer beaters, upsets and underdogs. With Applebee’s Fan Fanatics contest, the March tournament means something else for Applebee’s fans: time to trash talk, cheer online – and win.
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High School Coaching Legend Morgan Wootten Names 2012 McDonald's All American Players of the Year
Today, the McDonald's All American® Games and Morgan Wootten, Hall of Fame coach and selection committee chair, named Shabazz Muhammad and Breanna Stewart winners of the 2012 Morgan Wootten Player of the Year Award for their accomplishments on and off the court.
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Following a pledge to shakeup up its value promotions, Olive Garden introduced on its Facebook page Monday a new $6.95 “Create Your Own” lunch special, which follows on the heels of a three-course, $12.95 dinner promotion introduced earlier this year. The Create Your Own lunch is offered weekdays until 4 p.m., and the $6.95 price point may vary in Alaska, New York and Canada, Olive Garden said on its Facebook page.
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Burger King Will Share Luck of the Irish with Free Fries
Burger King Corp. is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with free fries for everyone in America. On March 17 and 18, customers can stop in at participating Burger King restaurants to celebrate the luck of the Irish with some gold of their own: a “pot” of golden-brown, crispy french fries. Of course no St. Patrick’s Day is complete without a little green, so guests can dip their hot and crispy fries into a one-of-a-kind, green St. Paddy’s Sauce from Heinz.
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Chuck E. Cheese’s Maps out Family Fun Worth 50 Free Tickets with New Scavenger Hunt Activity
“X” marks the spot for fun and prizes with Chuck E. Cheese’s newest in-store adventure. While enjoying their favorite games and food in Chuck E. Cheese’s playrooms, Chuck E.’s Mouse Hunt sends parents and kids on a scavenger hunt in search of answers to a series of Chuck E. clues. Once completing the fun-filled challenge, kids can enjoy their treasure of 50 free Chuck E. Cheese’s tickets for cool prizes and an experience sure to unlock great Chuck E. memories with the family.
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CHAIN NEWS – Expansion |
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Grimaldi's Pizzeria plans fifth Florida location
Grimaldi's Pizzeria has announced plans to open its fifth Florida location in the fall, in Tampa's Westfield Citrus Park Mall. The restaurant will offer 4,000-square-feet of indoor dining and patio space for 150 guests. Grimaldi's Pizzeria also is scouting for additional communities in the region. The company has 27 locations across the U.S., including Texas, Nevada, Arizona and its flagship stores in New York City.
| Pizza Marketplace 3/12/12 |
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Pizza Fusion is Heading to Sin City
Pizza Fusion, a socially responsible restaurant chain, announced it will open a new restaurant in the Las Vegas area this spring. The new 1,800-square-foot Pizza Fusion will be located at 10345 South Eastern Avenue in Henderson, Nevada, in the Eastern Commons Shopping Center next to Trader Joe’s. Pizza Fusion offers dine-in, take out, delivery, and catering service options.
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Burrito Elito, Dunkin' Donuts and Hudson News Arrive at the AIRMALL at Boston Logan International Airport
AIRMALL USA, the leading airport concessions developer in North America and operator of the AIRMALL at Boston Logan International Airport, is pleased to offer three new dining and retail offerings for travelers looking for high-quality and convenient options on-the-go. All are located on Terminal E at BOS.
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Freddy's Fourth Denver Area Location Opens Today
The fourth Freddy’s in the Denver Metro area opens its doors today at 8234 S. Kipling Pkwy in Littleton, CO. The free-standing location, that includes a drive-thru and patio seating, has been completely renovated to fit the Freddy’s prototype. The Kipling location in Denver marks store number #61 nationwide for Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers.
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Baskin-Robbins Targets Expansion in Major Cities Across Canada
Baskin-Robbins, the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty shops, is expanding its franchise locations across Canada with an initial focus on Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. The Company is also launching its new international store design at new and existing Canadian Baskin-Robbins restaurants.
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CUPS Frozen Yogurt - That's Hot Continues New Jersey Expansion with Morristown Opening on March 16
CUPS Frozen Yogurt, the beach-themed self-serve fro-yo concept, will open its fourth New Jersey location at 11 am on Friday, March 16 at 7 South Street in Morristown, New Jersey. As part of the grand opening, the first 100 customers at the new Morristown location on Saturday, March 17 will receive a $10 CUPS gift card.
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Granite City Food & Brewery Ltd. Set to Open Restaurant in Franklin, Tennessee
Granite City Food & Brewery Ltd. is proud to announce that it is building a new Granite City Food & Brewery in Franklin, Tennessee. The Company recently signed a long term lease with Drury Development Corporation to have the restaurant located adjacent to the new Drury hotel now being built in Franklin. The new restaurant will feature a contemporary upscale design recently developed by the Company, with the first opening in Troy, Michigan in April 2012.
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CHAIN NEWS – Menu |
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Seasons 52 Introduces New Spring Menu on March 20
Seasons 52, the highly-acclaimed fresh grill and wine bar restaurant, will introduce its new spring menu on March 20. Known for its seasonally inspired menus and fresh approach to dining, Seasons 52 meets the demands of today’s culinary-savvy consumer, offering a complete dining experience with great tasting foods and positive lifestyle benefits – a concept that is “right for the times.”
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The Loop Pizza Grill debuts spinach salad
Jacksonville, Fla.-based The Loop Pizza Grill has introduced a new spinach salad to its menu, available for a limited time starting April 1. The salad includes green spinach leaves mixed with bacon, mushrooms and red onions, tossed in The Loop's sweet red wine vinaigrette. The Loop's Spinach Salad will cost $7.99 and will be available at all 14 locations until May 28.
| Pizza Marketplace 3/12/12 |
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Planet Smoothie warms up winter with tropical flavors
Planet Smoothie will launch its Flavors of the Tropics campaign March 19 that will promote Sambazon products including the limited-time Açaí smoothies and bowls. All 100+ Planet Smoothie locations are participating. The brand was acquired last year by Franklin, Tenn.-based Tasti D-Lite, with Tasti products being added to selected Planet Smoothie stores, and Planet Smoothie’s offerings to join the menus at some Tasti D-Lite locations.
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CHAIN NEWS – Personnel |
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Boston Market Corporation Names Sara Rosenberg Bittorf as Chief Brand Officer
Boston Market Corporation, a fast-casual restaurant chain, today announced the appointment of Sara Rosenberg Bittorf as Chief Brand Officer. Bittorf, who most recently served as vice president of marketing for Carrabba’s Italian Grill, will begin her new role on April 9, and report directly to CEO George Michel. The newly established role within brand leadership comes at an exciting time as the company recently reported 17 consecutive months of increased comp sales.
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Kona Grill Appoints Two New Members to Board of Directors
Kona Grill, Inc. has appointed Steven Schussler and Leonard Newman as independent directors of Kona Grill. In addition to serving as an independent director, Mr. Newman will assume the role of audit committee chair. These appointments allow Kona Grill to regain compliance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5605 that the board of directors and the audit committee be comprised of a majority of independent directors and at least three independent directors, respectively.
| Restaurant News Resource 3/12/12 |
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Axum Capital Partners Announces New CEO, Development Officer for Wild Wing Cafe
William E. Prather, former CEO of Hardees and executive vice president and head of worldwide operations for Burger King, will become the new Wild Wing Cafe chief executive officer. David A. Leonardo, former franchise development executive for Wendy's, Arby's and Burger King, will join the company as its chief development officer.
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CHAIN NEWS - Mergers |
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Biglari Holdings buys $4.6M in Cracker Barrel stock, holds nearly 16% of company
Biglari Holdings Inc. and related entities spent $4.6 million last week to buy more shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc., giving the company command of 15.6 percent of Cracker Barrel’s shares. Activist investor Sardar Biglari is chief executive of Austin-based Biglari Holdings, which is parent to the Steak ‘n Shake and Western Sizzlin restaurant chains.
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CHAIN NEWS – Other |
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Garbanzo Takes Major Step in Eco-Friendly Program
Denver-based Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill, a fast-casual restaurant concept specializing in Mediterranean cuisine, announced today the introduction of compostable entrée plates and Level 1 recyclable plate lids as part of its ongoing eco-friendly initiative. The 24-ounce entrée plates are made from bamboo pulp and are similar in size to the restaurant concept’s previous plates.
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ANALYST CORNER |
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Panera
PNRA noted comps were up 8.9% during the first 41 days of 1Q12 helped by a 350 bps by favorable weather impact (200 bps benefit for the full year). Based on our updated research, we believe underlying sales remained fairly steady/strong through February before normalizing a bit during the first couple weeks of March (expected). At this point, we remain comfortable with our 7-8% comp estimate for the quarter.
| Cleveland Research 3/12/12 |
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INDEPENDENT OPERATORS |
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Flavor Flav opens House of Flavor QSR in Vegas
Rapper and reality TV star Flavor Flav will open his House of Flavor on March 15 in Las Vegas. The quick-service restaurant includes recipes handed down from Flavor Flav's father, such as a secret spice rub, and specializes in soul food. The menu features fried chicken, fried shrimp and Flavor Flav's signature red velvet waffle.
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DISTRIBUTOR NEWS |
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New US Foods Spring Product Line Combines Trendy Flavors with Classic American Cuisine for the Very Best in Global Grilling
US Foods, one of the country’s most innovative food companies and leading distributors, is helping chefs gear up for the grilling season with the launch of 30 new products today. The products range from an exclusive Chef’s Line Pat LaFrieda Angus Chopped Beef Burger and Chef’s Line Wild-Caught Alaskan Salmon Sliders from sustainable fisheries to Chef’s Line Pit Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs and the world’s first all butter croissant burger and sandwich bun.
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CEO of Unified Foodservice Purchasing Co-Op to Retire
Daniel E. Woodside, president and CEO of Unified Foodservice Purchasing Co-op, LLC, announced his intention to retire today after 13 years with the company. UFPC is the exclusive supply chain management organization for Yum! Brands, Inc. and its national restaurant systems: KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, plus the independent brands of A&W and Long John Silver’s.
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OTHER |
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OpenTable Introduces App for Kindle Fire
OpenTable, Inc., a leading provider of free online reservations for diners and guest management systems for restaurants, today announced that it has expanded its portfolio of mobile products with the introduction of an app for Kindle Fire. The OpenTable app for Kindle Fire enables users to find and book available tables at nearby restaurants. Diners can instantly refine their search by neighborhood, cuisine and price.
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Cititour.com Announces Alliance with SinglePlatform to Offer Real-Time Menus
Cititour.com and its sister site, CitiMenus.com, are now offering thousands of real-time menus from SinglePlatform, the world's largest online menu provider. Cititour.com expects to increase its New York presence to up to 9,000 menus this year as it looks to expand across the United States. Menus from restaurants not represented by SinglePlatform are also available on the two sites.
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