Finance

Swipely Completes $12M Series B Round of Financing

QSR magazine — Fri, 24 May 2013 16:48:04 +0000

Swipely, a tool for local merchants to accept payments, understand customers, and grow revenue, announced it has completed a $12 million Series B round of financing. Shasta Ventures led the investment and was joined by existing investors First Round Capital, Greylock Partners and Index Ventures. The Series B funding will help Swipely expand its network of merchants and accelerate its nationwide growth.

Cleared for Launch

QSR magazine — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:06:00 +0000

Challenges and opportunities abound for brands created by women.

Image Caption:

Flatbread Grill owners Gonca, Fusun, and Arzu Esendemir (pictured left to right) faced their share of challenges when launching their own fast-casual concept.

Image Credit:

Flatbread Grill

Starting any business can be a difficult prospect, but in an industry where men have historically outnumbered women, the roadblocks to doing so can be even more challenging when you’re female.

For many female foodservice entrepreneurs, being taken seriously as a business owner is often the biggest challenge, says Arzu Esendemir, CEO and cofounder of Mediterranean fast casual Flatbread Grill in Upper Montclair, New Jersey.

Toppers Boosts System-Wide Sales by 40% in Q1

QSR magazine — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:01:30 +0000

Despite the crowded pizza category, Toppers Pizza is taking its share of the more than $40 billion pie.

System-wide sales increased by more than 40 percent for both company-owned and franchised units in the first quarter of 2013, and same-store sales for company units were up 13.59 percent in the same period.

Franchise units saw a same-store sales increase of 12.58 percent in Q1, compared to the first quarter of 2012.

Robeks Slashes Franchise Fee In Half

QSR magazine — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:30:00 +0000

Smoothie and juice franchise Robeks is eager to help franchisees take advantage of a market that is primed for small business success and is offering thousands of dollars in discounts to help make it happen.

The growing economy, paired with low commercial rents that haven’t rebounded from the recession, is making 2013 a promising time to start a new business.

To encourage entrepreneurs, Robeks is slashing its initial franchise fee by 50 percent, from $30,000 to $15,000 for a new Robeks owner, or from $52,500 to $30,000 for a new owner who signs on to open three stores.

Industry Vets Come Together to Grow Wild Wing Café

QSR magazine — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:30:00 +0000

Wild Wing Café, the brand that lives by the motto “Where Great Food Rocks,” announced an aggressive franchising strategy. Details on the planned growth come after 18 months of strategic preparation for this moment.

Moms Show Their Love for Barbecue on Mother's Day

QSR magazine — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:03:32 +0000

Dickey’s Barbecue announced record Mother’s Day sales, with year-over-year sales up a full 25 percent.

The company also reported the best system-wide sales for a Sunday in the 72-year history of the rapidly growing barbecue concept.

Consumer's Restaurant Spending Increased 7% in April

QSR magazine — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:27:57 +0000

First Data Corporation, a global leader in electronic commerce and payment processing, released its First Data SpendTrend analysis for April 2–29, 2013, compared to April 3–30, 2012.

SpendTrend tracks same-store consumer spending by credit, signature debit, PIN debit, EBT, closed-loop prepaid cards, and checks at U.S. merchant locations.

Year-over-year dollar volume growth increased 5.1 percent in April, a slowdown from March’s 6 percent growth. The earlier Easter holiday may have contributed a little to the slower growth this month.

Grecian Delight Foods Grows With Help of New Execs

QSR magazine — Sun, 12 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Grecian Delight Foods, a manufacturer, national marketer, and distributor of Mediterranean-inspired foods based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, announced it is another step closer to surpassing aggressive growth goals with the hiring of three top-level executives.

Recently hired executives include Michael Lerch as chief financial officer; Peter Cokinos as general manager and executive vice president; and William Nagle as director of business development.

Huddle House Offers $25K to Operators Who Remodel

QSR magazine — Sun, 12 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Huddle House is offering a $25,000 financial incentive to the first 100 franchisees who commit to a remodel by July 31, 2014.

Franchisees would use $20,000 of the incentive to offset the costs of the remodel, with the remaining $5,000 to be used for local marketing efforts.

Should Huddle House reach its goal of 100 participants, the overall company investment in the incentive program would be $2.5 million.

One Year After Acquisition, Krystal Keeps Growing

QSR magazine — Fri, 10 May 2013 17:58:33 +0000

As Krystal marks its first year under the ownership of Argonne Capital Group, president and CEO Doug Pendergast is sharing significant milestones and changes that will pave the way for the iconic brand’s future success.

Pendergast says in just the nine months of 2012 following the purchase by Argonne Capital, both sales and transactions have grown. Further, the company’s profitability is up, providing store-level employees with a share of the increased profits via a richer bonus program.