A roundup of developments affecting restaurant franchisees and franchisors.
Jerry Jones, Troy Aikman try their hand at Boston Kremes Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and one-time Cowboy QB Troy Aikman are teaming up again, this time to open 50 franchised Dunkin’ Donuts shops in north Texas. The pair has apparently also purchased 11 of the 19 units that currently operate in the territory.
Dunkin’, Baskin-Robbins to re-do their drink lines
Separately, Dunkin’s franchisor announced that the bakery-treats chain and sister concept Baskin-Robbins are switching to Coca-Cola’s line of soft drinks, including energy drinks and “enhanced” waters. National DCP, Dunkin’s franchisee-owned purchasing co-op, signed off on the deal. The 9,400 domestic units affected by the changeover had previously offered exclusively PepsiCo products.
D.C. cows, beware
A Chick-fil-A franchisee is chauffeuring the high-volume chicken chain into the red-hot food-truck market. The operator is planning to hit the streets of Washington, D.C., which currently sports a single brick-and-mortar Chick-fil-A, with a restaurant-on-wheels sometime this month.
‘Houston, we have re-entry’; Del Taco’s back
The first three of 40 Del Tacos slated for Texas were opened last week by RPM Hospitality, a venture of Pramod Patel, Purendra Patel, and Rahul Patel. Seven branches of the quick-serve Mexican concept were previously in operation in the Lone Star State. Del Taco had opened stores in Houston as part of an earlier expansion push, but exited more than a decade ago.
Smashburger heads overseas
Smashburger has started its overseas franchising drive with the opening of a store in Kuwait. The unit is owned and operated by Georgetown Advisors, an investment company that specializes in restaurants. Georgetown has agreed to build 23 stores in the Middle East. Smashburger says Canada and Latin America are next on its international expansion plan.
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