Today's news for the franchise & small biz owner

Cups Frozen Yogurt, a beach-themed, self-serve fro-yo concept, will open its second franchise location on Thursday, May 23, in Parsippany, New Jersey.

To celebrate the grand opening, Cups Parsippany will be offering free frozen yogurt from 4 to 7 p.m. on May 23.

Also, during the grand-opening week, each Parsippany customer will be given a scratch-off card, which contains prizes such as wristbands, beach balls, water bottles, beach towels, and Cups coupons. One winner will receive free fro-yo for a year.

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Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q is celebrating the success of the fundraising chapter of the St. Baldrick's Foundation, known as “The Bald Entrepreneurs”—a group of small business owners and community leaders based in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

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Qdoba Mexican Grill is giving guests one free entrée when they purchase a $30 Q-Cash gift card, whether it’s for graduates, dads, or anyone else.

From now until June 30, guests can treat themselves while they celebrate others when they load a Q-Cash Card at any one of the more than 600 participating Qdoba units nationwide.

Guests who purchase a $30 Q-Cash Card will receive a coupon for a free entrée that they can redeem through July 31, 2013, at participating locations.

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NCR Corporation announced that it is working with Jamba Juice, in collaboration with PayPal, on a series of customized mobile solutions, including a Jamba Juice–branded iOS and Android mobile ordering and payment solution.

This ordering functionality is available in select Jamba Juice locations via the PayPal app to millions of customers. It allows consumers to place mobile orders and pay directly from their smartphone.

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Newk’s Eatery, a fresh-casual restaurant concept offering a variety of made-to-order choices, recently signed agreements for six new locations in the latest phase of the company’s accelerated expansion. The first of these new restaurants will open in July.

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 Long John Silver’s, a quick service seafood company, is bringing back the restaurant’s classic tartar sauce this summer.

“After introducing a new tartar sauce recipe to Long John Silver’s locations around the country, some of our customers told us they missed the original recipe,” says Charles St. Clair, Chief Marketing Officer, Long John Silver’s. “When our customers speak, we listen. That is why we are proud to announce the homecoming of our classic tartar sauce recipe during the summer of 2013.”

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Boasting six slices of bacon, the new Super Bacon Cheeseburger is available now at all Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. locations. The newest premium burger offering from Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s is part of the restaurants’ promotional tie-in with Warner Bros. Pictures’ release of “Man of Steel,” in theaters June 14.

The Super Bacon Cheeseburger features a charbroiled beef patty, American cheese, mayonnaise, tomato, onion, lettuce, and six full bacon strips. Prices start at $3.99 and may vary by location.

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Whataburger, a family owned and operated quick-serve restaurant chain, has selected Pointsmith, a national in-store marketing management company, as the winner of its biennial vendor “Make it Happen” Award.

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Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill, a Colorado-based fast-casual restaurant concept featuring healthy Mediterranean cuisine, announced the grand opening of its first Orange County, California, franchise location on Wednesday, May 29.

The new restaurant is the Mediterranean concept’s 22nd location and the fifth franchise store to open thus far. It is owned and operated by Garbanzo franchisee Banzo Bean, which has the rights to develop up to 10 locations in Orange County west of I-5.   

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Pancheros, a fast-casual Mexican restaurant known for “Burritos Better Built,” introduces its new package design.

The packaging revamp includes novel graphic designs for all of the franchise’s items, such as beverage cups, napkins, carryout bags, and burrito boxes.

Pancheros’ new packaging features phrases meant to give diners a chuckle at checkout. For example, printed on the napkins is, “You probably won’t need this but you should take one just in queso,” playing on the word case and the Spanish word for cheese.

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This year, Cold Stone Creamery is celebrating 25 years of the “Ultimate Ice Cream Experience.”

From the first store opening in Tempe, Arizona, in 1988, Cold Stone Creamery has expanded its passion for making fresh ice cream every day in every store in 25 countries and more than 1,500 stores.

To celebrate, Cold Stone Creamery is highlighting its top Creations.

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Kneaders Bakery & Cafe, a restaurant and retail shop, will open its newest location in Gilbert, Arizona, on Monday, May 27.

The first 100 customers will receive free French toast as part of the grand-opening festivities. Regular hours of operation will be Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Kneaders is a Utah-based restaurant franchise specializing in European hearth breads, made from scratch on-site daily, as well as gourmet sandwiches, soups, salads, pastries, and breakfast items.

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Meatheads, a Chicago-based fast-casual restaurant that provides a full-service dining experience, is kicking off its third year of summer reading with the annual launch of the “2013 Voracious Reading Program.”

The program, which officially starts June 17 and runs until August 31, encourages kids to read books during the summer to stay sharp.

In 2012, the program had participation from more than 65,000 kids, and this year the program is reaching nearly 100,000 kids through local schools and libraries.

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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.

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When Cinnabon president Kat Cole participated in the CBS show “Undercover Boss,” she bonded with Mayra Vargas, a bakery employee. As Vargas spoke of her mother’s battle with breast cancer and her family’s challenges, the inspiration to provide guidance and support became a mission of Cole’s. 

Cole and Vargas were invited back for the season finale, “Epic Bosses,” which aired this Friday, May 17.  On the episode, Cole announced “Sweet Support”, a nationwide fundraiser to support breast cancer.

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To celebrate Flag Day on June 14, Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen will launch the Salute for Slices, an Armed Forces and Local Heroes Appreciation Day.

To honor the bravery and commitment to keeping our country safe, Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen invites America’s armed forces and local heroes—including local police and fire departments, EMT, TSA employees, and mall security—to enjoy a free slice of Neapolitan pizza at participating locations on 
June 14, 2013.

The offer is valid for any officer in uniform or with a valid ID.

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Dunkin’ Donuts is recruiting franchisees in North Carolina markets, including Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh-Durham, Wilmington, and Winston-Salem. There are 44 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants located throughout the state.  

Dunkin’ Donuts’ development in North Carolina is part of the company’s long-term goal to more than double its footprint of more than 7,000 restaurants in the United States. 

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At Sonic, each shake is hand-mixed with the chain’s Real Ice Cream and available in a variety of flavors beyond old favorites like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.

This summer, Sonic is offering 25 different shake flavors to choose from as part of the “Summer of Shakes.”

New flavors include the Peanut Butter & Bacon Shake, the Cherry Cheesecake Shake, the Coconut Cream Pie Shake, and other classic and creative options.

To sweeten the deal, Sonic shakes are half price after 8 p.m. all summer long.

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Pancheros Mexican Grill, a fast-casual Mexican restaurant known for its burritos, announced its 19th Iowa location in Altoona.

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Summer hours are back at Panda Express. To celebrate the extended evening hours, participating Panda Express street locations are offering a free single serving of Orange Chicken on May 31 and June 21, the Summer Solstice, from 9 p.m. to close.

Panda’s extended evening hours will be offered through September 1, with specific hours varying by location.

Starting May 24, guests can download the coupon for their free single serving of Orange Chicken on Panda Express’ Facebook page or website.

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