Buffalo Wild Wings Go and Jimmy John's Now Share a Roof in Florida
Floridians north of Sarasota can order chicken wings and a sub sandwich at the same counter. Quality Foods Restaurant Group opened the first co-branded Buffalo Wild Wings Go and Jimmy John's on Aug. 18 at 5241 69th St. E in Palmetto. The franchisee runs three other Buffalo Wild Wings in Florida and chose fast-growing Manatee County for its game-day calendar, from high school football to Pirates spring training.
KFC Tests a Prototype Called Open House and a New Look for the Brand
KFC will open a restaurant in Texas this summer that its U.S. president describes as the chain ten years from now. The prototype, called Open House, lands in McKinney, a Dallas suburb near parent company Yum Brands' Plano headquarters. Guests can order at a table, in the drive-thru or for takeout. The menu pairs new items with signature ones "packaged in a new way."
Church's Texas Chicken Moves Into Catering
Feeding a crowd is one job most people would happily hand off, and Church's Texas Chicken wants to take it. The fried chicken chain just launched Church's Catering, a program that delivers its menu in group-friendly formats for everything from office lunches to family reunions.
Convenience Stores Are Becoming Fast-Food Restaurants. Here's Who's Leading the Charge
Convenience stores are adding name-brand restaurant counters at a pace that would have seemed strange five years ago. Wetzel's Pretzels, Krispy Krunchy Chicken, and Cinnabon are all pushing into c-store aisles, and regional operators are signing up fast.
Zaxby's Exceeds Growth Expectations With 120 Franchise Commitments
Zaxby's is having the kind of year most restaurant chains can only dream about. The chicken chain started 2025 aiming to sell 100 franchise commitments - a big jump from the roughly 70 sold in 2024. Instead, it's on track to close out the year with 120 commitments. "We're up about 2x, so it's been a good year," said Mike Mettler, chief development officer, during an interview at the recent Restaurant Finance & Development Conference in Las Vegas.
Saucy by KFC Plans Three Grand Openings in Florida
KFC is opening three new Saucy concept locations in the Orlando area between early December and mid-January, roughly a year after launching its first unit. The expansion includes restaurants in Waterford Lakes (opened December 6), Winter Park (opening January 10), and Hunters Creek (opening January 17). Each location will celebrate with grand opening events featuring live DJs, games, and prizes.
Robots and Drones Continue Taking Over Food Delivery
Major delivery platforms are racing to deploy fleets of autonomous robots and drones across U.S. cities, promising faster service while cutting costs and emissions. DoorDash unveiled its most ambitious entry yet: Dot, a three-foot-wide electric robot that can zip along at 20 miles per hour through bike lanes and parking lots. Meanwhile, Uber Eats is expanding its robot partnership with Shake Shack.
Krispy Krunchy Chicken Plans Record-Breaking Expansion in 2025
The convenience store fried chicken chain has big plans for 2025. After setting a company record with 605 new locations in 2024, Krispy Krunchy Chicken aims to surpass that number in 2025. The Louisiana-based company now runs over 3,200 locations in 47 states, making it a major player in store-within-store restaurant segment. To put this growth in perspective: Starbucks opened 614 new stores in the same time period.
Chicken Salad Chick Adds New Orleans to Its Menu
Chicken Salad Chick, the nation's sole fast-casual chicken salad restaurant concept, has signed a multi-unit franchise agreement to open four locations in New Orleans, with the first slated to debut in 2025. The company has seen a 13% increase in unit count year-over-year and $353 million in systemwide sales in 2024, a 38% jump from 2021. On top of that, the average restaurant is now making $1.5 million.
20 New Slim Chickens Locations Coming Soon
Slim Chickens is expanding Southeast. The Arkansas-based chicken restaurant is opening 20 new spots in Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. This chicken chain has over 270 locations in the U.S. and the U.K. where you can eat in or use the drive-through. Now, they plan to open 70 new restaurants just in 2024. "Slims has the winning formula, appealing to both families and busy professionals with its diverse menu, endless sauce offerings, and intentional customer service rooted in its commitment to southern hospitality," said one of their restaurant operators.