Surf’s Up, Off The Hook Restaurants, The Peach Cobbler Factory, Mike’s Hot Honey, and Via 313 Pizzeria lead RestaurantNews.com’s Top 20 stories for the week ending August 24, 2024.
1) Chicago-Based Restaurant Chain Surf’s Up Opens New Location at Soldier Field
Surf’s Up has just opened a new location at Chicago’s Soldier Field, and is selling their delicious, Southern-themed Gulf Fried Jumbo Shrimp and French fries at the stadium. This will be Surf’s Up’s eighth franchise in Chicago, and their first arena location.
2) The Peach Cobbler Factory Announces Location #100 as It Continues Its Rapid Expansion
Last year, the rapidly expanding dessert franchisor, was named the #1 fastest growing quick serve company in America based on sales volume and the #2 fastest growing based on units in QSR Magazine.
3) Off The Hook Restaurants Announces Bailey Richard as New Director of Marketing, Communication, and Compliance
With an impressive background in strategic marketing and brand activation, Richard is set to spearhead the company’s efforts to enhance its market presence and ensure adherence to industry standards.
4) Mike’s Hot Honey Appoints WNBA Legend Candace Parker to Board of Directors
Mike’s Hot Honey, the nation’s original and leading brand of hot honey, announced the appointment of former WNBA superstar Candace Parker to its Board of Directors, further strengthening its commitment to strong corporate governance and diverse counsel.
5) Via 313 Pizzeria Opens Its 20th Location, Hits 125,000 in Loyalty Members, and Lands on the Inc. 5000
Via 313 started 13 years ago in a small, non-descript trailer in Austin, Texas. Founded by Detroit-born brothers Brandon and Zane Hunt, the pizzeria began with a passion for sharing the style of pizza the Hunts knew and loved growing up. Their name says it all: Via, which means ‘by the way of,’ and ‘313,’ which is the area code of their hometown of Detroit.
6) City Barbeque Celebrates 25 Years of Serving and Creating Happiness
Back in 1999, Rick Malir founded City Barbeque with the mission of serving the best barbeque around. A quarter century later, the brand is still serving and creating happiness for the droves of barbeque lovers who come to the restaurants each day.
7) la Madeleine Opens Its Fourth Location in El Paso
French-founded and French-owned la Madeleine continues to grow with the highly-anticipated opening of its fourth café and bakery in El Paso on Tuesday, Aug. 20, in the Eastlake Marketplace Center. The French café was founded in Dallas in 1983 and has since grown to over 80 locations across the United States, each with its own unique charm.
8) Savory Fund’s 6th Annual Restaurantology Summit Will Dish on Growth Strategies, Real Estate, Franchising, Team Mental Health, and More
In 2021, South Block founder Amir Mostafavi attended Restaurantology as an energized operator. At the conference, Savory – which is a private equity firm that invests in emerging restaurant concepts – presented an “investor scorecard” for brands to document their metrics and see where they stood from an investor’s perspective. Mostafavi filled out his scorecard and quickly realized South Block was surpassing the ideal metrics on all fronts.
9) Panera Brings the Flavor With a “Swicy” Deal, Five Irresistable New Bakery Items & New Croissant Breakfast Sandwiches
Panera is bringing even more flavor and variety to menus nationwide as it unveils tempting updates to its bakery case, with a selection of five new baked goods and three all-new Croissant breakfast sandwiches. These additions feature a blend of beloved flavors and innovative twists on classics, making them perfect for breakfast or for a sweet treat at any time of day.
10) Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ Expands in the Northeast, Coming to Avon, CT
Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ, one of the fastest-growing Hot Dog and BBQ franchises, is excited to announce the signing of a new franchisee in Avon, Connecticut. This expansion into Avon marks a significant milestone in the brand’s continued growth as it brings its unique blend of American favorites to a new audience in the Northeast.