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 UNITED STATES FRANCHISE NEWS ARCHIVE
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: : Dec 2003
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FedEx ponies up $2.4B for Kinko's.
FedEx said Tuesday that it is buying Kinko's for $2.4 billion in cash,
a deal that will help FedEx compete with rival UPS for high-profit
small-business customers. .... [more]
30 Dec, 2003
Information Works mulling further franchising in '04.
Its first franchise, opened in June in Minneapolis, has enjoyed six
months of successful operations. .... [more]
29 Dec, 2003
The struggling economy has led many former office workers to
turn to franchising. Barry Brodine saw no future in the corporate
world after being downsized from his job last year. .... [more]
29 Dec, 2003
21st Century Holding Company's Subsidiary EXPRESSTAX Franchise
Corporation Announces 50 Franchises Granted. .... [more]
23 Dec, 2003
7-Eleven Creates Own Products to Fulfill Demand. When
7-Eleven Inc. wanted its David Sunflower Seeds to come in more convenient
packaging, ConAgra Foods put the bag of seeds inside a cup for shell
disposal. .... [more]
23 Dec, 2003
Family opens region's first Tony Roma's, restaurants famous
for ribs. Tony Roma's cook Russ Ewing prepares an order of
ribs at the Sioux City restaurant, which opened recently at 3322 Singing
Hills Blvd. .... [more]
23 Dec, 2003
McDonald's CEO could be one to copy - or console. McDonald's
boasts one of the most familiar mascots in the world. And one of the
least familiar CEOs. .... [more]
23 Dec, 2003
How Sweet It Is: More Friendly's to Be Built. Friendly's
is taking a couple of extra scoops out of Long Island. .... [more]
23 Dec, 2003
Pep Boys Forms Supply Alliance with Precision Auto Care, Inc.;
Pep Boys To Supply Tires and Parts To Precision Tune Auto Care's Franchise
of Service Centers. .... [more]
23 Dec, 2003
Taco Del Mar took leap of desperation on a pier in Seattle.
James Schmidt's empire is built on beach food without the sand. ....
[more]
22 Dec, 2003
Orange Park franchisor helps color the world. From a
small, cluttered office in an Orange Park strip center, Connie D'Imperio
runs an international franchise. .... [more]
22 Dec, 2003
Trivest Partners acquires Herbal Magic weight-loss centre franchise
firm. U.S. investment firm Trivest Partners said Friday it
has acquired Herbal Magic Systems International Inc. of London, Ont.,
a franchiser of health counselling centres, primarily for weight loss.
.... [more]
19 Dec, 2003
Health Express USA Franchise Corp Engages Nationally Renowned
Design Company. Health Express USA Franchise Corp has engaged
Ed Carey Designs, a nationally renowned restaurant design group to
create a turnkey design package for its restaurants. .... [more]
19 Dec, 2003
Century 21 Real Estate and Globalia Announce Master Franchise
Agreement. Making Globalia the master franchise holder for
the Century 21 System in Spain. .... [more]
19 Dec, 2003
Denninghouse franchisee files for bankruptcy protection.
A franchisee, Altimax Variety Ltd., operator of 34 Buck Or Two stores
in Atlantic Canada, has formally given notice of its intent, within
30 days, to file a proposal to creditors to settle outstanding claims.
.... [more]
18 Dec, 2003
Mayor wants a downtown hole filled with Krispy Kreme.
One of the items on Mayor Daniel Stewart's Christmas wish list is
a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop for downtown. .... [more]
18 Dec, 2003
Suburban Franchise Systems Selects NORTHWIND to Install Maestro
ASP Front Office in 65 Suburban Extended Stay Hotels. ....
[more]
18 Dec, 2003
Nathan's Opens Its First in Japan. Westbury-based Nathan's
Famous Inc. opened its first franchised restaurant in Japan yesterday,
the company announced. .... [more]
18 Dec, 2003
Ryan's reworks Florida franchise agreement. Ryan's Family
Steak Houses Inc. and its subsidiaries announced Thursday that they
and their sole franchisee, Family Steak Houses of Florida Inc., have
mutually agreed to amend their franchise agreement. .... [more]
18 Dec, 2003
New twist. Auntie Anne's Inc. has a
new vision rising from its secret-formula pretzel dough: cafes with
pizza, sandwiches, Starbucks coffee and Internet access. .... [more]
18 Dec, 2003
Cendant's Hotel Group Reports Holiday Bookings Up 11 Percent.
Steven A. Rudnitsky, Hotel Group chairman and chief executive officer,
said the booking trend represents "the best evidence to date" that
leisure travel is rebounding following two soft years. .... [more]
17 Dec, 2003
Location, economy spell end for Malone eatery. The Burger
King franchise closed for good Sunday after 10 years in Malone. ....
[more]
16 Dec, 2003
McDonald's sells Donatos, narrows focus. McDonald's
plans to significantly narrow its outside brand activity. .... [more]
16 Dec, 2003
McDonald's offshoot to go. McDonald's yesterday continued
its back-to-basics policy, announcing the sale of its Donatos pizza
chain and plans to curb growth of its other brands outside the US.
.... [more]
16 Dec, 2003
Cosi, Inc. Partners with iFranchise Group of Chicago.
New York-based restaurant company, Cosi, Inc., announced today that
it has signed an agreement with the iFranchise Group of Chicago to
partner in the development and planning of its franchising program.
.... [more]
16 Dec, 2003
Financing Facts. Is it tougher to find franchises that
finance? .... [more]
16 Dec, 2003
It's Your Business: Zelma's restaurant to open in Champaign.
Zelma's, a new restaurant venture by local pizza legend Ralph
Monical, is set to open Dec. 17 at the new Windsor Galleria in Champaign.
.... [more]
16 Dec, 2003
Be Your Own Boss: A Franchise Fallacy. Mauro Olivieri
knew what it was like to run his own business but figured the quickest
way to grow bigger was to become a franchisee. .... [more]
16 Dec, 2003
Fast food quickens the night. McDonald's joins the after-hours
dining derby. .... [more]
15 Dec, 2003
McDonald's looks to sell losers. Fast food giant McDonald's
is expected to announce within days a fire sale of some of its non-hamburger
food ventures, which have racked up substantial losses in the past
few years. .... [more]
15 Dec, 2003
Cosmetics shop finds new vistas after mall. Many Merle
Norman customers followed owner to new address. .... [more]
15 Dec, 2003
Ex-Panera executive leads MaggieMoo's. Jonathan R. Jameson
is taking charge of Columbia, Md., ice-cream novelty chain MaggieMoo's
International LLC as president and chief executive officer. .... [more]
15 Dec, 2003
Starbucks Opens First Store in Cyprus. Starbucks Coffee
International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Starbucks Coffee Company,
and its Greek partner, Marinopoulos Brothers S A, today announced
that the first Starbucks store in Cyprus will open on Monday, December
15th. .... [more]
13 Dec, 2003
Papa John's Announces 2004 Growth Plans and Earnings Guidance.
The company projects earnings per share in the range of $2.20
to $2.28 for 2004. .... [more]
13 Dec, 2003
Wingate Inn Brand Introduces Wireless Hotel-Wide Internet Access.
Five years after becoming the first hotel brand to offer free, wired
high-speed Internet access in all guest rooms, Wingate Inns International
Inc. plans to complement that service by introducing free wireless
Internet access in all guest rooms and public spaces. .... [more]
13 Dec, 2003
Use Franchising Queries To Guide Your Decisions. Readers
have almost as many questions about franchising as there are franchises
to buy. Here are answers to recent questions. .... [more]
13 Dec, 2003
Chains eating up business of locally owned eateries.
For one year, Macri's restaurant tracked the business it saw -- or
didn't see -- on weekday nights in downtown South Bend. .... [more]
12 Dec, 2003
New California Pizza Kitchen to Open in Fairfax, Virginia; Pizza
Sales from Four Area Locations Donated to Benefit Children's National
Medical Center. .... [more]
12 Dec, 2003
Noodles co-CEO quits, founder resumes lead roles.A failed
experiment in co-leadership at Boulder-based Noodles & Co. has resulted
in the company's founder retaking the reins. .... [more]
12 Dec, 2003
Women Franchisees: Few and Far Between. Why aren't more
women getting into franchising? Of the more than 320,000 franchise
units in the U.S., about 10% are owned solely by women, while another
20% are owned by male-female partners, according to a 1997 study by
the American Franchisee Association (AFA), the latest data available.
.... [more]
12 Dec, 2003
Franchisees Hop On The Boomer Bandwagon. Shopping for a franchise?
Why not pick one in a field that will boom? .... [more]
12 Dec, 2003
Will You Be Happy As a Franchisee? A 2002 survey of
franchisees, conducted by Frank Wadsworth, a professor at Indiana
University Southeast, suggests that a franchisee's relationships with
both his business and his franchiser are anything but simple or sure.
.... [more]
12 Dec, 2003
Panera Bread to Develop 20 Bakery-Cafes in Five Counties Of
New York State. .... [more]
11 Dec, 2003
Burger King trying to mount a turnaround in fast-food lane.
What's the deal with Burger King? Several restaurants around
Puget Sound have closed - some temporarily, others for good. Some
restaurants are being moved; others are being refurbished. A few franchisees
have filed for bankruptcy. .... [more]
10 Dec, 2003
Ways to Finance Your First Franchise Purchase. "Money,
money everywhere and not a cent for me," would have been the mantra
for any prospective franchisee who attended the recent Restaurant
Finance and Development Conference in Las Vegas .... [more]
10 Dec, 2003
New deli serves slice of Italy. The waters of a medieval
Italian fountain flow frozen on the mural of a new Italian deli downtown.
.... [more]
9 Dec, 2003
McDonald's smiling as same-store sales strong in Nov. McDonald's
(MCD) on Monday posted a 10.2% rise in sales at U.S. stores open more
than a year as its latest promotional strategy paid off with an eighth
consecutive month of improved sales. .... [more]
8 Dec, 2003
It's Your Business: Longhorn Smokehouse phasing in a new name.
Longhorn Smokehouse at 1706 N. Cunningham Ave., U, is phasing in the
use of a new name: Hickory River Smokehouse. .... [more]
8 Dec, 2003
Chains target inkjet recycling business. As two franchise
chains enter the Bay Area with stores for refilling empty printer
cartridges, Hewlett Packard Co. is stepping up its efforts to convince
consumers to purchase its new ones instead. .... [more]
8 Dec, 2003
Takushi, Rogers, Grimes bet on cellular, exercise, flowers.
ShapeXpress hopes to tone up St. Louis with eight locations
in the region. .... [more]
8 Dec, 2003
Low-carb message not popular, but sales are up. The
popularity of the low-carbohydrate Atkins diet has motivated an unlikely
group of food and beverage brands to find ways to tout low-carb benefits
of their products or introduce low-carb versions. .... [more]
7 Dec, 2003
Marriott ExecuStay Adds D.C. Developer, Marriott Hotel Owner
to List of Franchisees. This brings the total number of ExecuStay
franchisees to eight, representing 11 franchised markets. Marriott
ExecuStay launched its franchise program in July 2002. .... [more]
5 Dec, 2003
Embattled Franchise Owner AmeriKing to Sell Chicago-Area Burger
Kings. Beleaguered Burger King franchise owner AmeriKing Inc.
has agreed to sell 130 restaurants, including its Chicago operation,
to a Miami-based private equity firm for $13.2 million. .... [more]
4 Dec, 2003
Staging a comeback. Roy Rogers is back in the saddle.
After years of neglect, the restaurant chain, known for its roast
beef sandwiches and Fixin's Bar, is riding in a new direction with
plans to refresh and regrow the brand that once blanketed the Washington
area. .... [more]
4 Dec, 2003
Hilton Joins Competitors to Offer Best-Rate Guarantee.
Hilton Hotels has joined the other big hotel companies in offering
guests a best-rate guarantee that is designed to steer customers away
from online travel agencies such as Expedia and Travelocity and toward
its own distribution channels. .... [more]
4 Dec, 2003
Friday's puts low-carb Atkins on menu. Thank God it's
low-carb. T.G.I. Friday's, the casual dining chain known for its flavor-laden
but often-fattening foods, on Friday will announce a deal with an
unlikely partner: Atkins (yes, the diet Atkins). .... [more]
4 Dec, 2003
Wendys' Raises Guidance. Wendy's International on Wednesday
raised its guidance for 2003 profits because of strong same-store
sales in November. .... [more]
4 Dec, 2003
Hilton is latest hotel chain to say its own rates won't be undersold.
Hilton on Wednesday becomes the latest hotel chain to take
a stand against powerful Internet travel sites by guaranteeing that
its own room rates won't be undersold. .... [more]
4 Dec, 2003
Ground Floor Can Offer More Freedom, Growth. Would you
rather be a franchisee with Ben & Jerry's, or Jake's Ice Creams &
Sorbets? .... [more]
3 Dec, 2003
Pretzel biz gets new twist. A company that's opened
stores from Lancaster, Pa., to Bangkok selling soft pretzels developed
for an Amish-country farm stand is testing whether the same secret
dough will get people to line up for pizzas and sandwiches. .... [more]
3 Dec, 2003
Holiday Inn change to Quality Inn is complete. The former
Holiday Inn near I-5 in south Everett officially switched names on
Tuesday, the most visible step in a makeover for the 34-year-old hotel.
.... [more]
3 Dec, 2003
Pa. franchiser sells pretzels worldwide. A company that's
opened stores from Lancaster to Bangkok selling soft pretzels developed
for an Amish-country farm stand is testing whether the same secret
dough will get people to line up for pizzas and sandwiches. .... [more]
2 Dec, 2003
Nation's second 'McCafe' opens in California to test appeal
for food snobs. Conrad Freeman isn't your stereotypical high-tech
entrepreneur, but on Wednesday he plans to launch one of the nation's
most cutting-edge startups. .... [more]
1 Dec, 2003
Defining Suitable Employment. This year's "Most Despised
by Activists" award for Multinational Corporations goes to . McDonald's.
.... [more]
1 Dec, 2003
Watch the success. Daytime restaurant business has $48
million in sales this year .... [more]
1 Dec, 2003
Bear Rock restaurant chain on the prowl in Charlotte. Bear
Rock Café is beginning to lumber its way across the state and the
Charlotte area. .... [more]
1 Dec, 2003
Father-son team helps with homes from start to finish.
If you have ever considered overseeing the design and construction
of your own home, but didn't have the time or expertise, a new business
in the Valley might be the answer. .... [more]
1 Dec, 2003
Boston Pizza finds $2.31-million profit in Q3. The company
is pleased to report that Boston Pizza continued to grow during the
third quarter of 2003, posting growth in franchise sales over the
same period in 2002. .... [more]
28 Nov, 2003
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