Valentine’s Day may be over, but franchising a business is still a labour of love. All that hard work is paying off in the food franchise industry, where competition is fierce but the work is rewarding – and delicious. In this week’s Friday Franchising News, we’re taking a look at the latest news in the food industry, from restaurants to grocery outlets and new stores to brand makeovers. Get a taste of this week’s food franchising news below.
Star Chef Joins WOLF Franchise Kitchen for a New Winter Menu
WOLF Street Food franchisee Antony Difrancesco introduced a new winter menu at his restaurant in Stoke Newington High Street with the help of chef Karla Knowles. Karla, who worked for a stint at the Michelin starred Peter Nurseries, revisited family recipes to create a hearty yet refined winter menu for the Italian restaurant franchise. She pays tribute to traditional Italian cuisine with her fried gnocci and barrochio feather blade braised British beef. WOLF’s new winter menu aims to provide customers with fast, healthy, and authentic Italian dishes.
Nottingham’s Las Iguanas Restaurant Gets a New Makeover
La Iguanas is a colourful and sizzling Latin-style restaurant franchise that opened its first location in Bristol in the 1990s. Nottingham’s Las Iguanas Chapel Bar is one of the franchise chain’s 54 restaurants across the country, and is its newest location to get a makeover. The location got a new coat of brightly-coloured paint, a bright new mural and an adventurous seasonal menu with the unique flavors of Latin-America. This vibrant franchise offers authentic dishes from Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Peru, weekday special offers, and limited edition cocktails.
Spuntino Partners with The Restaurant Group Concessions to Expand to UK Airports
Small plates restaurant franchise Spuntino has signed an exclusive franchise agreement with The Restaurant Group (TRG) Concession, which will help bring the restaurant brand to UK airports. Spuntino, which is Italian for “snack”, was developed by restaurant entrepreneurs Russell Norman and Richard Beatty, the pair behind small plate group Polpo. The airport restaurant menu will follow the same small plates theme as existing sites, focusing on tasty small plates, comfort cooking, doughnuts, cocktails, and friendly service. Spuntinio and TRG are hoping to announce openings in the near future with a view to securing the first franchised location in 2018.
Morrisons Enters Channel Islands with Franchise and Wholesale Deal
Morrisons has struck a wholesale and franchise deal with SandpiperCI, which operates 43 grocery shops on Jersey and Guernsey, setting in motion the supermarket retail chain’s plan to enter the Channel Islands market for the first time. Sandpiper’s Food Hall stores will be rebranded as ‘Morrisons Daily’, investing more than £1 million in store upgrades, while Bradford-based Morrisons will supply the company’s shops with products under its Safeway brand. Sandpiper will prove a strong franchise partnership for Morrisons with their experience running franchised stores for Marks & Spencer, Iceland, Hotel Chocolat and Asda’s George clothing brand, among others.