A busy week of chain restaurant news includes Chipotle adding catering, Darden expanding its concepts in Puerto Rico, Krispy Kreme entering India and much more.
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) is planning to add catering service. The fast-casual chain's Colorado-based units now offer catering for groups that range in size from 20 to 200 people. Chipotle plans to add catering to all of its markets in the coming months, according to a company release.
Darden Restaurants has amended its area development agreement with Restaurant Operators, Inc. (ROI) to include Red Lobster, paving the way for the franchisee to develop a minimum of eight Olive Garden, three Red Lobster and three additional LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants in Puerto Rico by 2017.
Del Taco opened a location in Grand Junction, Colo.
Through a franchise development agreement with ShowMe Smoothie, LLC, Jamba Juice plans to develop 15 stores within Missouri and Kansas over the next 9 years.
Krispy Kreme opened its first franchise location in India in the city of Bangalore. Through its partnership with Citymax Hotels Pvt. Ltd., Krispy Kreme plans to develop 80 franchised retail locations over 5 years in the South and West regions of India.
The third standalone location of Noble Roman's Take-n-Bake P'za opened in Indianapolis. Noble Roman's Inc., the concept's parent company and the franchisor of Noble Roman's Pizza and Tuscano's Italian Style Subs, reports that six more take and bake locations are in development with franchisees.
Pie Five Pizza Co., a division of Pizza Inn, Inc., opened a location in Denton, Texas, the chain's ninth restaurant and the second one in a college market. This restaurant is located across from the University of North Texas campus in Denton.
Quaker Steak & Lube opened a location in Plano, Texas. The 8,000-square-foot location includes a 1,000-square-foot patio and seats 360 people. In June 2012 Quaker Steak & Lube announced plans to enter the Texas market by opening 10 stores. The casual dining chain has two other Texas locations: Carrollton and Waco.
Saladworks opened a location in Ridgewood, N.J.
Sizzler, a family frinedly steakhouse, signed a multi-unit franchise agreement with Anil Yadav, who agreed to open six new restaurants in the market and remodel six existing restaurants in the cities of Concord, Albany, Colma, San Jose, Redwood City and Daly City. Yadav now owns and operates 255 restaurants, including 110 Jack in the Box restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area, Stockton, Sacramento, and Monterey and an additional 109 throughout Dallas and Houston. He also operates 30 Denny's locations in the California markets of Sacramento and Stockton.
Togo's opened a location in Eugene, Ore.
