In addition to its many healthier offerings, the Subway restaurant chain has now added calcium and vitamin D fortified bread to its menu, announced Mark Christiano, the Subway brand’s Global Baking Specialist.

Now, each 6-inch serving of bread in the 24,000-plus U.S. restaurants provides 30 percent of the daily recommended value of calcium and 20 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin D.

“Now, the calcium included in each 6-inch serving of bread has the nutritional equivalent of one glass of milk,” Mark said. “For years, our high-quality, fresh baked bread has been a signature item for the Subway brand. It is the perfect vehicle to complete the great tasting sandwiches that people have grown accustomed to when they visit a Subway restaurant. Now, we have raised the bar in providing healthier options to consumers by fortifying our bread to include calcium and vitamin D.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, on average, men and women in the U.S. consume less than the recommended daily amount of calcium they need. In addition, the Institute of Medicine states that less than 1/3 of older people meet the recommended adequate intake for vitamin D based on total intake, including supplements.

Adequate calcium is essential for children as they grow to insure strong bones. It is also important that women get enough calcium to maintain proper bone density and prevent osteoporosis.

“This is certainly exciting for us to now have our bread fortified with bone-building power houses calcium and vitamin D,” said Subway Corporate Dietician Lanette Kovachi, MS, RD.

“Already, each sandwich made to standard formula provides two full servings of fresh vegetables, essential nutrients vitamin A and iron and are free of artificial trans-fat and are rich in complex carbohydrates. When made on 9-Grain Wheat or Honey Oat bread, each sandwich contains at least 20% daily value of fiber.”

Lanette and Nutritional Consultant, Jessie Erwin, RD have co-written a column that can now be found on the Expert Advice section of Subway.com that explains the importance of calcium and vitamin D, as well as how consumers can find the best sources of both.

“Ninety-nine percent of your body’s calcium is stored in your bones and teeth. Not getting enough calcium means weak, porous bones and increases your risk of osteoporosis. Consuming adequate calcium is especially important for children and teenagers during their growing years, while they are building bone and storing calcium for the rest of their lives.  Getting plenty of calcium when you’re older can help minimize calcium loss from your bones. Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium and build and maintain strong bones,” the pair writes in their column.  

They also note, “You may have already known calcium and vitamin D are important for bone health, but did you know that they might also help your heart?  Researchers have linked low calcium levels to high blood pressure, and have linked vitamin D deficiency to increased risk of cardiovascular disease.”

Fortifying the bread with calcium and vitamin D is only one step in the brand’s overall nutrition platform, which includes providing easily accessible nutrition information so consumers can make more informed meal choices. For those watching their calorie and fat intake, the Subway Fresh Fit menu offers eight delicious 6″ sandwiches under 400 calories and 6 grams of fat.

Two Subway sides – apple slices and low-fat yogurt – add more nutrients to a meal.  Fat free sauces and dressing are available to add a variety of flavors to sandwiches and all menu items are completely free of partially hydrogenated oil.

 Dan Coudreaut is the executive chef and culinary director for McDonald’s and is responsible for testing and creating all of the foods that the chain serves. He has to balance the desires and favorites of 27 million daily diners with health concerns over high fat and sodium content. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and has been in the position for 7 years.

Hot pot is a old style of Asian cuisine that is customizable and adaptable to fast food and casual dining chains. China’s Little Sheep hot pot chain has done so well that American fast food giant Yum! Brands is offering to buy the chain. Yum! owns chains like Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut and is interested in bringing hot pot to America.

Restaurants used to invite reporters, food critics and local politicians for special dinners to build anticipation of a menu change or new addition. But modern restaurants are saving these special seats for bloggers and Twitter users who can reach 10,000 local potential customers with one click of their mouse. Social networking stars are now more valuable to many restaurants than traditional media critics.

CiCi’s Pizza is continuing their drive to offer new and exciting pizza topping combinations with the Cheeseburger Pizza. All national restaurant locations will now carry the new option on the buffet. The pizza is topped with ground beef, pickles, mustard, ketchup and plenty of cheese. Guests can enjoy the taste of a classic cheeseburger without visiting a burger restaurant.

Cold Stone Creamery may be best known for their indulgent and rich ice cream flavors, but the chain has now put low-fat frozen yogurt options in all of their locations. These new yogurt options were tested in limited release at the beginning of the year. Customer demand was high enough to ensure that frozen yogurt became a permanent addition to the Cold Stone menu.

Jamba Juice is ready to help health conscious guests stick to their diet or calorie intake goals. The chain offers 22 different beverages that have less than 250 calories in the 16 oz serving size. Criticism of some of the chain’s less healthy options has caused them to highlight the variety of low calorie choices that are available on the menu.

Subway Restaurants, the world’s largest fast food chain, is supporting the West Alabama Food Bank in feeding the victims of the tornadoes that destroyed much of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It has been a few months since the disaster occurred but the victims still need help. Subway is helping concerned individuals make donations to the food bank through a text-message hotline.

Burton’s Grill, a small restaurant chain based in New England, has added their seventh location in Nashua, New Hampshire. The restaurant is an upscale, full-service dining establishment serving updated American cuisine classics. Other locations can be found in Massachusetts, Virginia and Connecticut.

Hof’s Hut Restaurant & Bakery is celebrating their 60^th anniversary with the 60 Days of Celebration promotion. The chain has six locations in Southern California and specializes in burgers, chili and hot dogs. The chain will be giving away .60 menu items throughout the next 60 days until the promotion ends on September 16^th.

Subway Restaurants, the world’s largest restaurant chain, today announced a partnership with the West Alabama Food Bank to feed disaster victims in and around Tuscaloosa, AL. The announcement comes after violent storms tore through the region this spring, killing dozens of people and leaving hundreds displaced amongst massive damage.

In an effort to bolster lagging support for the underserved communities in the greater Tuscaloosa area, consumers are encouraged to text the word “FOOD” to 27722 to give $10 to the West Alabama Food Bank. The Subway brand has pledged to match all donations made through the end of July. This charitable endeavor, aptly named “Pullin for a Cause,” coincides with the introduction of the sandwich chain’s BBQ Pulled Pork offering, available nationally for a limited time.

“We’ve teamed up with the West Alabama Food Bank to remind folks that even though it’s no longer front page news, communities affected by the violent spring weather still need our support on the long road to recovery. We invite everyone to join us in supporting them.”

Based in Northport, AL, the West Alabama Food Bank distributes more than two million pounds of food annually and has helped feed Alabamians in need since its inception in 1987. Recent disaster demands have strained its budget and donations are needed.

“The people of Alabama who have suffered as a result of these natural disasters are thankful for corporate citizens like the Subway chain,” said Henry Lipsey, Executive Director of the WAFB. “It also pleases us to know that the Subway brand shares our passion for delicious BBQ.”

Piled high with tender, succulent slow-cooked pork, Subway BBQ Pulled Pork is covered in an irresistibly bold barbecue sauce. Smokey, savory and sweet, piled high with fresh veggies and served on freshly baked bread, it will be available nationally through August 14, 2011.

For more information about the WAFB, please visit www.WestAlabamaFoodBank.org.

The bright, colorful plastic play structures found at fast food restaurants like McDonalds have come under heavy scrutiny. Mother and developmental psychologist Erin Carr-Jordan has taken samples from over 50 structures that shows a lack of cleaning and dangerous levels of bacteria growth and food accumulation. She says that companies like Chick-fil-A do a better job than competitors.

A large franchisee of Applebee’s restaurants, the Apple Gold Group, has purchased 13 existing locations in South Carolina. The restaurants are located in large cities like Charleston and Myrtle Beach. This brings the company’s total to 86 Applebee’s restaurants and makes it one of the four largest franchisees of the brand.

Subway restaurants have focused on non-traditional development that puts restaurant locations in colleges, office buildings and large retail complexes. This focus has led to the opening of the 8,000^th non-traditional location. The newest restaurant was opened inside a Jeep and Chrysler Assembly Plant in Toledo.

Saladworks is on the expansion path again. The national fresh tossed salad chain has signed a new development agreement that will help one franchisee open his third location in Delaware. Nearly 75% of all franchisees with Saladworks own more than one restaurant. The chain was also named one of the 10 ten franchises by QSR Magazine for 2011.

Smashburger is growing by leaps and bounds as consumer demand for higher quality burgers swells. The chain opened its first location in Frisco, bringing the current total number of locations in Dallas to four. Six more restaurants will be added to the area over the next three years.

The National Restaurant Association has introduced a new initative program to help parents make informed healthy dining choices for their children. The “Kids LiveWell” program involves over 15,000 restaurants that will voluntarily added healthier menu items for children. Brands include El Pollo Loco and Outback Steakhouse.

Denny’s has been chosen by the National Restaurant Association as an Inaugural Leader of the program. The chain already has two menu items for kids that meet the program’s healthy dining requirements, the Junior Build Your Own Grand Slam and Spaghetti Plate. The two dishes will be featured at the Kids LiveWell Event.

IHOP is celebrating their participation in the LiveWell program by running a special promotion during the month of August. Each evening in August the “Kids Eat Free” promotion will return so kids can try the new SIMPLE & FIT kids’ menu items. Options that meet the LiveWell program guidelines include the Jr. Fish and Baby Cakes with a Jr. Fresh Fruit Dish.

OSI Restaurant Partners, parent company of Bonefish Grill, Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba’s Italian Grill, have also joined the inaugural LiveWell program. All three restaurants now offer dishes for child diners that fit the nutritional requirements. Options include Grilled Chicken and Whole Grain Spaghetti Pomodoro and the Joey Sirloin.

Joe’s Crab Shack was proud to join the LiveWell program when it was first announced and worked with registered dieticians to create a better kid’s menu. The Kid’s Snow Crab and Kid’s Simple Grilled Shrimp are healthy low-calorie options with plenty of flavor. Kids can also choose from side dishes like applesauce and corn on the cob.

A SUBWAY restaurant chain franchisee in Toledo, Ohio, has opened the brand’s 8,000th non-traditional location in a Chrysler and Jeep assembly plant.

“Non-traditional Subway restaurants come in all shapes and sizes and can be found just about anywhere,” said Don Fertman, Chief Development Officer for the SUBWAY restaurant chain. “Because of the Subway concept’s flexible floor plans, minimal space and equipment requirements and popular menu offerings, Subway restaurants are uniquely suited for these special sites, which are an integral part of our overall growth and on-going development strategy, and have been a large contributor to our record breaking 137 months of consecutive positive growth.”

Notable non-traditional SUBWAY locations include the True Bethel Baptist Church in Buffalo, NY, where the pastor is the franchisee and uses the store to teach job skills to area residents who are in need of a helping hand; a new car showroom in California; and a high school in Detroit, in which students run the restaurant as part of a business class curriculum and can qualify for college credits by talking online University of SUBWAY training and job development courses.

“There was certainly a need for a retail food business to be located in the Toledo North Assembly Plant, a two million square foot facility that produces Jeep and Chrysler vehicles. They closed the cafeteria because of downsizing, but still needed a way to provide food options. So, we got together and started talking and developed a pre-ordering system that could feed up to two thousand people in ten minutes,” said Marc Hall, a former supermarket chain executive, and franchisee since 1989 who owns and operates ten SUBWAY restaurants.

Marc’s original idea for the plant called for one main restaurant and two satellite locations where factory workers could pick up their orders. Now there are plans for a third satellite and he’s in talks with plant management to possibly open in another facility.

“It is great that Subway is able to fit into these locations much easier than any other brand. The plant employees appreciate having the Subway menu available to them and I enjoy being able to offer them a healthier alternative to traditionally fatty fast food,” explains Marc.

In addition, travelers in Germany can enjoy the spectacular scenery as well as a SUBWAY submarine sandwich or salad while traveling down the Rhine aboard the MS Stolzenfels, which is part of the KD Deutsch riverboat fleet. There is also a SUBWAY restaurant at Goodwill Industries in Greenville, SC, which is part of a program dedicated to helping people with barriers to employment learn the skills needed to better provide for themselves and their families. And one  of the more unique locations is the SUBWAY restaurant at the construction site of 1 World Trade Center, formerly known as the Freedom Tower, in New York City, where the restaurant is hoisted up to the next level as each floor of the 105 –story building is completed.

“These non-traditional restaurants enable the Subway chain to provide an increasing number of business opportunities to new and existing franchises and offer healthier meal options in venues where other brands cannot or will not go,” said Don, who was featured earlier this year in the hit CBS program Undercover Boss. “They not only provide a much needed convenience to consumers looking for a meal in places where they are often difficult to find, but also help business owners and facility managers attract and retain customers and employees.”

In all, SUBWAY franchisees worldwide provide about 350,000 jobs in their local communities and fill about 42 million square feet of prime real estate space.

The non-traditional category encompasses a large and diverse group of sites, including: airports, bus and railroad terminals; athletic facilities; office buildings; factories; casinos; theaters; colleges and universities; convention centers; convenience, grocery or department stores; hospitals; hotels; military bases; parks and recreational facilities; schools; and stadiums.

GE Capital, Franchise Finance provided a $28.9 million credit facility to Rottinghaus Company, Inc., operators of SUBWAY franchises. The facility includes a $24.5 million term loan and a $4.4 million revolving line of credit. Funding was provided through GE Capital’s bank affiliate, GE Capital Financial Inc.

“GE Capital was quick and flexible in adapting to our deal structure, which strengthened our trust in their ability to fund this transaction and thereby our growth plans,” said Donald Rottinghaus, CFO, Rottinghaus Company, Inc.

Rottinghaus Company, Inc. is based in La Crosse, Wisconsin and owns and operates 359 SUBWAY units throughout the Midwest.

“Our industry expertise gave them confidence in our ability to close the transaction,” said Paul Cantieri, senior vice president, GE Capital, Franchise Finance. “This transaction will help Rottinghaus improve cash flow and provide capital for growth.”

SUBWAY is one of the fastest-growing franchises in the world with more than 34,500 restaurants in 98 countries. The SUBWAY franchise was also ranked the number one franchise in the submarine sandwich category in the 2011 Franchise 500 issue of Entrepreneur magazine.

Russia is the hot site for new international expansion, according to fast food chains like Arby’s and Wendy’s. McDonald’s locations in Moscow and other parts of the country routinely bring in more money per location than domestic restaurants do. Russia’s growing middle class enjoys eating meat based dishes that most American fast food chains offer, and there is little native competition.

Wendy’s launched its first free-standing location in Russia on June 23^rd and plans to have nearly 200 locations there in 10 years. The flagship store celebrated the grand opening with models dressed up as the Wendy’s icon. The company’s very first entry into the country opened in a food court in Southwestern Moscow on June 14^th of 2011.

Subway is now the world’s largest fast food chain and their spokesperson Jared Fogle played a large part in that growth. When he began appearing in commercials in 2000 explaining how he had lost 245 pounds while eating at the chain its popularity grew greatly. The main chain has moved on from this method of advertising, but Subway’s Canada company is looking for a new health conscious spokesperson.

After 26 years of annual Taste of Chicago celebrations residents may assume that they’ve tasted everything the city has to offer. However, a large number of newcomers are joining this year to represent ethnic cuisine from around the world. Each vendor will offer six different dishes, including special healthy choices and small portions for snacking.

Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s have both added a new menu item that offers the fresh taste and quality of a dine-in restaurant. The new Hand-Breaded Chicken Fillet Sandwich is breaded and cooked to order. The sister chains are working on improving the quality of their food after their restaurant style Six Dollar Burgers proved so popular.

People who want the fresh ingredients of a produce stand but who are pressed for time and can’t cook will appreciate the success of Always Fresh Neighborhood Market. Cook and co-owner Joel Guldenschuh started out just selling vegetables, but his vegetable soup was so popular that he decided to expand into other lunch and dinner dishes.

WorldWide Papa’s, the company responsible for international locations of Papa John’s, is celebrating the opening of its fifth restaurant in the St. Petersburg area of Russia. In less than a month another restaurant will be open there as well. The area is densely populated and the fifth restaurant’s delivery service covers about 450,000 residents.

Pret A Manger is popular in its home country of England for serving fresh and healthy foods. They recently opened their third location in Chicago. The newest restaurant serves quickly prepared salads, soups and sandwiches. The menu constantly changes as the seasons shift and all dishes focus on seasonal, fresh produce.

Luna Grill, a casual Mediterranean cuisine chain focusing on kabobs, has announced its fifth location in San Diego. The restaurant will open in late July after the final touches are put on the interior. The chain is based in Southern California. New locations in Orange County and other parts of San Diego are currently in development.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit continues to grow expansively with yet another new location about to open. Queensbury, New York will be the new home of a Texas style barbecue legend. The restaurant is the first for franchisee Reid Grubb who felt that the classic Texas style barbecue was a perfect fit for the New York town.

California Pizza Kitchen is finalizing the development contract for their twelfth location in Mexico. The chain is pursuing international expansion as their innovative California style pizza has proved popular in a number of other countries. The twelfth Mexican restaurant will be built in a two story shopping center with over 130 stores.

Subway’s recent focus in their marketing campaigns has been on capturing the health conscious portion of fast food visitors. This has paid off for the world’s largest quick service chain. Subway now sells 76% of all fast food purchased with health in mind according to research compiled by the research and marketing firm CustomersDNA.

The competition among barbecue restaurants in the Central Florida area is getting heated. Newcomers like 4 Rivers Smokehouse and mobile food trucks are challenging the hold old favorites like Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, the country’s largest chain, also has a large presence in the region with recent expansion.

Francis Marincola has found a way to spend less time at his Italian restaurant while watching it succeed. He gave away half of his share in ownership to four of his longest and most trust-worthy employees. Giving others the ability to control and feel pride in the success of the restaurant has allowed him to cut back to only 10 hours a week in the restaurant.

DineEquity, parent company of the International House of Pancakes chain, is expanding into the Middle East. A new agreement signed with a partner company in Kuwait will bring new IHOP restaurants to countries like Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Bahrain. 40 restaurants will be added over the next few years.

Effectively managing your restaurant’s shifts will be a major factor in the success of any business. Managers must take personal responsibility for the shift, and they must be the one to set the positive and focused mood for the workers. Shifts must also be properly planned ahead of time or chaos and confusion reins.

Krispy Kreme’s hot, fresh doughnuts covered with sugary glaze have created a devoted following, but no one eats one for the health benefits. However, the 75 year old chain’s menu is about to change. Healthy food options like oatmeal, fresh fruit and juices are all going to be offered at Krispy Kreme locations to expand the chain’s attractiveness to health conscious customers.

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, a pizza chain focused on coal-fired ovens and hand tossed crusts, is adding a new restaurant in San Antonio. The chain is over 100 years old but is still expanding in many markets. The unique brick ovens produce crispy, chewy crusts that other chains can’t compete with. The chain is mostly located in Texas and Nevada.

Columbia, South Carolina now has two Krispy Kreme locations to ensure everyone in town has access to hot and fresh doughnuts. The newest location opened on June 21^st. The first customer received a year’s worth of free doughnuts for each week, and the next 49 in line will all get one dozen free doughnuts every month of the next year.

CEC Entertainment brought Bruce “Smokey” Swenson on board as the newest Board of Directors member for the company. He is also serving as the managing director for a banking firm at this time. The chain brought him on for his vast experience in the banking and financial industry. CEC Entertainment owns the Chuck E. Cheese chain.

Fazoli’s has undergone serious changes in their menus, store designs and even store layouts. To further the changes a new vice president of franchising has been hired. James Franks has been added to the company. He brings over 22 years of franchising and marketing experience with companies like Red Mango.

Jared Fogle, who famously lost 245 pounds as a university student on a self-devised meal plan based around eating Subway sandwiches, is one of the least-likely celebrity weight-loss spokespeople to have endured over the past decade.

Now, Subway Canada is looking to replicate Mr. Fogle’s feel-good success story in this country as part of its Commit to Fit marketing platform, which builds upon his original message of shedding pounds by choosing low-calorie, low-fat lunch options at Subway over pizza or hamburgers, and also encourages people to build fitness into their diet plans.

Mr. Fogle, now 34, rose to fame as a perennial everyman in 2000 when he began appearing in ads for the chain explaining his weight-loss story and holding up a pair of his old size-60 jeans.

Subway grew by leaps and bounds during the Jared period and benefited from being one of the first chains selling so-called “healthier for you” menu options at fast-food restaurants.

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Franchises have unique formulas for success, but Denise and Tim Coulter’s experience as Subway franchisees shows positive results also depend on a quality integral to any startup: perseverance.

The Coulters and her mother, Yvonne Peevy, own and operate six Abilene Subways and three more in the area under Big Country Subs Co. Their newest restaurant opened in September on Antilley Road.

After eating at a Subway in San Angelo, Denise and Yvonne sought to open a unit in their hometown of Cross Plains. A Lubbock-based Subway development agent helped them with the process. Mother and daughter secured a Small Business Administration loan from their local banker for the upfront franchise fee and building renovations. Tim and Denise’s father, R.T. Peevy, did the construction work according to Subway’s guidelines. They opened in March 1996.

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Subway’s massive marketing investments in establishing a health-oriented positioning are paying off. The chain has captured a 76% share of lunch and dinner fast-food orders purchased for “health” reasons, according to new research on Americans’ QSR habits. In comparison, McDonald’s has an 11% share of health-driven orders, Wendy’s a 10% share, and Burger King a 3% share.

These are among the findings from an independent “QSRdna” benchmarking study by CustomersDNA, a marketing research and consulting agency specializing in the food/beverage categories. The research was conducted among a representative sample of the U.S. population (15,000 consumers age six and above).

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After years of bringing in new cash-strapped customers through value menus and lower prices, the biggest fast food chains are shifting their focus to quality. McDonald’s, Burger King and Subway are all working to remodel and improve their restaurants. Chains can’t compete as easily by cutting prices due to rising food costs, so competing through greater luxuries is more appealing.

Clearly posted and well-defined restaurant checklists help keep employees aware of the right techniques and methods as they work. This speeds up the training process and prevents workers from accidentally learning an incorrect method. These checklists include common recipes, plating directions, and cooking indicators for fried foods and baked goods.

Many restaurants are finally embracing web marketing through their own website, but most are doing a poor job. Websites with no keywords, no address or location information and crazy Flash animations are more off-putting to visitors than they are attractive. If your website doesn’t show up when a user searches for a restaurant matching your cuisine in your area, you might as well not have one.

While some businesses are finding success through group discount deal websites like Groupon, others are finding them to be a waste of money. The owner of Posies Cafe, a small coffee shop with an average ticket of $5, struggled due to the lack of control over the date of the discount. There is also no hard data on how to use Groupons to maximum effect or how effective it is.

Panera Bread is launching its largest television marketing campaign ever. Over 30 markets will be targeted with commercials focused on the strength of the brand, not specific menu items. The Panera chain focuses on quality food and better service in their stores as well. This has given the brand nearly 60% of the bakery market in the United States.

Three new board members have joined the Board of Directors of the National Restaurant Association. New members include the Vice President of Food and Merchandise for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Vice President of Roark Capital Group, Geoff Hill, and Chief Legal Officer of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Forrest Shoaf are also joining.

For the fifth year in the row Wendy’s is holding its annual Father’s Day Frosty Weekend to raise money for children without families of their own. Each sale of a Frosty product will create a donation of 50 cents. The money goes to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. This foundation helps find families for children in need of adoption.

Smokehouse Grille & Wingery became so successful at their first Boca Raton location that they are now opening a second. The second location in West Boca Raton is double in size over the original and has a triple capacity for smoking meats. Smokehouse Grille & Wingery brings authentic smoked meats to the Boca Raton area.

A new Woody’s Bar-B-Q location is coming to Barrie because local golf pro Ian Wiber is opening a family restaurant. To celebrate the opening the Woody’s restaurant will hold a rib eating contest over the Labor Day weekend. The Woody’s Bar-B-Q brand has grown since the beginning of the recession, despite the struggles of similar restaurant chains.

Red Robin has sold its gourmet burgers in many states in this country, but they are opening their first location in Rhode Island soon. The restaurant will be located in the Warwick area and will serve the entire Providence metro area as well. The grand opening will be held on June 27^th.

With more than 2,000 franchisees actively searching for locations, the SUBWAY sandwich chain has an aggressive growth strategy for 2011.

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, the SUBWAY franchise system is the world’s largest restaurant chain, in terms of number of locations. In order to reach the company’s development goals, a contingent of representatives from the SUBWAY chain will be manning the brand’s booth in South Hall 3 & 4, S2600 N Street & 28th Avenue at the ICSC RECon convention, May 23rd thru May 25th, in Las Vegas.

“To continue to provide career opportunities to entrepreneurs and offer our world famous submarine sandwiches, which includes a wide range of healthier meal options, we will be aggressively looking for sites and ready to make deals,” says Chris Kan, Training and Business Promotion Specialist for Subway Real Estate, LLC. “We have a proven system in place and an ever increasing consumer base. We will have more than 100 Subway developers, field staff and leasing specialists from all across North America will be attending the event.”

The SUBWAY chain is growing while others are not, and continues forge ahead with new opportunities in traditional shopping centers, mall and free standing locations as well as non-traditional venues such as hospitals, colleges, sports arenas and airports. Since this past January, the SUBWAY chain has opened nearly 700 new stores in 50 countries, 43 U.S. states and 8 Canadian provinces, which equates to approximately 840,000 square feet of prime commercial retail space. In total, SUBWAY franchisees lease more than 37 million square feet of property around the globe.

From 100 to 5,000 square feet, SUBWAY restaurants come in all shapes and sizes. Because of the chain’s unique business model, which has minimal equipment and space requirements, a SUBWAY restaurant can operate just about anywhere. To illustrate just how flexible the SUBWAY concept is, recent openings include a restaurant housed on a crane at the World Trade Center construction site in New York City. As the building rises, so does the store.

Other unique SUBWAY locations include a Jeep assembly plant in Ohio; a new car showroom in California; a church in upstate New York; a combination laundry and tanning salon in Wisconsin; a high school in Detroit, in which students can earn college credits for running the restaurant; and floating restaurant aboard a river boat in Germany.

The chain is also testing a new SUBWAY café format, specifically designed to satisfy the needs of landlords of office buildings and upscale properties. The concept is a combination sandwich shop and coffee bar, featuring feature brick or wood-paneled walls, comfortable armchairs, and an expanded menu that includes baked goods and frozen coffee drinks.

Real estate professionals interested in submitting property information, or learning more about what the SUBWAY chain is looking for in new sites, can contact Chris Kan at the Subway Real Estate office at 800-888-4848 extension 1434, or e-mail at kan_c@subway.com.

United Capital Business Lending, a subsidiary of BankUnited, announced today that it has provided $783,000 in financing to multi-unit SUBWAY owner, Bermudez Shorts, Inc. United Capital’s financing arrangement enabled Bermudez Shorts, Inc. to refinance the remaining balance of seller notes from its original acquisition of four SUBWAY restaurants located in New Mexico.

United Capital Business Lending, which recently acquired the small business lending operations of Butler Capital, is a subsidiary of BankUnited, the largest bank in Florida with more than $11 billion in assets. The newly formed United Capital Business Lending now brings the prior experience of Butler Capital together with the financial strength of BankUnited.

“With the solid financial resources of BankUnited, United Capital is committed to working closely with SUBWAY franchisees to provide financing for new restaurant development, store acquisitions and debt refinancing, including seller-financed loans,” stated Trey Grimm, business development officer for United Capital. “As United Capital we have the ability to fund larger transactions with more competitive pricing and leverage the experience of our staff of professionals, so SUBWAY franchisees can expect the same fast service and franchise financing expertise.”

In addition to SUBWAY, the United Capital team has financed franchisees for Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, Taco Bell, Checkers, Denny’s, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Wing Stop, Jimmy John’s and Buffalo Wild Wings among others.

For information about financing for franchise acquisition, new restaurant development or debt refinancing, call United Capital at 866-218-4793.

The Danish restaurant Noma was recently named as the best restaurant in the world by the San Pellegrino’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants List. Over 800 food industry experts voted for their favorites, and Noma gathered the most votes. The chef and team at the restaurant are excited but not surprised because Noma first made it to number one on last year’s list.

Red Robin restaurants will soon feature a new menu in all company owned restaurants, according to Red Robin Gourmet Burgers. More than a dozen new items will be added to the menu of gourmet burgers, chicken sandwiches and other healthy options. New appetizers, including fried mushrooms and clam strips, and new side items for combo meals.

Wingstop is already the maker of fine hot wings, but they’ve expanded their chicken offerings by adding a new sandwich. The Glider Chicken sandwich features a whole boneless chicken breast breaded and tossed in the guest’s choice of Wingstop’s famous sauces. The new Gliders are topped with pickles and served on fresh yeast rolls.

High sodium intake can lead to kidney problems, high blood pressure and heart attack, so Subway restaurants have started reducing the sodium in all of their sandwich menu items. All of the items on the Fresh Fit menu have 28% less sodium now, and the rest of the sandwiches had a reduction of 15%. Subway is now the largest restaurant chain in the world, and they want to help their customers make healthy choices.

Starbucks has released its 2010 Global Responsibility Report which outlines the amount that the company spent on environmentally friendly and consumer conscious choices. Over half of the power used by Starbucks restaurants in America came from a sustainable source, and the company engaged over 50,000 young people in community activity. Fair trade coffee purchases were also up.

Jamba Juice is working on an active refranchising campaign to update and refresh older stores. The company sold 41 stores in the Midwest recently, bringing the total of refranchising stores to 173. This frees up resources for the company to focus on their company owned locations in California and other states. Of the over 700 total locations, only 308 are now operated by the company itself.

Yum! Brands, the company that operates popular franchises like Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut, has opened its 400^th  KFC location in Indonesia.  The company looks to over 1,000 locations in Indonesia by 2015.

Parents and kids can print out Easter Egg Holders from the Chuck E. Cheese’s website because the company wants families to get excited about the holiday. The Egg Holder creates a beautiful centerpiece once the child has colored and decorated it and filled it with dyed eggs. Kids can also find printable decorations for making their own Chuck E. Cheese’s egg.

Portland City Grill is bringing a new option for private dining in Portland by unveiling their new private Chef’s Table. The Chef’s Table seats 14 and guests will eat in total privacy 30 floors about the city. The restaurant presents a stunning view of the Portland skyline, and the 30^th floor location is the perfect location to view it from.

The Daily Grill is holding a new contest that involves making a 30 to 45 second commercial for the restaurant. The “If I Make a Commercial for Daily Grill” competition starts on May 1^st. The grand prize includes $4,000 cash and $1,000 worth of gift cards to the Daily Grill. Winners will be chosen based on creativity and quality, and how much the commercial motivates people to visit the grill.

Subway restaurants, the world’s largest restaurant chain, announced today a 28 percent reduction of sodium in Subway Fresh Fit sandwich choices. This effort further demonstrates how Subway has been a long-time proponent of healthier food choices and committed to leading the industry in offering better-for-you selections. In addition to the sodium reductions on the Subway Fresh Fit menu, the brand has removed 15 percent of sodium across the board in its core sandwiches to provide customers more nutritious options and help lower sodium intake on a national scale. The reduced sodium offerings will eliminate 450 tons of sodium, each year compared to sodium levels three years ago.

According to the Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on high blood pressure and cholesterol, one in three adults has high blood pressure and an adult dies of cardiovascular disease, stroke, or heart attack every 39 seconds. As a contributor to high blood pressure, reduced sodium intake can help reduce risk of health problems including stroke, kidney damage and heart attack.

With the creation of the Subway Fresh Fit menu in 2007, the brand has made choosing a nutritious meal easier for adults and children. These meal choices provide low fat and low saturated fat alternatives with personalized sandwich combinations, fresh vegetables, nutritious sides of apples, yogurt, or Baked! Lay’s Potato Crisps, and a selection of low-fat milk, diet soda, bottled water or other beverage.

“Through the years, consumers have looked to Subway for fresh and healthier food options,” said Tony Pace, Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Chief Marketing Officer. “In a continual effort to exceed their expectations, we felt it was important to take this leadership role in terms of sodium reduction. This is another manifestation of Subway’s mission to provide consumers with an abundance of made-to-order, flavorful and nutritious choices that they’ll enjoy eating.”

The announced reductions show Subway’s commitment to support the National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI). The brand has already met the 2012 sodium benchmarks and will meet the 2014 benchmarks set forth. Subway is working on future sodium reductions as well as identifying opportunities to further enhance its nutritious offerings.

“Sodium plays an important role in proper nutrition; but since most adults consume well over the recommended limit of salt each day, people of all ages and health levels can benefit reducing their sodium,” said Lanette Kovachi, M.S., R.D, corporate dietician for Subway. “Reducing the sodium intake can play an important role in reducing risk factors that can lead to heart disease.”

“Increasing physical activity and eating healthy are the best ways to prevent heart disease and stroke,” said Ralph L. Sacco, M.D., American Heart Association president. “We recognize and appreciate Subway’s actions in reducing sodium levels – an important part of our new dietary goals – that help advance the American Heart Association’s 2020 goal to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans and reduce deaths from cardiac diseases and stroke.”

Subway has a long history of supporting organizations and initiatives that educate on the importance of heart health. In addition to the restaurant’s decade-long relationship with the American Heart Association, Subway supports The Heart Truth campaign and announced a new sponsorship with the American College of Cardiology in April in support of its CardioSmart National Care Initiative to promote awareness and heart healthiness.

“Having healthier food options available for people when they are eating away from home helps them to choose healthier lifestyles,” said David Holmes, M.D., President of the American College of Cardiology. “When our partner organizations bring their sponsorship to life, like what Subway has done in reducing sodium levels, it allows us to engage more people and improve heart health at a national level.”

The Subway menu allows consumers to personalize their meals to meet the nutritional needs and taste they desire. Each sandwich made to standard formula provides two full servings of fresh vegetables, 20 percent daily value of vitamin D, 30 percent daily value of calcium, essential nutrients vitamin A and iron, are free of artificial trans fat, are rich in complex carbohydrates and, excluding the Veggie Delite, are a good source of protein. When made on 9-Grain Wheat or Honey Oat bread, each sandwich contains at least 20 percent daily value of fiber. For consumers watching their calorie and fat intake, Subway features at least 40 meals with less than 600 calories and 8 sandwiches under 6 grams of fat.

Hamburgers may be one of the most iconic foods of the United States, but recent results from the 2011 Harris Poll EquiTrend study may indicate that Americans are getting tired of them. Consumer opinions of non-burger fast food chains while opinions on burger joints remain the same. Subway won the 2011 Quick Serve Restaurant Brand of the Year Award and has seen tremendous growth in 2010 and 2011, currently operating more locations around the world than even McDonald’s.

The top rankings among most popular fast food restaurants were again dominated by old favorites like Wendy’s, Dairy Queen and McDonald’s. But other restaurants that offer burger alternatives saw some of the biggest growth in popularity over the last year. Domino’s Pizza, Taco Bell and KFC are all seeing large gains in brand equity. The study was conducted prior to Taco Bell’s new marketing campaign, so that chain’s equity may be even higher by now.

Domino’s is achieving their popularity rise by improving their food quality and service, and launching a commercial campaign to highlight their efforts. Panera Bread was the top Fast Casual Brand of the Year for 2011, followed by the Italian restaurant triad of Olive Garden, Maggiano’s Little Italy and Carraba’s.

Panera Bread has experienced continuing growth for the past four consecutive quarters despite the U.S. recession. Expansion into the catering industry and a new customer loyalty program has largely driven the double digit gains. The program, called MyPanera, gives customers points for each purchase that can be used for discounts and coupons.

A new summer camp for the children of disabled and wounded veterans has been developed by Golden Corral. 400 children will be invited to a free, week-long summer camp run by 4-H Youth Development staffers at a North Carolina 4-H camp. Parents will only be responsible for transportation to and from the camp location. Golden Corral visitors in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina can make donations to the camp at any restaurant in those states.

Subway recently passed McDonald’s in the race for the most restaurant locations, and founder Fred DeLuca couldn’t be happier. He founded the company at 17 to pay for his college education and now the corporation boasts over 33,000 global locations. The self-made billionaire stays on top of the competition by expanding to global markets aggressively and occasionally visiting the restaurants of his competitors.

Starbucks and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters have partnered together to release a line of Starbucks branded premium coffee beverages for the Keurig Single-Cup Brewing System. The Keurig drink machine creates high quality coffee shop beverages from individually packaged servings of concentrated bases, known as K-Cups. The Starbucks K-Cups will allow consumers to make their own favorite drinks at home.

CiCi’s Pizza is starting a new marketing campaign, known as the Endless Value Dinner Campaign, to spread consumer awareness of their $4.99 all day pizza and pasta buffet.  CiCi’s hopes that by highlighting their low price and wide selection of family friendly foods that new diners will try the restaurant chain.

Kenny Chesney’s new “Goin’ Coastal” tour will be accompanied by Hooter’s. Hooter’s plans to have Chesney related giveaways in many stores, and a text-to-win contest for a trip to the tour’s final show. The tour’s coastal theme fits the beach style of the Hooter’s restaurant chain. Happy Hour events will take place at the stadium stops of the tour that will allow concert goers to take part in the Hooter’s experience.

Fazoli’s recovered from their recent slump due to a new and innovative CEO, Carl Howard. The Lexington, Kentucky based brand is seeing returns of growth despite the death of many similar chains. Employees will once again bring out complementary freshly baked bread sticks to diners and new dishes are in development to keep the chain growing. A higher quality menu and renovated restaurants are what allowed the chain to finally open new stores after closures three years ago.

The 2011 International Pizza Challenge at the Pizza Expo, with over 1,000 exhibitors and 10,000 attendees, was highlighted by the success of Cloverleaf Pizza. Reaching the finals in both the traditional and non-traditional categories, the pizza restaurant is led by head chef Shawn Randazzo. Cloverleaf Pizza makes Detroit style pizza, a method pioneered by Gus Guerra in the 1940s.

The frozen yogurt chain Yogurtini, based in Arizona, has announced plans to expand into Kansas. The chain offers non-fat yogurt by the ounce, with toppings bars that allow patrons to create their own frozen yogurt concoctions. Each restaurant features a rotating menu of 16 yogurt flavors and 75 different topping choices. The company currently operates 25 locations.

Cha Cha’s Tacos & Tequila is offering all customers a 50% discount on entrees to celebrate Spring Break. A coupon is available on their website that must be printed and presented at purchase to receive the discount. The restaurant is located in downtown Brea, California.

Hurricane Grill & Wings, currently operating 43 stores in the United States, has signed seven new development agreements that will turn into 223 new restaurants. A number of other wing restaurant companies, including Wing Man Development, ROC Wings and The Brendon Group have all signed contracts with Hurricane Grill & Wings to expand growth into 15 states in 2011. The franchise restaurants offer 30 different wing sauces, as well as salads, burgers and micro-brew beers.

Domino’s Pizza has started a new collegiate sports marketing partnership with the NCAA. This makes them the “Official Pizza of the NCAA” and gives them access to highly publicized events like the NCAA March Madness and the Men’s College World Series. Coca-Cola, a long time sponsor and supporter of college basketball, will also work with Domino’s to develop joint projects involving the NCAA.

While other restaurants are focusing on domestic growth, California Pizza Kitchen is growing in India. They are working on opening their second restaurant in the country, located in the heart of busy Mumbai. The restaurant chain is known for salads, pizzas and pasta dishes inspired by the cuisine of California, and their most popular dishes in America will be featured in their new Indian restaurant. This particular branch will feature a presentation kitchen so guests can watch their food being prepared.

Burger King is rounding out their popular $1 Value Menu with the addition of a beef, bacon and cheese BK Stacker. Customers can add additional beef patties for $1 each, making the BK Triple Stacker only $3. Representatives from the company say that the move is motivated by the popularity of both the BK Stacker line and the $1 Value Menu.

The competition to be the world’s largest restaurant chain is fierce, and Subway has become the frontrunner by surpassing McDonald’s. With over 33,000 restaurants around the world, Subway’s focus on franchise growth has paid off. McDonald’s is not far behind with over 32,000 restaurants. All top restaurant franchises have been looking for opportunities for new overseas growth, especially in Asia, due to the market saturation in the United States.

Jaws Jumbo Burger, the movie tribute restaurant located in Michigan, has released their new “I Want a Sandwich Named After Me” Dave Letterman burger to accompany their Thank You Jay Leno burger and We Miss You Conan O’ Brian burger. Solely focused on food tributes to movies and other pop culture, Jaws Jumbo Burger fulfilled Dave Letterman’s recent request for his own named sandwich. The burger features two 1/3^rd pound patties, two types of cheese and plenty of toppings.

Chicken and waffles, a truly Southern combination, is coming to an IHOP near you for a limited time. The meal will combine four chicken breast strips, battered and deep fried, with four Belgian waffles. While a number of small franchises specialize in this dish, they are limited to the South-Eastern United States. IHOP plans to feature the new meal in their restaurants across the country.

Irish themed offerings like green tinted beer and Irish stew are expected to drive diner’s choices on St. Patrick’s Day this year, according to the National Restaurant Association. Over one fourth of the people recently surveyed plan to dine out on the holiday. While one third said they would choose a favorite restaurant regardless of a holiday theme, another third are looking for bars and restaurants featuring St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

McDonald’s saw rises in sales across the board in February. U.S. Sales were up 2.7% despite the recession. The company saw the biggest gains in overseas markets, especially in Europe with a rise of 5%. Part of these European rises come from the Premium Beef campaign in France and the Big Tasty campaign in Britain.

Qdoba Mexican Grill has recently released new miniature street tacos in 500 of their locations across the country. The tacos use authentic corn tortillas and slow cooked pork, and come three to a meal with a side of Qdoba’s signature beans for $4.99. High quality and gourmet twists on traditional street food are a fast growing trend in the restaurant industry, and Qdoba hopes to take advantage of some of this popularity with their new offering.

The self-made billionaire who heads up sandwich maker Subway, now the world’s largest fast food chain in terms of restaurants, never thought his operation would become bigger than McDonald’s.

“It was just a way to pay my way through college,” Fred DeLuca, who started his business at age 17, told AFP at a newly opened restaurant in Stockholm on Thursday.

“But we did have a goal,” he added, explaining that he and associate Peter Buck, who lent him 1,000 dollars to open his first store in 1965, aimed to open 32 Subways over the next 10 years. Today, “to have 1,000 times as many is unbelievable,” said DeLuca.

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