Ann Arbor, MI  (RestaurantNews.com)  Domino’s Pizza, Inc. (NYSE: DPZ) announces the following webcast events:

About Domino’s Pizza®

Founded in 1960, Domino’s Pizza is the recognized world leader in pizza delivery. Domino’s is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “DPZ.” As of the third quarter of 2011, through its primarily locally-owned and operated franchised system, Domino’s operated a network of 9,541 franchised and Company-owned stores in the United States and over 70 international markets. During the third quarter of 2011, Domino’s had global retail sales of nearly $1.6 billion, comprised of over $771 million domestically and nearly $813 million internationally. Domino’s Pizza had global retail sales of over $6.2 billion in 2010, comprised of over $3.3 billion domestically and over $2.9 billion internationally.

In May 2011, Pizza Today named Domino’s its “Chain of the Year” for the second straight year – making the company a three-time overall winner, and the first pizza delivery company to receive the honor in back-to-back years. In 2011, Domino’s was ranked #1 in Forbes Magazine’s “Top 20 Franchises for the Money” list. Helped by the launch of its Domino’s Smart Slice school lunch pizza in late 2010, Domino’s is collaborating with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to serve healthier school foods and beverages in the United States. In late 2009, Domino’s debuted its “Inspired New Pizza” – a permanent change to its hand-tossed product, reinvented from the crust up.

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Info – www.dominosbiz.com
Twitter – http://twitter.com/dominos
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/Dominos

Restaurant News Bites: 2012 Menu Trends, Breakfast, Restaurant Domain Names

The National Restaurant Association has released its report on the trends that will shape menus the most in 2012. The top trends include seafood and meat from local sources, healthier meal options for children, allergy conscious foods and sustainability as a main theme. As consumers are becoming more concerned about the ingredients in each dish, chefs are changing to accommodate them.

New information from Technomic shows that dining out for breakfast is on the rise. Breakfast sales generate about $42 billion in sales each year and this number is growing. Any restaurant that can provide a fast and convenient way to fuel up in the morning can join in on this growing trend and improve their profits.

A plan by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to roll out a new domain name system is being strongly opposed by the National Restaurant Association. If approved, the new plan could cost restaurants huge amounts of money as they would be forced to apply for and register new domain names in order to protect their trademarks and brands.

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Cosi, Inc. has appointed Carin Stutz as their newest Chief Executive Officer. Stutz resigned her position as President of Global Business Development for Brinker International to take the position with Cosi. While at Brinker, she oversaw operations and franchise development for 240 Chili’s and Maggiano’s restaurants worldwide.  She has also held executive positions with Applebee’s International, Wendy’s International, Sodexo and NutriSystem.

P.F. Chang’s is testing a new prototype in Irving, California. The restaurant in the Irving Spectrum Center was recently renovated to give it a unique look. The menu now focuses primarily on small plates and specialty Asian dishes and has a wider selection of wines, drinks and loose leafed brewed tea.  The new store will serve as testing ground for new beverages and dishes which may see national rollouts.

Starbucks released a mobile payment program about a year ago which allows customers to pay for purchases with their smart phone. Since that release, over 26 million transactions have taken place in the 9,000 U.S. locations. Nearly $2.5 billion dollars were loaded onto the payment app for use during 2011.

Domino’s Pizza processed over 1 million orders in the week following Thanksgiving this year through its mobile and web ordering apps. The company has been accepting mobile and web orders for four years and generates about 30% of all orders.

Burger King is bringing the new Coca-Cola Freestyle machine to its restaurants around the country. The Freestyle offers over 100 unique drink combinations.  Burger King will be the largest franchise system in America to offer the fountains in all company owned restaurants.

Nov. 28 kicked off unprecedented 1 million order week via online and mobile

Cyber Monday = Pizza Monday? Strong Start Helps Domino's Online Ordering Set Record Week

Ann Arbor, MI  (RestaurantNews.com)  Consumers on Cyber Monday weren’t just buying Christmas gifts online – they were buying a lot of pizza. Domino’s Pizza (NYSE: DPZ), the recognized world leader in pizza delivery, for the first time in its history, processed more than 1 million orders in the US from online and mobile devices in one week alone, from Nov. 28 – Dec. 4.

That’s 1.08 million, to be exact – leading Domino’s to its best week of digital sales ever in the US.

“This was the first time in our history we surpassed 1 million digital orders in a single week,” said Patrick Doyle, Domino’s Pizza president and chief executive officer. “It was extraordinary – and clearly a sign of the times. Consumers are not only craving quality food, but they’re getting it via the convenience of ordering from their computers and other mobile devices.”

Nearly four years since its launch, Domino’s online ordering now makes up about 30% of total orders.

“Our online and mobile ordering platform is second to none,” said Doyle. “While we are pleased with the orders it is generating, we are mostly proud of the positive experience it continues to provide our customers.”

Domino’s hasn’t stopped at online ordering when it comes to building relationships with consumers. Tomorrow in the US, Domino’s is hosting its first ever Global Domino’s Day – a multinational promotion with 19 participating countries on Facebook, helping celebrate the company’s 51st anniversary.  The event, offering 50% any menu-priced pizza ordered online through a specialized Facebook tab, will launch for Japanese customers at 7 a.m. PST today, with the party continuing until the US places its last orders at 11:59 p.m. PST on Dec. 8.

About Domino’s Pizza®

Founded in 1960, Domino’s Pizza is the recognized world leader in pizza delivery. Domino’s is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “DPZ.” As of the third quarter of 2011, through its primarily locally-owned and operated franchised system, Domino’s operated a network of 9,541 franchised and Company-owned stores in the United States and over 70 international markets. During the third quarter of 2011, Domino’s had global retail sales of nearly $1.6 billion, comprised of over $771 million domestically and nearly $813 million internationally. Domino’s Pizza had global retail sales of over $6.2 billion in 2010, comprised of over $3.3 billion domestically and over $2.9 billion internationally.

In May 2011, Pizza Today named Domino’s its “Chain of the Year” for the second straight year – making the company a three-time overall winner, and the first pizza delivery company to receive the honor in back-to-back years. In 2011, Domino’s was ranked #1 in Forbes Magazine’s “Top 20 Franchises for the Money” list.  Helped by the launch of its Domino’s Smart Slice school lunch pizza in late 2010, Domino’s is collaborating with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to serve healthier school foods and beverages in the United States. In late 2009, Domino’s debuted its “Inspired New Pizza” – a permanent change to its hand-tossed product, reinvented from the crust up.

Order – www.dominos.com
Mobile – http://mobile.dominos.com
Info – www.dominosbiz.com
Twitter – http://twitter.com/dominos
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/Dominos

Domino's Pizza Adds Three New Stuffed Cheesy Breads to Menu

Domino’s Pizza vows to stop the trend and put an end to the days of skimpy cheesing, today launching a new line of Stuffed Cheesy Bread that stands boldly above the rest of the cheesy bread world.

America deserves more cheese, and with the help of a newly innovated product line, Domino’s is delivering. Each of the three Stuffed Cheesy Bread varieties debuting today is stuffed inside and out with the same amount of cheese as a Domino’s medium cheese pizza. The brand new, permanent menu item is available in three flavors: Bacon & Jalapeno, Spinach & Feta and Cheese only – each including delicious mozzarella and shredded cheddar.

“In continuing to respond to what consumers want from us, we had an opportunity to show the rest how cheesy bread is really done,” said Patrick Doyle, Domino’s Pizza president and chief executive officer. “We continue to be committed to innovate, improve and grow our menu – Stuffed Cheesy Bread is simply our next step.”

A national TV campaign beginning next week follows Domino’s chefs Brandon Solano and Tate Dillow as they realize “under-cheesing” has taken over the cheesy bread scene – and Domino’s wants to boldly put a stop to it.

“Domino’s is committed to making our entire menu, beyond just our pizza, something special for consumers,” said Russell Weiner, Domino’s Pizza chief marketing officer. “The new campaign shows that we’re drawing inspiration from our competitors – helping us do consumers a favor by putting the ‘cheese’ back in cheesy bread.”

During the campaign, cheese lovers can order any of the new Domino’s Stuffed Cheesy Breads or any medium, 2-topping pizzas – choose any two for only $5.99 each.

Also beginning this week, gift cards are available for purchase in Domino’s stores across the U.S. just in time for holiday shopping. Customers can purchase gift cards in denominations from $5 to $100.

Restaurant News Bites: Wendy's, Del Taco, The Pei Wei Asian Diner

Wendy’s new CEO Emil Brolick may have only been with the company a month, but he’s working hard to turn around the restaurant chain’s reputation. The chain is the third largest burger company in the country, but it has been struggling. Changes to the menu including natural cut fries and the new Hot N’ Juicy have shown small improvements.

Domino’s is seeing concrete returns as increased sales for their recent brutally honest ad campaign and improved pizza recipes. The chain’s stocks hit an all-time low in 2008. Despite the recession, the higher quality pizza now offered by the restaurants has proved popular with shares rising in value over 75% this year alone.

An Indianapolis restaurant is claiming that the 62% discount Groupon offered to over 2,500 diners isn’t the deal they agreed to. The Creation Cafe has had to turn away customers with the coupon. The website claimed to be willing to refund the diners, but so far has not contacted them. Most of the customers were understanding of the mistake.

The Pei Wei Asian Diner, a brand created and owned by the P.F. Chang’s company, will soon be under development in Latin America. Three restaurants are slated to be opened by Alsea, S.A.B. de C.V. in the next year and a half. Chang’s chose to work with Alsea again after the success of introducing P.F. Chang’s restaurants to Mexico.

Del Taco is testing out the new Coca-Cola Freestyle machine in 12 of their restaurants. The new machine will be installed in Southern California restaurants for customer testing. The machine offers hundreds of unique flavor options in one normal sized foundation drink machine.

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is eying Southern California for their next expansion campaign. The company has a hold of the chicken fast food market like they haven’t had in 10 years, and is planning to bank on their rising popularity. The chain is holding franchisee meetings this month in Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

Caribou Coffee plans to open a wave of new locations and renovate existing stores in the Chicago market. The new designs are tailored to the region and are part of a plan to appeal to locals with customized store plans. The chain hasn’t opened any new company owned stores in five years and these upcoming locations will be the first.

O’Charley’s has participated in a sales-leaseback of 50 locations to raise funds. About $105 million in gross profits was produced by the plan. The money is being used to pay off all of the senior subordinated notes that will come due in November 2013. STORE Capital purchased all 50 of the restaurants.

Krispy Kreme recently created a new partnership with Krispy Kreme UK to expand the brand in Britain. 35 more locations will open in the country over the next six years. The chain has about 45 locations currently in operation. Krispy Kreme has built a following in over 21 countries and is continuing their international expansion.

Guadalajara, Mexico is now home to three Johnny Rockets restaurants. The newest restaurant opened in the Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport this September. The location serves the full menu of American classics like milkshakes, hamburgers and fries. Demand for classic American cuisine is growing in Mexico.

Domino’s Pizza Inc. is among companies with higher sales, partly because of changes including a new recipe and commitment to accountability, said Malcolm Knapp, a New York-based consultant who has monitored the restaurant industry since 1970.

As its sales fell and its stock hit a record low of $2.83 a share in November 2008, the Ann Arbor, Michigan, chain spent millions in a “brutally honest” advertising campaign that said some people thought its “pizza sucks,” Knapp said. Then it offered a money-back guarantee and embraced social media and e- commerce to engage consumers.

“That was a very new proposition, but it worked because it was delivered in a marketplace where trust had evaporated,” Knapp said.

Domino’s shares have risen 75 percent this year, compared with 15 percent for Papa John’s International Inc. in Louisville, Kentucky, Bloomberg data show. Since the end of 2009, when Domino’s announced its plans, the stock has gained 233 percent, compared with 37 percent for its rival. Domino’s is scheduled to report third-quarter earnings tomorrow.

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When Wendy’s began Project Gold Hamburger two years ago, they knew that they couldn’t totally reinvent a classic. However, the new Dave’s Hot N’ Juicy is a drastically updated and improved cheeseburger featuring two patties made from fresh beef, and toppings like fresh lettuce and red onion on a buttered, toasted bun. Crinkle cut pickles were also added while mustard was removed.

Smashburger first introduced the Windy City Burger in Chicago, the town that inspired it. Now its growing popularity has brought it to the rest of the country. The burger, which features a pretzel roll and haystack onions, will be available nationally until October 30th. The 100% Angus Beef patty is included on this Smashburger as well.

Popeyes recently debuted their fourth, limited-time only promotion for the year. The Dip’n Chick’n features Popeye’s signature fresh chicken breast and comes with a Cajun-inspired Blackened Ranch dipping sauce. The promotion will give customers an order of Dip’n Chick’n, fries, a biscuit and dipping sauce for $3.99.

Domino’s has expanded their menu by adding three new Artisan flavor combinations. The high-quality Tuscan Salami & Roasted Veggie, Spinach & Feta and Italian Sausage & Pepper toppings are laid over a square, hand-tossed crust. Domino’s is promoting the new pizzas through television ads and suggestions on their online ordering apps.

Denny’s is serving up a limited time, special menu for serious cheese lovers. The “Let’s Get Cheesy” menu features six new dishes like the Mac N’ Cheese Big Daddy Patty Melt, the Cheese Please Omelette, the Winner Winner Cheesy Dinner, the Chessy Breakfast Sampler, the Say Cheese Sizzlin’ Skillet and the Big Cheese Country-Fried Steak and Eggs.

Participating Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurants rolled out special $5.99 lunch options. Each weekday features a different lunch special, including the Country House Salad, Baked Chicken n’ Dressing, Chicken Pot Pie, Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes and Turkey n’ Dressing.

Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar & Grill will be celebrating Oktoberfest in an unusual way. The “Woktoberfest” will combine the beer and bratwurst of the German festival and combine it with fresh Asian flavors. Dishes like Wokin’ Hot Brats will be served with Widmer Brothers beer.

Twin chains Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. have added new Steakhouse Burgers to their menus. The Steakhouse Burgers come in Six Dollar Burger and Thickburger options, both topped with blue cheese, A1 steak sauce, fried onion strings and Swiss cheese. Black Angus ground beef is used exclusively for the patties on these burgers.

KFC is promoting their 100% breast meat Popcorn Chicken with a new deal. For a limited time, customers can pick up a large order of bite-sized Popcorn Chicken for just $2.99.

Del Taco introduced its new slow simmered, shredded Pork Carnitas menu, including the Carnitas Combo Burrito, the Carnitas Taco al Carbon and the Carnitas Macho Nachos, for a limited time. Guests who would like to try the new items can pick up a coupon for a free Carnitas Taco al Carbon on Del Taco’s Facebook page.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers introduced its new Oktoberfest Burger, featuring a pretzel bun, beer mustard, Black Forest ham and sauteed onions on a fire grilled beef patty. Sweet Potato Fries round out the offering.

Genghis Grill is featuring a new protein option on the Khan’s Kitchen food bar through November 6th. The Dr Pepper BBQ Chicken is marinated and covered in the chain’s signature BBQ sauce with the real flavor of Dr Pepper. Guests can combine this new chicken option with 70 other fresh ingredients.

Quiznos brought back their popular Black Angus sub with new toppings and bread. The sub features sliced steak on Rosemary Parmesan topped bread. Two types of melted cheese and sauteed mushrooms and onions finish the sandwich. The sandwich will only be available for a limited time at all Quiznos locations.

Sweet Potato Fries, Naked and Dusted, have returned to Good Times Restaurant & Frozen Custard for a limited time. Customers can enjoy the waffle-cut fries plain or dusted with cinnamon sugar until the end of December. The return of these fries brings the chain’s total fry options to four, with other favorites including the Green Chile Cheese fry.

Burger King added new soft serve dessert items to its national menu. Vanilla soft serve cones and cups come plain for only 89 cents, with premium and traditional sundaes also available. Customers can get a free soft serve cone or cup with purchase of a BK Value Meal through October 9th.

Dunkin’ Donuts has brought back some old favorite flavors and releasing new ones just in time for the beginning of Fall. Customers can enjoy a cup of hot or iced spiced Apple Cider with a new Pumpkin Muffin, Pumpkin Donut or Caramel Apple donut. Pumpkin flavored pre-packaged coffee is also available.

Yogurt Mountain added two new flavors to their national line-up that are inspired by sweet camping treats. The S’mores flavored frozen yogurt and the Graham Cracker flavor blend well together or stand alone. Each flavor has only 120 calories per serving. New toppings also include S’Mores Crunch bits and mini marshmallows.

The economy’s continued decline and the rise in unemployment among young adults is bringing special offers and value deals back to many fast food chains. Restaurant traffic is dropping drastically for even big name brands, and chains are rolling out special deals to bring the numbers back up. For example, Subway is making all foot long subs available for $5 starting in October.

Wendy’s has re-invented their classic burger to make it even better. The new Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy Cheeseburger features two patties made from fresh beef, and toppings like fresh lettuce and red onion on a buttered, toasted bun. The shape of the patties remains square, but the rest of the burger has been upgraded.

Popeyes is debuting their fourth, limited-time only promotion for the year. The Dip’n Chick’n comes with a Cajun-inspired Blackened Ranch dipping sauce and features Popeyes signature fresh chicken breast. The promotion will give customers an order of Dip’n Chick’n, fries, a biscuit and dipping sauce for $3.99.

Alcoholic beverages offer a high profit margin to chain restaurants, but local and county restrictions make it hard to make thousands of locations compliant with the law. The higher cost of a drink also doesn’t appeal to value-menu diners. Storing the alcohol and training staff to check ID also complicates the matter.

Domino’s is expanding their menu by adding three new Artisan flavor combinations. The high-quality Tuscan Salami & Roasted Veggie, Spinach & Feta and Italian Sausage & Pepper toppings are laid over a square, hand-tossed crust. Domino’s is promoting the new pizzas through television ads and suggestions on their online ordering apps.

Thomas Monaghan may be 74, but he isn’t letting his age slow him down. After founding Domino’s and Ave Maria University, he’s designing a new gourmet burger brand. His brand will feature delivery, something no burger brand currently offers. He hopes to put any profits made by the new business into the growth of Ave Maria University.

CEC Entertainment, the parent company of Chuck E. Cheese’s, has given Scott McDaniel two new executive titles. He’ll be the Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Chuck E. Cheese’s and will be responsible for all marketing, showroom promotions, guest relations and other related issues.

Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar & Grill is celebrating Oktoberfest in an unusual way. The “Woktoberfest” will combine the beer and bratwurst of the German festival and combine it with fresh Asian flavors. Dishes like Wokin’ Hot Brats will be served with Widmer Brothers beer. The chain will also give away a trip to Portland as well.

CiCi’s Pizza has hired Publicis Dallas as their agency of record as part of their dedication to the “Build the Brand” campaign. Within the next decade the chain hopes to increase the total number of restaurants by 100 or more. The campaign will include a $26 million promotional account that Publicis will handle.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is expanding their chain again in North Texas. The new location is located in Garland and is under the control of local franchisee Kevin Tran. This is the first franchise location for Tran. The chain is hoping to have 200 total locations by the end of the year.

In the food world, “artisan” used to mean a meticulously handcrafted product, made in small batches.

No more.

This week, Domino’s Pizza introduced its Artisan Pizza line at its nearly 5,000 outlets across the country. It joined the trend of major companies in describing products as artisan.

Wendy’s has its Artisan Egg Sandwich, Ralphs markets offers Private Selection Artisan Breads and Starbucks sells Artisan Breakfast Sandwiches.

The term, from the Italian artigiano, was coined as far back as the 16th century to refer to a skilled craftsman who carved or otherwise hand-tooled an item.

More recently, foodies have used it to describe a bread, cheese, chocolate or other cozy item made in an old-fashioned, hands-on manner.

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He founded Domino’s Pizza. He owned the Detroit Tigers. He started Ave Maria University and built a town around it.

What’s next for Thomas Monaghan? At 74, he’s pursuing a new dream, going back to his roots in the delivery business. This time, it will be gourmet hamburgers, not pizza, that he will bring to the doorstep.

He points out that Ray Kroc – the man who built the McDonald’s restaurant empire – was 52 when he jumped into the burger business and that Harland David “Colonel” Sanders – the man behind Kentucky Fried Chicken – didn’t start actively franchising his chicken business until he was 65.

“And my doctor tells me I have the arteries of someone who is 55,” Monaghan said with a boyish grin.

Continue reading . . .

Domino’s Pizza has introduced three Artisan Pizza flavors: Spinach & Feta, Italian Sausage & Pepper Trio and Tuscan Salami & Roasted Veggie.

“We have never launched anything that showcases our quality ingredients and craftsmanship quite like Artisan Pizza,” said Patrick Doyle, Domino’s Pizza president and chief executive officer. “Consumers really need to see and taste these pizzas to believe them.”

Before even getting to the pizza, consumers will be greeted by a signed pizza box – penned by the store manager responsible for what comes within: a carefully and uniquely crafted gourmet pizza.

“It really is yet another ‘Oh Yes We Did’ moment for Domino’s,” said Russell Weiner, Domino’s Pizza chief marketing officer. “We won’t stop innovating – and with this product, gimmicks are out the window and the proof will be in the pizza.”

A national TV campaign beginning today shows the launch of the new pizza to be about gourmet taste – and not about gimmicks. Fabio Viviani, the celebrity chef known best for his time as a fan favorite on Top Chef, makes a cameo appearance in one of the commercials.

“We have great tasting hand-tossed pizza and a terrific specialty line, but the Domino’s Artisan Pizzas truly take special to a whole new level,” said Weiner. “The campaign is a playful way to demonstrate that for us to show believers we can be gourmet, this pizza needs no gimmicks – just consumers to simply try it.”

Consumers who order Domino’s Artisan Pizza through online ordering will receive a link where they can rate the pizza and let Domino’s know what they think.

During the campaign, consumers can try the pizza for $7.99 every day of the week.  Domino’s will also continue its Early Week Pick-Me-Up Deal, offering consumers a 3-topping pizza for $7.99, carryout only.

The National Restaurant Association is pairing up with the Texas Restaurant Association to help raise money for veteran rehabilitation. The “Freedom is Sweet” campaign with be tested in Texas and will expand to the rest of the nation next year. Participating restaurants will donate part of their profits on November 11^th.

Domino’s Pizza launched an iPhone app to allow more smart phone users to order pizza on the go just three months ago. In those three months the app has processed over $1 million in orders in a single week. The first $1 million marker in total sales was reached just 28 days after the launch. The app is free to download through the iTunes’ App Store.

CEO Steve Ells, the leader of the popular Chipotle Mexican Grill, was inspired to create a new fast-casual brand by a two-week trip to Thailand and Singapore. ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen serves dishes inspired by the noodles and other local dishes he ate on his trip. The first ShopHouse location opened last week in Washington.

As technology prices drop, high-tech devices like iPads are making their way into more and more restaurants. Places like Stacked, a burger and pizza restaurant, ask customers to build their meals on the touch-sensitive devices instead of ordering with a waiter. Steakhouses have also embraced the iPad as an easy way to keep an updated and informational wine list available.

The French-inspired Mimi’s Cafe chain is increasing their value offerings with their Cafe Express Lunch lunch menu. Guests can get two lunch meals for under $15, and the meals are guaranteed to be ready in less than 15 minutes or they’re free. Time-pressed workers can still enjoy a sit-down lunch without getting back to work late with the Express Lunch menu at Mimi’s Cafe.

A recent survey from YouGov’s BrandIndex shows that Burger King’s consumer perception has risen recently for the first time in months. This rise comes directly after the first television commercial from McGarryBowen for the chain. Burger King picked a new ad agency after losing fans due to racy and controversial ads that were part of a plan to appeal to young males.

Hurricane Grill & Wings is bringing its jumbo chicken wings and flavor options to Wellington, Florida. The new location offers the full menu, a larger building and live music events. 32 wing flavors are available at Hurricane Grill & Wings, along with a wide variety of side dishes, salads, and grilled sandwiches.

Fazoli’s is investing in its executive team with the appointment of a new Vice President of Operations. Al Hodges has over 30 years of cumulative experience in the restaurant industry with companies like Dunkin’ Brands. As VP of Operations, he’ll be responsible for overseeing all franchise and company-owned store operations.

El Pollo Loco also named a new Vice President of Research and Development to keep their flame-grilled chicken brand fresh. Heather Gardea will help develop the menu and will ensure that all food items served by El Pollo Loco are as good as they can be. She came to the position from the Catalina Restaurant Group.

LongHorn Steakhouse expands again with the grand opening of a location in Roanoke, Virginia. The Friends and Family Night fundraiser brought in over $1,500 worth of donations for Boys & Girls Clubs  in the area. 85 jobs were created for the restaurant and nearly 250 guests can dine at once.

Domino’s Pizza has announced that after just three months since its launch, the new Domino’s App for iPhone and iPod touch has achieved $1 million in sales over a single week.

The Domino’s App also speedily achieved $1 million in total sales – just 28 days after launch. With the app initially available on June 8 and announced to the public one week later, Domino’s met both milestones much quicker than it expected.

“The most exciting thing about reaching these accomplishments so quickly is that the Domino’s App is still in its infancy,” said Russell Weiner, Domino’s Pizza chief marketing officer. “This is happening much faster than we expected, and it’s a credit to the ordering experience and convenience our app offers.”

The app, offering customers the ability to order from almost all of Domino’s nearly 5,000 U.S. locations with no login required, is well-received by consumers and fans. The app is currently at a 4-star user rating on the iTunes Store and has remained within the Top-20 ranking in the Free Lifestyle Apps section since its launch.

“With the rapid growth of this fairly recent technology, as well as our focus on continuing to integrate all of the unique and convenient elements of the Domino’s ordering experience, it’s fair to say that there is much more to come for fans of our app,” said Chris McGlothlin, Domino’s Pizza chief information officer. “This is only the beginning.”

The Domino’s App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

Chick-fil-A is promoting their new breakfast menus with the “Eat Mor Chikin” Cows asking everyone to vote “Chikin 4 Brekfust”. To encourage votes the chain is also giving away free coupons for the breakfast item of your choice. Customers can make a reservation and redeem their coupon from September 6^th through the 10^th.

Domino’s Pizza has released over 30 stores that were previously company-owned and operated. The re-franchising move put four local Domino’s franchisees in charge of the restaurants. One of the new owners, Mike Orcutt, took over 14 of the stores. This brings his total to 93 locations, making him the second biggest franchisee in the country.

IHOP restaurants are celebrating the beginning of apple harvest season with their new Caramel Apple Sensations. This limited time special menu ends on October 2^nd. The breakfast items, including the Caramel Apple Crisp Crepe and the Apple Fritter, are available all day long. The SIMPLE & FIT menu item is the Cinnamon Apple Crisp Crepe Combo.

Boston Market has completed renovations and changes to their Los Angeles restaurants to ensure guests have a better experience. Upgrades have also been added to other locations. The program, known as the America’s Kitchen Table upgrade, makes the interior of the store more inviting and added a number of new entrees to the menu.

The National Restaurant Association has announced a new initiative that will take place over the month of September. The 17^th annual National Food Safety Education Month will ensure that restaurant industry employees around the country all follow the same set of health and safety guidelines. Free seminars and training sessions are planned.

A regional launch of the new Green Chile Double burger last year proved surprisingly popular, so Whataburger is now expanding the burger to all of its restaurants. The burger will only be available until October 3^rd. The burger features two patties, topped with a slice of American and Monterey Jack cheese and roasted green chiles.

The strict adherence to a specific system has let McDonald’s keep customer experiences and food quality exactly the same even in the desserts of the Middle East or the mountains of China. Salesman Ray Kroc pioneered this system. Identical restaurants have allowed the brand to grow beyond anyone’s expectations.

Quiznos has signed new franchise agreements that will increase the number of international restaurants in the chain. Agreements with Sub One Hospitality Services will bring Quiznos to the Western and Northern India. The chain also celebrated the opening of its largest international location in Southern India recently.

The Cheesecake Factory has added a new member to their executive team. Donald Evans has joined as the new Chief Marketing Officer. He will use over 15 years of experience in the marketing industry to develop new promotional materials and advertising for the brand. He worked for over 11 years with the Walt Disney company.

North Carolina is now home to its first Johnny Rockets location. The Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Hotel has added Johnny Rockets to their Cherokee, North Carolina casino. This is the 21^st location for the chain inside of a casino. The Harrah’s company chose the chain for its All-American menu and exciting restaurant design.

Fox’s “Kitchen Nightmares” may not sound like a good source of positive publicity, but it has turned around some restaurants. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay helps restaurant owners pinpoint why their business is failing and implements key changes. Mike and Nellie’s, an Italian eatery on Route 35, has changed to a steakhouse following their appearance on the show.

The owner of one of Philadelphia’s most famous Philly cheesesteak shops has passed away. Joey Vento, who opened Geno’s Steaks in 1966, passed away of a heart attack at the age of 71. The shop is still open today and runs opposite the Pat’s King of Steaks Restaurant that claims to have invented the Philly cheesesteak.

Subway may be the world’s largest fast food chain, but they’re not resting on their laurels. The company is testing a new, larger, more sophisticated layout with their Cafe style restaurant layout. The artwork is updated and the cafes feature better seating. Subway is hoping to draw in coffee shop fans and invite guests to extend their stays.

P.F. Chang’s remains popular due to its combination of upscale dining and Chinese dishes. However, the chain did suffer somewhat as the economy fell over the past 4 years. The company expects another slight fall in sales of 2-3%, but is working hard on a number of new initiatives to bring profits and traffic up again.

The economic downturn has hit restaurants around the country, but independent restaurant owners are struggling the most. In Augusta, Georgia many restaurants like Blue Sky Kitchen and Soy Noodle House are struggling to pay for the rising costs of food while keeping their menus affordable. Some restaurants are cutting staff while others are resorting to menu price increases.

Food trucks are the culinary world’s next big thing and the trend is about to crest. Restaurant owners can learn a lot from these mobile cafes and taquerias. Food trucks build interest and traffic by utilizing social media to its maximum potential. They also make dining out more exciting because diners never know when or where they’ll spot their favorite food truck.

If you’re concerned about calorie counts and nutrition, but would like to enjoy a McDonald’s hamburger without guilt, try the free Nutrition Calculator App. Recently developed by McDonald’s Canada, the free app helps visitors combine menu items to find a meal that fits their dietary needs and restrictions.

A large franchisee of Domino’s Pizza, the company known as Pizza Project, has received $2.15 million in funding from GE Capital and Franchise Finance. This will help the company purchase existing Domino’s locations and develop new ones. The decision was made to fund the project because the executives of Pizza Project already have loans with GE Capital under a different franchisee company.

Del Taco is growing in Colorado Springs and has doubled the number of restaurants in the city in just six months. The fourth location for the area opened on August 25^th on Academy Drive. The new restaurant is owned and operated by the same franchisees as the other three. The chain has proved popular due to its healthy and affordable menu.

Krispy Kreme may be the next big thing in Japan. The company has signed an agreement with a Japanese franchisee to bring over 70 new stores to the country. Most of the locations will be built in the Chubu, Kanto and Kansai regions in the next five years. The chain is also adding 70 new locations in Mexico.

Domino’s Pizza has announced that it has refranchised 30 company-owned stores in Atlanta to four local owner-operators. The change of ownership took place today.

“We’re primarily a franchise company, and we see strength in our locally-owned operations,” said Scott Hinshaw, Domino’s Pizza executive vice president of franchise operations and development. “There are terrific, proven operators in Atlanta, and this is an opportunity for them to grow. Local, hands-on leadership is crucial to our success worldwide, and Atlanta is an important market for us. We’re looking forward to these great operators taking their expertise and applying it in these stores.”

Franchisee Mike Orcutt (who led U.S. store operations for Domino’s Pizza in the 1990s), has purchased 14 stores, bringing his ownership total to 93 stores, making Orcutt the second-largest Domino’s Pizza franchise owner in the United States. He owns stores in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.

Franchisee Greg Fox has purchased nine stores, bringing his total to 38 stores. Franchisee Todd Dyrda has purchased five stores, bringing his total to seven stores. Tim Garrett, formerly a supervisor for Orcutt’s Cowabunga Pizza Inc., is now a two-store franchisee owner-operator with his purchase.

The Atlanta area is home to 118 Domino’s Pizza stores, and has for years featured a mix of franchisee and company ownership. Of the original 40 company-owned stores, eight of the remaining  are currently being run by Domino’s Pizza with plans to potentially sell to qualified franchisees at a later date and two (in Hiram and Hampton, Georgia) have been closed. The new owners have hired or offered positions to the existing team members at the stores.

GE Capital, Franchise Finance recently provided $2.15 million to Pizza Project, LLC, a Domino’s Pizza franchisee. The facility included a $1.45 million term loan for the acquisition of existing Domino’s units as well as a $700 thousand development line of credit for the development of additional stores throughout the San Francisco, CA area.

“We are already a GE Capital customer, under another restaurant brand,” says Jim Taggart, principal, Pizza Project, LLC. “After our success with that brand, we were looking to diversify our portfolio. The Brand Management team at GE Capital introduced us to the Domino’s family, and we could not be happier.”

The current funds will help launch Pizza Project’s plan to become a 40+ unit Domino’s Pizza franchisee across northern California.

“GE Capital’s Brand Management team has relationships with a good cross-section of franchise brands. These relationships give us insight into each brand’s development plans and strategy,” said Dave Stansbery, vice president, GE Capital, Franchise Finance. “Our access to brands and to capital made us a perfect match for Pizza Project.”

Domino’s Pizza was founded in 1960 and now has more than 9,000 stores in more than 60 countries around the world, making them the second-largest pizza chain in the United States. In January of 2011, Forbes named Domino’s Pizza as “The Top Franchise for the Money.”

Restaurants used to have a good idea of who was a food critic or reviewer, but now everyone who sits down to dine can leave their opinion on one of hundreds of food review websites. The internet, especially social networking and smart phone web access, has radically changed reviewing in the industry. Reporters aren’t as intensely wooed as previously and restaurants have to stay on top of their game with all diners.

2011 has been a year of rapid expansion for the Wingstop chain. Over 35 new franchise agreements have been signed since January. This translates into 101 new stores currently in development in states like California, Georgia, Florida and Kentucky. The chain will soon celebrate the 500^th location opening and wants to have at least 1000 restaurants in the next five years.

A new logo and restaurant prototype are coming to the Del Taco chain. Locations in Irving, California and McKinney, Texas are testing a brighter, smoother logo created by the design firm Tesser, Inc. The restaurant prototype is also being introduced through these locations. The prototype includes a more casual and relaxed dining room and an updated exterior.

Bill Johnson’s Big Apple Restaurants operates five family-favorite restaurants in the Phoenix, Arizona area. The company is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy but plans to keep all five locations fully operational through the proceedings. Real-estate values and sales took a hit for the restaurant chain as the recession continues to worsen.

If you’re a fan of apples and cinnamon, the newest dessert at Applebee’s is for you. The Cinnamon Apple Turnover is a miniature apple pie with cinnamon flavored apple slices hidden inside a flaky pastry crust. The dessert is topped with a honey cream cheese sauce and is served with a slice of vanilla ice cream.

A 25-year-old waitress at the Port Richey restaurant Mugs N Jugs stole the credit card information of at least 9 customers. She used a credit card skimmer she received from a cousin. The skimmer gathers the information from the cards, which is downloaded by computer and used to create fake cards. One victim lost nearly $4,000 to the scam.

The previous owners of the Bennigan’s chain, Metro Media Group, closed all of the chain’s locations when it filed for bankruptcy three years ago. Now a new owner is bringing the casual chain back to Texas. Bennigan’s Franchising Company is looking for franchisees interested in operating a location in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Blockbuster Express and Boston Market have teamed together to create the “Dinner and a Movie” promotion. Each meal purchased in a participating restaurant after 5 p.m. will come with a free voucher for a movie rental at any Blockbuster Express location. The voucher is only good for one night and comes with a $5 minimum purchase requirement.

Caribou Coffee is now the country’s second largest coffeeshop chain, and their introduction of breakfast items helped drive this growth. The chain will soon be offering a lunch menu as well that is headed by their Grown-Up Grilled Cheese sandwiches. Strongly flavored cheeses like smoked gouda are combined with chicken and pesto to make tasty lunch options.

If you can remember the iconic NOID from Domino’s “Avoid the NOID” campaign from 25 years ago, you should fan the company’s Facebook page soon. To celebrate the anniversary of the NOID, the chain will release a special game on Facebook and will award the best players with $10 gift cards to their local Domino’s restaurant.

Domino’s Pizza will no longer “Avoid the NOID” – and plans to pay homage to its iconic former mascot, for one week only, by launching The NOID’s Super Pizza Shootout game on Facebook.

Consumers who “like” Domino’s at facebook.com/dominos and play the massively social arcade game have a chance to win one of 10,080 free pizza gift cards, given out each minute to the highest round score. The NOID’s Super Pizza Shootout game makes its debut on Facebook today and will last through Aug. 15.

Celebrating its (or is it his?) 25th birthday, the NOID has enjoyed many years of relaxation since becoming a celebrity in his own right following his first of many appearances in a Domino’s commercial back in 1986. The NOID is back to its old tricks this week, pitting Domino’s Facebook fans against each other for a free pizza in the form of a $10 Domino’s gift card.

In addition to pleasing long-time NOID fans with a brief return, the throwback-themed game, featuring a classic 8-bit look, hopes to offer the over 3 million Facebook fans a little something extra to do as summer begins to wind down.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C. 18 or older. Starts 8/8/11; ends 8/15/11. To play and for Official Rules, including odds and prize descriptions, visit http://www.facebook.com/Dominos. Void where prohibited. There will be one (1) winner every 60 seconds.

Founded in 1960, Domino’s Pizza is the recognized world leader in pizza delivery. Domino’s is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “DPZ.” As of the second quarter of 2011, through its primarily locally-owned and operated franchised system, Domino’s operated a network of 9,436 franchised and Company-owned stores in the United States and over 70 international markets. During the second quarter of 2011, Domino’s had global retail sales of over $1.6 billion, comprised of nearly $793 million domestically and over $810 million internationally. Domino’s Pizza had global retail sales of over $6.2 billion in 2010, comprised of over $3.3 billion domestically and over $2.9 billion internationally.

Even the best educated, smartest and most talented restaurant managers and owners are prone to developing blind spots. These blind spots make it difficult to achieve true restaurant success because you can’t even notice that they’re a problem. Asking for the input of an outside source, whether its a friend or a professional consultant, helps work around these problems.

Private equity firm Advent International has purchased the ownership interest held by Falfurrias Capital Partners in the Bojangles’ Restaurant Company. Falfurrias Capital Partners first bought the chain four years ago. Advent International plans to work with the current management team of the company and has no plans for drastic changes to the structure or menu of the chain.

Burger King restaurants have added the BK Minis sandwich packs to their national menu. Each BK Minis set contains four, eight or 12 tiny burgers or chicken sandwiches. Snackers can share a set of mini-sandwiches or chow down all by themselves. The four pack begins at just $2.99, with the 12 pack costing only $7.99.

Red Mango, a quickly growing chain specializing in frozen yogurt and smoothies, has appointed a new CEO. Barry M. Barron will take over as the head of the chain and will bring his extensive experience in the restaurant industry to the chain. He spent six years as the head of expansion at Papa Johns and learned how to be a top-notch CEO at the ACE Cash Express chain.

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is making tasty, freshly fried chicken fun again with the new Rip’n Chick’n. The meal features chicken tenders pre-cut so you can tear them apart and dip into the ranch dipping sauce. For just $3.99 diners will receive a buttermilk biscuit, ranch dip, the chain’s signature Cajun fries and a Rip’n Chick’n breast piece.

Chik-fil-A is expanding its breakfast menu across the country with health-conscious consumers in mind. The newest menu addition is the slow-cooked Multi-Grain oatmeal. Four types of grains, including rolled oats and flax, are used to increase fiber and nutrients. Topping choices include mixed nuts, dried fruit and brown sugar with cinnamon.

Domino’s Pizza is taking a unique and daring step to win customer loyalty. The pizza chain is adding a live display in Times Square that shows customer feedback from the online ordering program as it is added. Negative and neutral reviews will be displayed along with positive feedback. Customers also get to use the Domino’s Tracker to see which employees prepared their pizza at each step.

Taco Bell restaurants around the country launched the new Big Box Remixed meal today. The meal also gives consumers access to exclusive music content through a partnership with the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards. A Quick Response, or QR, code on the box gives your smart phone access to a mobile site with music downloads and other exciting content.

Hardee’s and the My Coke Rewards program have teamed again to help diners win one of two $5,000 gift cards. Large fountain drinks, including those with large sized combo meals, feature promotional codes that are redeemable for free menu items and My Coke Reward points. The promotion will run until September 18^th.

Growing demand for healthy dining variety has led the Zoup! Fresh Soup Company to grow rapidly. Franchisees Don and Pat Hoag are developing their second location with the brand that will open in October in Cleveland, Ohio. The chain currently has 35 restaurants mainly located in the Midwestern states like Michigan.

Domino’s Pizza, Inc. has announced that certain of its subsidiaries intend to refinance their outstanding securitization debt. In April 2007, certain Domino’s subsidiaries entered into a $1.85 billion securitized financing facility consisting of $1.7 billion of fixed rate notes and $150 million of variable funding notes. As of June 19, 2011, the outstanding securitized debt balance was $1.45 billion. Domino’s intends to replace this with a new securitized financing facility, expected to consist of $1.525 billion of fixed rate notes and $100 million of variable funding notes. The new fixed rate notes are expected to require repayment near the 7th anniversary of the closing date and the new variable funding notes are expected to require repayment on or before the 5th anniversary of the closing date, with an option for up to two one-year renewals subject to certain conditions.

The net proceeds of the new facility will be used to repay the 2007 notes in full and for general corporate purposes. The consummation of the notes offering is subject to market and other conditions and is anticipated to close in the third quarter of 2011.

Domino’s Pizza is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “DPZ.” As of the end of second quarter of 2011, through its primarily locally-owned and operated franchised system, Domino’s Pizza operated a network of 9,436 franchised and company-owned stores in the United States and more than 70 international markets.

Domino’s Pizza is launching a new campaign continuing its focus on accountability and customer feedback, daring the 500,000 people who pass through Times Square every day to take notice.

Beginning today, Domino’s will begin posting recent direct customer feedback from its online ordering Domino’s Tracker, offering many consumers the opportunity to have their responses – good, bad or neutral – posted in one of the busiest areas within the largest media market in North America.

“Our customers deserve, and have come to expect, honesty from us – and when it comes to the idea of posting direct feedback in Times Square, it really doesn’t get more honest and open than this,” said Patrick Doyle, Domino’s Pizza president and chief executive officer. “Our hope is that most of the feedback is positive, but our top priority is that people are seeing what is real.”

Domino’s Tracker allows consumers the ability to follow the stages of an order, as well as the names of who in the store is responsible for every stage – all the way to the delivery driver soon to appear at the door. Through Domino’s Tracker, consumers have the chance of having their feedback, as well as an uploaded photo, posted on a 4,630-square-foot billboard in an area known for making many famous: Times Square.

“While Domino’s Tracker is available to phone customers as well, it is really an extension of the online ordering experience,” said Doyle.  ”It is one more reason millions of our customers are using online and mobile ordering as their primary method of placing their order with us.”

A brand new national television campaign, starring actual New York-area Domino’s store managers Jess Hreniuk and Jose Castillo, shows not only the attention placed on customer feedback in the midst of a busy Domino’s store – but also, the surprise of seeing the comments themselves among the bright lights of Times Square.

“Among all things that it offers, Domino’s Tracker is really about connecting the consumer more closely with our stores,” said Russell Weiner, Domino’s Pizza chief marketing officer. “Jess and Jose take pride in knowing that consumers know them by name during the Domino’s Tracker process – and use that accountability to do whatever it takes to offer the best customer experience possible.”

In the latest of many ‘Oh Yes We Did’ moments for Domino’s, this campaign will broadcast the direct feedback whether good, bad or neutral. This follows previous campaigns of honesty and openness, which include boldly admitting its old pizza wasn’t up to par, swearing off fake food photography, displaying a photo of an unacceptable pizza and an apology to the customer on national television from Doyle himself – just to name a few.

Consumers who have their feedback posted in Times Square will also receive a link to a video clip of their feedback as it ran on the billboard. Consumer feedback will be featured on the Domino’s billboard beginning July 25, and will run at various times each day through August 23.

Founded in 1960, Domino’s Pizza is the recognized world leader in pizza delivery. Domino’s is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “DPZ.” As of the first quarter of 2011, through its primarily locally-owned and operated franchised system, Domino’s operated a network of 9,379 franchised and Company-owned stores in the United States and 70 international markets. During the first quarter of 2011, Domino’s had global retail sales of nearly $1.6 billion, comprised of nearly $815 million domestically and nearly $774 million internationally. Domino’s Pizza had global retail sales of over $6.2 billion in 2010, comprised of over $3.3 billion domestically and over $2.9 billion internationally. 

In May 2011, Pizza Today named Domino’s its “Chain of the Year” for the second straight year – making the company a three-time overall winner, and the first pizza delivery company to receive the honor in back-to-back years. In 2011, Domino’s was ranked #1 in Forbes Magazine’s “Top 20 Franchises for the Money” list.  Helped by the launch of its Domino’s Smart Slice school lunch pizza in late 2010, Domino’s is collaborating with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to serve healthier school foods and beverages in the United States. In late 2009, Domino’s debuted its “Inspired New Pizza” – a permanent change to its hand-tossed product, reinvented from the crust up.

 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is taking actions to cut costs for the national restaurant chain. One step of this plan includes cutting 60 positions in both management and staff. Almost all of the employees that lost their jobs worked at the company’s headquarters. This will improve the efficiency of the administrative duties of the company.

Perkins & Marie Callender’s has filed their plan of reorganization as part of Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings. If the filing goes as planned the company will be exiting bankruptcy by the fall of this year. The bankruptcy deals with all of the 14% Senior Secured Notes and almost all of the 10%  Senior Secured Notes.

Bugaboo Creek Steak House, a small steakhouse chain with 12 locations located in the Eastern Corridor, has been purchased by Capitol BC Restaurants. The new ownership entails few changes for the restaurant chain but menu improvements and higher quality service are on the way. The chain will also be holding its annual “LobsterFest” until August.

Tilman J. Fertitta has announced the end of the standing acquisition offer to buy common stocks from McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants. The deal, which he first started at the beginning of this year, offered $9.25 in cash tender for each stock. He has dropped the purchase order to participate in the buyout process the company is currently undergoing.

Domino’s Pizza Vice President of multimedia marketing, Dennis Maloney, gave concrete evidence of how he helped boost the brand through social media marketing. His talk at the ANA Social Media Conference helped large and small business owners alike understand the importance of social networking. The chain combined the marketing with improvements in the pizza quality.

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is the world’s second largest fried chicken fast food chain. The new restaurant location opening in Memphis, Tennessee on July 18^th will be the chain’s 2000^th location. The restaurant will celebrate being number 2000 by giving away 2000 pieces of original fried chicken to guests on grand opening day.

Burger King spends $300 million dollars a year on multimedia marketing, and it has shifted the bulk of this spending to Starcom. Mindshare was the company’s media agency of record for a few years, but the two companies have decided to terminate their agreement. Mindshare will manage existing campaigns for a few more months as Starcom transitions to the major agency.

Dunkin’ Donuts is targeting Arkansas as their next location for growth. Two new franchisees will develop a total of 11 locations in the state within the next few years. Seven of them will be located in Northwest Arkansas around Little Rock and Ft. Smith. The rest will open in Hot Springs and Benton.

Iowa will also see new Dunkin’ Donuts locations popping up in the next few years as well. A new agreement with Eastern Iowa Food Services will bring 12 locations to Cedar Rapids, Iowa by 2018. The chain is also seeking other franchisees for markets like Ottumwa, Des Moines and Sioux City.

Arkansas only has one Dickey’s Barbecue Pit currently in operation, so new franchisee Por Yang saw a great opportunity for success. Yang will open his restaurant next week in Siloam Springs. The only other location is in Lowell. The company has other opportunities within the state for motivated franchisees.

Dennis Maloney, vice president multimedia marketing at Domino’s, told the ANA social media conference in New York about how the pizza chain reinvented itself. 

Maloney said that while the fix included fixing the crust, sauce and cheese, the company had to alter — fundamentally — how it presented itself to the public. In short, it had to integrate with social media; the company based its reinvention on transparency.

The PR was great, including one mention by Stephen Colbert, where he tries the new pizza and says: “Is that pizza or did an angel just give birth in my mouth?”

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If you don’t mind going out in public dressed as a black and white spotted cow you can net yourself a free meal. July 8^th will be the next national promotion day where Chick-fil-A awards visitors dressed as cows with a free combo meal. The Cow Appreciation Day was started as an annual promotion to encourage customers to have fun.

Arby’s is adding an exciting new roast beef sandwich option to their menu. The new Angus Cool Deli Sandwich features cooled Angus top round roast beef topped with Swiss Cheese, pickles and a special onion and herb vinaigrette dressing. The sandwich is sold nationally for $4.99 or as part of a combo meal at $6.99.

Smashburger is one of America’s fastest growing burger chains due to their focus on high quality burgers. The chain is about to expand into Atlanta with a new location on Piedmont Road. 20 other locations are expected to open over the next two decades in the metro area. The restaurant serves the full menu as well as a few regional specialties.

NRD Holdings, an Atlanta-based franchise restaurant operators, has acquired 23 Domino’s Pizza restaurants in Florida. 17 of the restaurants are located in Jacksonville and the other 6 are in Orlando. This moves the company into the top 25 rankings for largest operators in the Domino’s franchise.

GE Capital Franchise Finance has extended a new $28.9 million dollar credit agreement to the Rottinghaus Company. The credit is split into a $4.4 million dollar revolving line of credit and a $24.5 million dollar fixed loan. The Rottinghaus Company is responsible for 359 Subway brand restaurants across the Midwestern U.S.

Chipotle Mexican Grill challenged visitors to “Wrap What You Love” in their most recent contest. The grand prize winners wrapped their four year old baby in the company’s 18^th anniversary gold wrapper and took home $10,000 dollars. Eric Timperly, the baby’s father, was chosen as the winner by both the official judges and by popular vote.

Baskin-Robbins invited ice cream lovers to vote on their favorite classic flavor from the chain in their recent “The Big Thaw” contest. Over 80,000 enthusiasts responded and picked the Pistacho Almond Fudge flavor from the 60s to return. The chain will offer the flavor in packed quarts at all locations later in the summer.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit grows its numbers again with a new location opening in Huntsville, Alabama. The chain has been a part of the city for some time but demand has made it possible for a second location. The brand now has a total of 153 restaurants around the country.

Denny’s is releasing a new “Tour of America” menu that celebrates the culinary heritage of the chain. Over 1500 locations means the chain offers a number of regional menu variations to adapt to local customer demands. The summer time menu offers six specialty dishes inspired by Midwestern, Southern, Californian and Hawaiian delicacies.

Over 50 million Americans are expected to eat at least one meal outside the home to celebrate Father’s Day this weekend. Research conducted by the National Restaurant Association shows that dinner is the most popular dining out meal for this holiday. 60% of diners are visiting a father’s favorite restaurant regardless of discounts or deals.

Domino’s Pizza has recently released a special application for iPhones and the iPod Touch. The app lets users find the closest location, send out their order and track the creation of their pizza. Online orders account for a quarter of the chain’s sales and the app gives smart phone users another convenient method.

Perkins & Marie Callenders, the company responsible for both the Perkins and Marie Callenders restaurant chains, has won its first round of approvals for its recent motion for bankruptcy. This will allow the company to move forward on its restructuring.

During the recent Castles at the Capitol event, White Castle inducted Speaker of the House John Boehner into the Cravers Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame highlights famous and dedicated fans of White Castle. The Speaker of the House also received a commemorative plaque with an engraving of the 11^th White Castle Restaurant that he visited as a child.

The popular piano bar and fresh grill chain Seasons 52 is developing a new, limited time summer menu. New dishes showcases the best fresh flavors of the season. Additions include the BLT Flatbread, Summer Basil and Parmesan Crispbread, Grilled Lemongrass Salmon Salad and Blueberry Cheesecake Mini Indulgence.

McDonald’s finally announced the winners of their national Men of McCafe Casting Call. Five men were chosen for their commitment to their local African American community. They will kick off their duties by appearing at the Essence Music Festival later this summer. The festival will be held in New Orleans.

Freebirds World Burritos is introducing a new $5 Freedom Salad to help customers celebrate summer with fresh and light meals. This weekend the chain will also have $1 beers to encourage visitors for Father’s Day. Guests are paired with a team member at the restaurant to create their own custom salad with a number of tasty toppings.

Tossed, one of America’s fastest growing fresh salad and light food chains, has signed a new agreement to develop a new location in Chicago. New York Magazine recently rated the chain as offering the #1 Salad in New York City. Tossed also signed recent agreements in Los Angeles, Boston, Vancouver and Washington D.C.

Domino’s Pizza has announced its Domino’s App for iPhone and iPod touch is now available on the App Store. The app gives users the ability to order from Domino’s with just a few taps of the screen.

The Domino’s App gives customers instant access to the full Domino’s menu, as well as local and national coupons. Users can also search for the closest Domino’s location, and can utilize the fan favorite Pizza Tracker to follow the stages of their order, from the oven to their door.

“We’re excited to unveil another convenient way customers can access the menu we’ve worked so hard to build and reinvent,” said Russell Weiner, Domino’s Pizza chief marketing officer. “We’re confident that Domino’s is the best-tasting pizza you can order using your iPhone or iPod touch.”

Domino’s incredible platform for online ordering averages nearly 25 percent of sales. Domino’s estimates it is one of the top ten e-commerce retailers when measured by number of transactions. Customers can order online at www.dominos.com.

“We are committed to making sure we’re connecting with our customers wherever they are, and now that means providing users with the convenience of ordering using their iPhone or iPod touch,” said Chris McGlothlin, Domino’s Pizza chief information officer. “The Domino’s App engages customers who are looking for the easiest and most convenient ways to order online, and we’re excited to offer this new option.”

The Domino’s App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

Websites offering a one-day-only deep discount on local dining are actually helping restaurants attract new customers. Research by Technomic shows that a majority of diners who used discount sites returned later and paid full price. They also were likely to recommend the restaurant to family members or write a review on a social media website.

Whataburger has put together a beautiful and informative book detailing the history of the company just in time for Father’s Day. The Whataburger Story is a hardback photo book perfect for keeping on the coffee table. It features exclusive interviews, photographs and stories from the people who were most involved in the founding of the iconic hamburger chain.

The new Fastest Growing Restaurant Operators Report from Chain Store Guide has been released for 2011. This report focuses on the fastest growing larger chains that currently have at least 50 locations. Growth was measured over a three year span to prevent fast but unstable growth from skewing the results. Affordable luxury dining topped the list.

Domino’s, a pizza chain that managed to resurrect itself after a slow decline, hopes that by the fall of this year international store sales will be higher than U.S. based sales. The chain has almost the same amount of locations both inside and outside the country. However, some countries like China are still presenting difficulties for the brand.

Saladworks, America’s fastest growing fresh salad chain, announced the signing of a new agreement to develop three new locations in the Boston area. The new restaurants will open over the next three years. Tien Tien Lai will be the franchisee for all three. The Saladworks chain currently operates 100 locations with plans for many more to open over the next year.

Burger King and Pizza Hut may not directly compete in the same part of the restaurant industry, but they’ve committed to a new competition. The basketball finals have found Miami and Dallas facing off. BK is based in Miami, and Pizza Hut in Dallas. The CEO of the losing company will spend a day working at a restaurant from the opposing chain.

T.G.I.Friday’s wants you to visit and enjoy their new craft beer menu this summer. To encourage beer lovers the restaurant chain has created the Buy Your Friend a Beer application for Facebook. Users over 21 can buying up to 5 beers for any friend at $5 a piece, regardless of location. The coupons are delivered through Facebook to the recipient.

Baskin-Robbins may be well known for delicious ice cream in the United States, but they just opened their first Singapore location. This marks the 4,000^th location outside the country for the chain. Singapore is the 48^th country to host a Baskin-Robbins store. Executives from the country celebrated the milestone at the grand opening of the store.

A new pizza restaurant is coming to Rogers, Arkansas. Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers will be opening their newest location on June 13^th. The restaurant will be open 7 days a week and offers a beer list with 70 different options, including 30 beers on draft. Mellow Mushroom’s menu features a broad variety of pizzas, salads and sandwiches.

Benihana Inc. has released the fiscal reports for the last quarter of the 2011 fiscal year. The chain saw great improvement in comparable restaurant sales with a rise of 5.6%. Total revenue rose to $81.8 million for the entire fiscal year. Net income was slightly lower than last year, with $0.5 million during 2011 compared to $1.7 million last year.

Domino’s Pizza expects its international business to surpass its domestic stores in fall 2012.

“We are about 15 to 18 months from having more stores and retail sales outside the U.S. than inside,” Chief Executive Patrick Doyle said. “We move very fast in international markets, when we see opportunities, we act on them.”

The pizza chain has 4,909 stores in the U.S., which comprise 51% of its retail sales, and 4,470 restaurants internationally, contributing the remainder. Domino’s international business accounted for about 35% of income from operations last year, driven by franchise royalty fees.

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