Monthly Archives: December 2017

Springfield, MO  – RestaurantNews.com

With new franchise deals, expanding markets, and strong sales growth, 2017 has been an eventful year for Big Whiskey’s American Restaurant & Bar®!

This past year has brought record-breaking numbers and several milestones for the Southwest Missouri-based restaurant brand. In March, Big Whiskey’s opened their first franchise location in Bentonville, AR, experiencing record-breaking sales within the first few weeks of business. Quickly following, in May, a second franchise location was opened in Kansas City to kick-off a summer of more expansion.

In June, the brand welcomed a multi-unit franchise deal in Las Vegas, with the first location confirmed on Las Vegas Boulevard! Shortly following, in August, Big Whiskey’s eagerly opened their sixth corporate store and very first free-standing location in Republic, MO, expanding their existing footprint in the Midwest.

A new campaign, “Game On” was launched in September to ring in football season. The updated branding and campaign goals set the tone for expanded seasonal marketing blitzes. It proved to be a huge success and provided an extra boost to existing sales growth ahead of the holiday season.

Franchise expansion continued this Fall with another two-store deal signed for Birmingham, AL, in September. The first Alabama and Las Vegas locations are expected to open in late 2018.

“The continued support of our loyal customers, and eagerness of new customers to welcome our brand is invaluable to us,” states company President, Austin Herschend. “We’re ending 2017 with incredible success and a clear path for continued growth heading into 2018.”

As Big Whiskey’s celebrated exciting new opportunities and sales growth, many Americans were experiencing tragedy when hurricane season hit. The company has always held a commitment to partnering with community organizations, and quickly reached out to Springfield-based Convoy of Hope, to help hurricane victims. Following a month of fundraising efforts in the aftermath of hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the brand raised $10,000 for the national disaster relief organization, Convoy of Hope, and their continued relief efforts. Throughout 2017, Big Whiskey’s has contributed over $30,000 to various community organizations and causes. 

The 108-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Walpole, Massachusetts opened this month with a modern décor providing guests with a feeling of warmth and calm while traveling. Located at 630 Providence Highway, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Boston Walpole will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by S&H Hospitality Realty Inc. and managed by Liberty Hotel Group.

Located minutes off highway I-95 and 20 miles from downtown Boston, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Boston Walpole offers guests convenient access to Logan International Airport, Gillette Stadium, Patriot’s Place, downtown Providence and the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets. Upon opening rates will start as low as $119.00 per night.

“Delivering both function and comfort, our new design and décor elevate the Fairfield brand, setting a new standard in the moderate tier category,” said Callette Nielsen, vice president and global brand manager, Fairfield Inn & Suites. “At Fairfield Inn & Suites, we provide an easy, positive and productive travel experience, as well as the promise of consistent and reliable service at an exceptional value. The Fairfield Inn & Suites Boston Walpole is a truly stunning example of the brand’s contemporary look and feel, and we are pleased to introduce Fairfield Inn & Suites hotels in the Walpole area.”

The new décor package is warm, timeless, forward-thinking, and inviting with simple nods back to the brand’s heritage. Specific elements meant to evoke feelings from the Fairfield Farm include a farmhouse table in the lobby for gathering and connecting, photography from the Fairfield Farm serving as artwork in the lobby and guest rooms, natural materials and unique textures featured throughout, and a history wall in every property showcasing the brand’s roots.

The new guestroom design is impactful, unique and addresses the functional needs of the Fairfield guest for a seamless experience. The room was designed with the modern traveler’s needs to stay productive on the road in mind without overcomplicating the guestroom. Each room features a modern lounge chair, serving as both functional and comfortable to either work or relax in. The artwork in the room takes center stage with the window treatment acting as a focal point, displaying photography taken at the Fairfield Farm. The material is sheer and allows light to pass through the photography, warming up the room and creating a comfortable environment. All guestrooms also feature a 55″ SMART TV, refrigerator, coffeemaker and microwave. Additionally, suites will feature a separate sitting area outfitted with a comfortable couch and a second 55″ SMART TV.

Additional hotel amenities include an indoor swimming pool, a fitness center, the 24/7 Corner Market, valet laundry service, complimentary Wi-Fi, as well as fax and copy services, and the Neponset board room that accommodates up to 10 people. A complimentary hot breakfast, featuring oatmeal, scrambled eggs, sausage, make-your-own waffles and other healthy items, such as fruit, yogurt, and whole grain cereals and breads is also available.

DENVER, CO – PRNewswire

Motto Franchising, LLC announced that 50 Motto Mortgage franchises were sold across the country during the franchisor’s first year of operation. Motto Mortgage officially launched on October 25, 2016, and is the first national mortgage brokerage franchise in the U.S.

Motto Mortgage is an innovative mortgage brokerage franchise and the second member of the RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: RMAX) family of brands. Loan originators in the Motto Mortgage network work hard to give homebuyers options – and present competitive bids from wholesale lenders – because no loan is one-size-fits-all. Motto Franchising President Ward Morrison calls the mortgage brokerage franchise revolutionary and is celebrating the momentous achievement.

“The Motto Mortgage team is extremely proud to have 50 franchises sold in the brand’s first 12 months,” Morrison said. “When we developed the new concept, our goal was always to create a value proposition that worked for franchisees and provided an upgraded experience for consumers. Now having more than 25 franchises already open and operating validates the tremendous vision and dedication of the Motto Mortgage team – and confirms the need for the disruption in the marketplace.”

Motto Mortgage is a different idea – a network of mortgage brokers, focused on providing personalized guidance with more clarity and less jargon. Loan originators in the Motto Mortgage network work close by – and closely with – real estate agents to deliver a one-stop solution. Motto Mortgage franchises are increasing competition in the industry, resulting in more options and a better customer experience for consumers. Importantly, Motto Mortgage loan originators are not bound to the products of one specific lender but have access to quality loan options from various sources.

Motto Mortgage has franchises operating in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas. Motto Franchising, LLC is located at 5075 S. Syracuse St. #1200, Denver, CO 80237. Each Motto Mortgage franchise is independently owned, operated and licensed. For more information, please email newsroom@mottomortgage.com or visit mottomortgage.com.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ /PRNewswire/ 

TacoTime® (www.TacoTime.com) is adding more value and flavor to the menu with the $1.99 Fully Loaded Burrito, available for a limited time only, now through Feb. 27, 2018.

Loaded with seasoned beef, refried pinto beans, cheese sauce, Mexi-Fries® and your choice of Original, Green or the blazing 5-Alarm™ hot sauce, the Fully Loaded Burrito has all of the best ingredients rolled up in a home-style tortilla and grilled to perfection.

VANCOUVER, WA – GLOBE NEWSWIRE 

Papa Murphy’s Holdings, Inc. (“Papa Murphy’s” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ:FRSH) today announced changes to the composition of its Board of Directors, adding two new highly qualified independent directors, Alexander C. Matina and Noah A. Elbogen.

Alexander C. Matina has been appointed to the Compensation Committee and Noah A. Elbogen has been appointed to the Audit Committee. In order to maintain an appropriately sized Board, one incumbent director, Jeffrey B. Welch, has left the Board. All changes are effective immediately. As a result of these changes, the newly reconstituted Board will comprise ten directors, seven of whom are independent and all of whom have track records of delivering long-term shareholder value.

Mr. Matina and Mr. Elbogen have been added to the Board in connection with a Cooperation Agreement among Papa Murphy’s, MFP Partners, L.P. (“MFP”), the Company’s second largest shareholder with 13.1% of the shares, and Misada Capital Holdings, LLC (“Misada”), another major shareholder with 9.2% of the Company’s shares. The Cooperation Agreement contains terms regarding the parties working together for the long-term success of Papa Murphy’s.

“We have chosen to undertake a Board refresh to ensure we continue to have the critical skill sets among our Directors in order to drive long term success and shareholder value,” said Jean Birch, Chair of the Board of Papa Murphy’s. “We are pleased to welcome Alexander Matina and Noah Elbogen to Papa Murphy’s as they will bring significant financial and industry experience to the Board of Directors.”

Birch continued, “On behalf of the Board, I also want to thank Jeff Welch for his contributions as a director and his dedication to the Company. Jeff played a role in the Company’s success for the last nearly three years and provided a unique perspective and valuable insights to both the Board and management team.”

Under the terms of the Cooperation Agreement, MFP and Misada have agreed to certain customary standstill and other provisions. The complete agreement and definitive documentation will be included as exhibits to a Current Report on Form 8-K, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Vinson & Elkins LLP and Perkins Coie LLP are serving as legal advisors to Papa Murphy’s. Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP is serving as Misada’s legal advisor.

• Alexander C. Matina
  Alexander C. Matina is the Vice President, Investments at MFP Investors LLC, the family office of Michael F. Price, which focuses on long-term, value investment opportunities. Mr. Matina also serves as Chairman of the Board of Trinity Place Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:TPHS), a publicly traded real estate company, focused on multi-family and retail investments. In addition, he serves on the board of S&W Seed Company (NASDAQ:SANW), a publicly traded agricultural company, with proprietary seeds targeting the alfalfa, sorghum, sunflower and stevia markets. Mr. Matina also serves on the board of XRO Energy LLC, a private energy company with assets in Wyoming. In addition, Mr. Matina has worked in various investment and financial analyst roles at Altus Capital Partners and Salomon Smith Barney, among others. Mr. Matina has a Bachelor of Science business degree from Fordham University, where he serves as an adjunct professor of Finance and as a member of the advisory board of the Gabelli Center for Global Security Analysis, and an MBA from the Columbia Business School.
• Noah A. Elbogen
  Noah A. Elbogen currently serves as Managing Member and Chief Executive Officer of Misada Capital Group LLC, a New Jersey-based investment manager. Previously, Mr. Elbogen served as an Investment Analyst at Luxor Capital Group, LP, a New York-based investment manager, where he focused primarily on the restaurant sector from July 2011 to July 2016. Prior to joining Luxor Capital Group, Mr. Elbogen served as a Research Analyst covering the consumer sector at S.A.C. Capital Management, LLC from August 2009 to June 2011, at Highbridge Capital Management, LLC from January 2007 to January 2009, and at Scout Capital Management LLC from August 2005 to January 2007. Mr. Elbogen began his investment career as an Equity Research Associate at Bear Stearns where he covered the Specialty Retail and Hardlines sectors. Mr. Elbogen has served as an Independent Director of BJ’s Restaurants Inc. since June 2014. Mr. Elbogen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Columbia University.

Hattiesburg, MS  (RestaurantNews.com) 

Mugshots Grill & Bar was founded in 2004 by Chris McDonald and Ron Savell. They had little funds, but lots of family and friends to gather and work alongside them. In no time the dream was a reality. Mugshots Grill & Bar humbly opened its doors in Hattiesburg, MS on Saturday, January 10, 2004.

Mugshots quickly began to grow and expand into multiple locations. With life and business taking the owners in different directions, they divided their company in 2008, each choosing defined areas for operations and development. Chris founded Ain’t Life Grand Investments, LLC and Ron founded Chers Restaurant Group, LLC. Since that time, Mugshots Grill & Bar has grown to 18 locations throughout Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama.

Over the last 9 years, as Chris and Ron grew their territories, the need to come back together seemed to be more evident. Customers began noticing the subtle differences between locations such as menus, uniforms, and décor. Neither Chris or Ron wanted the customers to be confused or effected. Soon talks began about an acquisition to bring the company back together to ensure unity and consistency between all stores.

Today Ron Savell acquired operations of all Mugshots Grill & Bar franchised locations under his company, Chers Restaurant Group, LLC, based in Hattiesburg, MS.

With this acquisition, Savell explains franchise owners will benefit from streamlined resources, such as training and marketing materials, company branding, vendor availability, and menu/recipe guidelines, therefore tightening their daily operations and strengthening their long-term success as restaurant owners.

Chris McDonald stated, “Mugshots was a great opening act for my career, I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to take a little funky bar on 4th Street in Hattiesburg, MS to a regional brand along with Ron and a great group of people. A heartfelt thank you to all of our team members and fans who helped us get here. I can’t wait to see how far the Mugshots brand will go. Ron and his team have a great base to take the brand to a national platform. I will always love Mugshots and still plan on eating The McDonald Burger with my family for many years to come! My focus for the future will be growing our 2 other restaurant brands; Glory Bound Gyro Co. and Topher’s Rock ‘n Roll Grill. These brands are ready to explode! I am also excited to spend more time growing Making Life Grand, our nonprofit organization, and booking the next round of company sponsored mission trips.” said McDonald in closing.

Mugshots Franchisee Cliff Russum stated, “We are thrilled about this acquisition and the future of our company and brand. We look forward to working with other franchisees and continuing to help build the Mugshots name that so many people have come to know and love.”

In addition to this acquisition, there are immediate plans in the near future for two additional Mugshots Grill & Bar locations; Pearl, MS, a suburb of Jackson and Allen, TX, just north of Dallas.

Ron Savell stated, “Branching into Texas will bring branding recognition into a new region for us. This is an exciting time for Mugshots.”

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) 

Liberty Tax, a leading tax preparation franchise, will open the 2018 tax season with the largest tax refund advance offer in the industry at participating locations. Liberty Tax is working with Republic Bank & Trust Company, member FDIC, to offer the Easy Advance loan of up to $3,250. There are no fees or interest associated with the loan, which is secured by the tax refund. Proceeds typically are available within 24 hours.

Liberty Tax realizes that the tax refund is the biggest single income event in many households and that refund delays mandated by the federal government for taxpayers claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit can have a negative impact on families. The Easy Advance will give eligible taxpayers quick access to much-needed funds.

“We are providing solutions for taxpayers,” said Liberty Tax CEO Ed Brunot. “The Easy Advance – the largest in the industry – will help families struggling to pay bills or buy groceries. Instead of waiting until the end of February, eligible taxpayers who are approved for the Easy Advance can have access to money as early as the first week in January.”

Liberty Tax offices across the U.S. will open on January 2, for the 2018 tax season. Taxpayers can apply for the Easy Advance from January 2 to February 28, 2018.

*To be eligible for the $3,250 loan amount, your expected Federal refund less authorized fees must be at least $5,095. Actual loan amount may vary.  An Easy Advance (EA) is a loan secured by your tax refund and is offered by Republic Bank & Trust Company, member FDIC, to eligible taxpayers. There are no fees or interest associated with the EA.  Loan is subject to underwriting and approval. EA proceeds are typically available within 24 hours of IRS acceptance of tax return (or within 24 hours for those filing before the IRS start date). However, if direct deposit is selected it may take additional time for your financial institution to post the funds to your account. Visit your Liberty Tax office to learn about the cost, timing and availability of all filing and product options.  Valid at participating locations.  Valid Jan. 2-Feb. 28, 2018.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.- GLOBE NEWSWIRE

H&R Block will kick off the 2018 tax season with a fresh take on its 2017 campaign, Get Your Taxes Won. The campaign illustrates that the concept of winning at tax time is in finding all the credits and deductions taxpayers are entitled to for the best outcome.

The campaign features the return of actor Jon Hamm, as H&R Block’s spokesperson. Eight new broadcast spots were created that center on Hamm in a variety of behind-the-scenes scenarios on a film set.

“The Get Your Taxes Won campaign was overwhelmingly a fan favorite and one of our most successful national marketing and advertising campaigns,” said Kathy Collins, H&R Block’s chief marketing and strategy officer. “When we saw the early positive engagement and strong response from consumers we made the decision right away to co-create with Jon again and he was all in.”

Added Collins, “The 2018 campaign highlights the brand, its partnership with IBM Watson, and a number of Tax Season products and programs. We were able to have some fun with a somewhat serious topic and deliver the message that it really does matter how you do your taxes if you want the most money back, but in a lighthearted way.”

Created by advertising agency Fallon, known as one of the world’s most critically acclaimed creativity companies, the commercials re-teamed director Simon McQuoid with Hamm. McQuoid, a veteran commercial advertising director and filmmaker, is known for his work with numerous national brands.

H&R Block knows taxes can be stressful for some people and that consumers should trust that their filing will be right, no matter how they choose to file their taxes. With the most substantial changes to the tax code in 30 years pending to go into effect in 2018, consumers now more than ever will need to work with trusted advisors to understand how their personal tax situations will be affected. H&R Block tax pros help their clients navigate the changes to optimize their outcomes.

H&R Block will be advertising the many ways we help taxpayers take advantage of every credit and deduction available to them. The campaign kicked off in early December with one spot promoting the availability of H&R Block’s interest-free loan product, Refund Advance. The main campaign launches January 1 with additional national broadcast buys and digital and social programming scheduled in cadence of H&R Block’s product roll outs throughout the season. Collins said ads will also air during the NFL playoffs, ESPN College Football Playoffs, March Madness and the Winter Olympics.