franchisee of the year

ST. PETERSBURG, FL –  PRNewswire

All County Franchise, a property management service provider offering leasing, tenant screening, rent collection, and maintenance services for residential rental properties, is celebrating the opening of its 50th location this month.

All County was started by Sandy Ferrera back in 1990, as a single mother raising two boys. 18 years later, All County began franchising in 2008. Growing multi-directionally, Ferrera has presided over the rise of a nation-wide property management service provider, now staffed by a team of over 90 franchise operators, and hundreds of office staff.

The company’s focus is on innovation and building tools and resources to support their franchise owners, including website localization, online training courses, and ready-to-implement sales and marketing materials.

Says Mrs. Ferrera, CEO and co-founder: “We have grown a lot in the past 10 years and I’ve been very fortunate to be surrounded by incredible individuals that helped us build the foundation for the franchise. Some of the individuals that helped us franchise back in 2008 are still with us today. So I attribute the success that we have had to those people that helped get us there.”

Upon celebrating his 5th year owning an All County Franchise, Darren Grassmuck says: “All County has a lot of knowledge and they utilized it to support me from day one. Their Best Business Practices have also guided me to grow my business year-over-year. If it wasn’t for their knowledge then I wouldn’t have been able to do it.”

FORT WORTH, TX – PRNewswire

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop has partnered with Share Our Strength’s “No Kid Hungry” initiative in their mission of ensuring all children get the healthy food they need to thrive. Throughout the month of September, guests at Fuzzy’s Taco Shop who donate $2 or more will receive a coupon for a free order of Chips & Queso redeemable on their next visit, while helping end childhood hunger in America.

The $2 donation provides a child with 20 meals through the Share Our Strength initiative. Last September, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop raised more than $93,000 and hopes to surpass that amount this year as they “Queso for a Cause.” In addition to its almost-famous Chips & Queso, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop is also known for Baja-style tacos and other casual Tex-Mex favorites across 144 locations nationwide.

“In America today, 1 in 6 kids faces hunger, so it’s more important than ever to contribute to programs like No Kid Hungry that are helping children gain access to necessities like a healthy breakfast at school and free meals during the summertime,” said Mel Knight, president of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. “We are excited to partner with Share Our Strength for the fifth year because as an organization, we’re passionate about doing our part in making No Kid Hungry a reality in America.”

Donations made at Fuzzy’s Taco Shop in September will help No Kid Hungry fund school breakfast programs, recruit summer meal sites, and empower families to shop for and prepare healthy meals. The organization also provides grants to hunger-fighting organizations across the country to help them end child hunger within their communities.

Share Our Strength started on Capitol Hill in 1984 because of the famine in Ethiopia going on at the time. While the organization, started by brother and sister duo Bill and Debbie Shore, had many focuses globally for fighting hunger and poverty, Share Our Strength focuses their efforts, now, on making No Kid Hungry a true reality in America. For a list of participating restaurants or for more information on No Kid Hungry, please visit www.nokidhungry.org or dineout.nokidhungry.org.

For more information visit, www.FuzzysTacoShop.com. Like Fuzzy’s Taco Shop on Facebook, follow on Twitter, and Instagram for updates on promotions and your daily fix of taco pictures.

EDMONTON, Alberta –  GLOBE NEWSWIRE

Do you believe in Majik? Canada’s premium juice and smoothie bar, Booster Juice, is set to launch a brand new, seemingly magical product on September 1, 2018. To boost excitement ahead of product launch, the company has kicked off a cryptic blue-coloured advertising campaign that directs consumers to the social media hashtag #BlendItBlue.

“Booster Juice is thrilled to be introducing a fun and all-natural product offering to smoothie fans across the country,” said Dale Wishewan, President and CEO of Booster Juice. “The new product solidifies our commitment to offering fresh, innovative and unique products that support an active lifestyle. The teaser campaign is an exciting way to get consumers talking – we want to know what they think the product will be, so we are asking the question, how will Booster Juice blend it blue?”

Booster Juice’s Canada-wide teaser campaign features all-blue in-store marketing, traditional and unique outdoor advertising, radio and programmatic audio, digital advertising, street-team and social media marketing. The campaign serves to generate dialogue and build excitement by providing consumers with subtle hints about the new product that will transform smoothies into a vivid, beautiful blue, using all-natural ingredients.

The teaser campaign runs from August 16 – 31, 2018. You can view more hints about the secret product by following the social media hashtag #BlendItBlue or by visiting www.boosterjuice.com/blenditblue.

SAN DIEGO, CA –  GLOBE NEWSWIRE

Generation NEXT Franchise Brands, Inc. (OCTQB: VEND) announced today that the company is ramping production and delivery of its proprietary Reis & Irvy’s robotic frozen dessert vending kiosks after a brief delay that forced the company to redesign two key components.

By mid-August, the company had successfully delivered 15 units to franchisees in twelve cities across nine U.S. states as well as the province of Alberta, Canada. “After these initial installations, our Franchisee Support Team, in close contact with our franchisees, made us aware of two separate issues. The first issue was that we identified candy toppings ‘ricocheting’ out of the dispensing chute, resulting in the toppings, in some cases, landing outside of the cup, this resulted in the second issue which was the spillage becoming visible in the base of the unit. As a result, we decided to pause production in order to resolve this issue, which involved the design, prototyping and manufacturing of a newly-designed candy dispenser and drip tray. After thorough testing, we’re confident the new components have addressed the issues, and both previous and existing installations have been upgraded with the new components,” said Generation NEXT Franchise Brands Chairman and Founder, Nick Yates. “We believe we have passed our last design hurdle and we are now moving closer towards full-scale production.”

Locations, Locations, Locations

“We expect approximately 40 finished units to roll off the factory floor this week alone,” Yates added. “We anticipate these units will be delivered to franchisees in more than two dozen U.S. cities over the next 30 days or less.”

Notable locations scheduled for installation over the next 14 days include the Indianapolis Airport (Indianapolis, IN), Dallas Stars Hockey Club (Plano, TX), Houston Baptist University (Houston, TX), First Class Concessions at Fort Wayne International Airport (Fort Wayne, IN), University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM), Texas State University (San Marcos, TX), Gulfport High School (Gulfport, MS), Discovery Center (Boise, ID), Columbia Mall (Bloomsberg, PA), Groupon HQ (Chicago, IL), Bluegreen Vacations – Club 36 (Las Vegas, NV), Springfield Mall (Springfield, PA), Laserdome (Manheim, PA), Mockingbird Valley Indoor Soccer Club (Louisville, KY), Wayne State University (Detroit, MI), Oklahoma Christian University (Oklahoma City, OK), North East Mall (Hurst, TX), The Amazium (Fayetteville, AR), Porter Adventist Hospital (Denver, CO) and Quantum Leap (Johnson City, TN).

An Industry Disruptor

With over $170 million in franchise and licensing contracts, Generation NEXT Franchise Brands, Inc. (OTCBB: VEND) is leading the way with frozen desserts, fully autonomous robotic delivery, visual and audio entertainment, and a unique retail experience.

Generation Next Franchise Brands, Inc. (OTCQB: VEND) is the developer of the world’s first fully-automated robotic frozen dessert vending kiosk designed to disrupt brick-and-mortar competitors. Reis & Irvy’s unattended robots eliminate the need for costly rents and employees; significantly reduce food safety concerns; and are capable of operating 24-hours a day.

Reis & Irvy’s-branded signature robot characters of the same name can dispense servings of frozen yogurt, ice cream, gelato and sorbet topped with a selection of six delicious toppings in under 60 seconds. With self-checkout touch screen ordering and payment options, video animation, music and delicious frozen dessert provided exclusively by Dannon, robot vendors meet consumers’ demand for immediate convenience, entertainment and a superior quality product – be it in shopping malls, medical centers and any other high-traffic area.

On June 20, 2018, the company announced a business relationship with five-time Major Golf Champion Phil Mickelson and his career-long business manager and business partner Steve Loy.

For more information, visit the Reis & Irvy’s website at www.reisandirvys.com or call Toll-Free (888) 902-7558.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ. – Cold Stone Creamery®  is excited to partner with the new animated adventure Smallfoot to introduce two special film inspired treats. The Smallfoot Creation™ and Shake will be available from August 29 through October 16.

“We are always excited to work with Warner Bros. and celebrate the release of a new movie, especially a family friendly film about friendship and discovery,” said Melissa Hubbell, director of marketing for Cold Stone Creamery. “Smallfoot was the perfect partnership and we can’t wait for people to enjoy the film and the delicious treats from Cold Stone Creamery with their family and friends.”

Cold Stone Creamery will also launch an online sweepstakes starting August 31. Visit www.ColdStoneCreamery.com/sweepstakes and take the “Which Smallfoot Character Are You?” quiz for a chance to win a private hometown screening of Smallfoot. Fans can take the quiz until September 14.

Smallfoot, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Animation Group, opens in theaters September 28.

LOS ANGELES, CA – PRNewswire

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®, one of the world’s leading roaster and retailers of specialty coffee and tea, is introducing limited edition “Bright Future” Blend Coffee and Tea for the back to school season to benefit local teacher projects on DonorsChoose.org. The coffee and tea blends are available from August 27th through September 30th and $1 from each sale in-store or online will be donated to fund projects at schools around company-owned retail locations in California and Arizona, and participating franchise stores.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® “Bright Future” campaign is part of the company’s Caring Cup Initiative, committed to supporting local communities including everyday heroes like our teachers. The campaign will officially kick-off by funding three local school projects on DonorsChoose.org to support local teachers for the new school year and inspire students to maximize their learning potential. The projects range from helping elementary school kids learn about college, to teaching students healthy “Farm to Table” cooking skills in support of their school vegetable garden, and encouraging Reading Every Day (RED). The remaining projects will be funded throughout the fall.

“The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® is committed to supporting the teachers who dedicate their time, and often own money, to enrich their students’ education, and inspire them in all aspects of their lives,” said John Fuller, CEO, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®. “We appreciate the importance of giving back to teachers in the communities in which we serve, and are excited to partner with DonorsChoose.org to fund projects at our neighborhood schools.”

IRVINE, CA – Whether in a sandwich or a salad, The Habit Burger’s Golden Fried Chicken delivers satisfying crunch and big flavor in every bite. For a limited time only, The Habit Burger is bringing back the Golden Fried Chicken Salad, giving fans of their hand-breaded, buttermilk battered, perfectly seasoned golden fried chicken the option of a sandwich or salad.

The Golden Fried Chicken Salad is inspired by the fan-favorite Golden Fried Chicken Sandwich, which permanently joined The Habit menu in late 2016. The Golden Chicken Salad starts with a buttermilk battered, hand-breaded sliced chicken breast, served atop fresh garden greens, with feta cheese, diced tomatoes, crumbled bacon, red onions, carrots and cilantro, and is then tossed in a house-made Southwest-inspired cilantro lime ranch dressing.

The Habit’s golden chicken is hand-dipped into house-made seasoned flour and buttermilk, not just once but twice, before being fried to perfection and custom made to order for both the salad and the sandwich.

The Golden Fried Chicken Sandwich features a fresh filleted chicken breast, cooked to a juicy golden brown and topped with creamy spiced red pepper sauce, lettuce tomatoes and pickles and served on a fresh bun.

Better burgers are just the beginning at The Habit where signature Charburgers are always made with 100% fresh ground beef, never frozen and chargrilled over an open flame. The Habit’s signature Charburgers, grilled sandwiches, fresh salads, delicious sides, and handmade shakes are always made to order.

FRESNO, CA – PRWEB

PrideStaff, a national, franchised staffing organization, is pleased to announce that Senior Vice President John-Reed McDonald was named one of Staffing Industry Analysts’ 2018 “40 Under 40” list of up-and-coming staffing industry leaders. This prestigious list honors trailblazers who have rapidly achieved remarkable success in an ever-evolving workforce ecosystem.

John-Reed joined PrideStaff in 2007 as a Vice President – Field Consultant. In this role, he developed new sales processes for the PrideStaff system, assisted PrideStaff’s COO in creating a three-week training program for all newly opened PrideStaff offices, and was responsible for managing the profitability and growth of his assigned offices. In 2011, he was promoted to Senior Vice President and became a member of PrideStaff’s executive team. He currently also serves on PrideStaff’s Brand Advisory Council, providing direction to help shape the organization’s future.

“We were thrilled to learn that our colleague and friend John-Reed was named to SIA’s ’40 Under 40′ list of staffing industry leaders,” said PrideStaff COO Tammi Heaton. “His hard work, innovation and leadership have helped shape several advances of the PrideStaff system, while earning our organization coveted spots on SIA’s list of the Top 100 Largest U.S. Staffing Firms five times, and on SIA’s Fastest-Growing U.S. Staffing Firms in 2015 and 2016.

“Though John-Reed has quickly assembled an admirable record of success, he is not content to rest on his laurels,” continued Heaton. “Each day, he shares his passion and industry insights with our team, works hard to ensure PrideStaff’s continued growth, and lives out our corporate mission to ‘consistently provide client experiences focused on what they value most.'”

The success of PrideStaff’s approach is evident, as they consistently rank among the highest 1% of staffing firms in the industry. According to Inavero, a business intelligence firm specializing in the staffing industry, PrideStaff earned a client Net Promoter® Score (NPS) as high as or higher than other well-known brands such as Amazon and Netflix. NPS is computed by subtracting a firm’s detractors from its promoters.

DENVER, CO – PRNewswire

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE : CMG ) announced today that the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation will sponsor the first Chipotle Aluminaries Project, a seven-month-long accelerator program designed to help growth-stage ventures with a shared vision to cultivate a better world take their businesses to the next level. Beginning September 12, food-focused companies may submit applications to join a cohort of ventures that will receive mentorship and direct coaching from world-renowned industry leaders, participate in a boot camp, receive a Chipotle celebrity card and of course, be fueled by Chipotle catering throughout.

“Chipotle has been committed to the future of food with integrity since opening our first restaurant 25 years ago,” said Brian Niccol, chief executive officer at Chipotle. “Since then, Chipotle and its Foundation have changed how customers and the industry think about food, which is part of our mission to cultivate a better world. By sponsoring the Chipotle Aluminaries Project, we’re looking to advance the work of the next generation of entrepreneurs who are disrupting the food landscape. Are you using technology to make an impact? Are you dreaming up the next sustainable food innovation? If so, we want to support you and help share your story.”

The Chipotle Aluminaries Project is seeking applicants (both for and non-profits) in the areas of alternative farming and growing systems, farming and agriculture technology, food waste and recovery, and plant and alternative products. After reviewing submissions and talking with candidates, Uncharted, the non-profit 501(c)(3) partner selected by the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation to host and run this accelerator, will select up to eight ventures to join the first cohort.

Those ventures will receive support and mentorship from hand-selected industry leaders like:

• Richard Blais, a successful chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, television personality and winner of Bravo’s Top Chef All-Stars
• Kimbal Musk, an entrepreneur, philanthropist and restaurateur who sits on the boards of directors of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Tesla Inc. and SpaceX

Ventures will also work closely with Chipotle executives such as:

• Curt Garner, chief digital and information officer
• Caitlin Leibert, director of sustainability
• Laurie Schalow, chief communications officer
• Tressie Lieberman, vice president of digital marketing and off premise

The selected ventures will participate in a five day, in-person boot camp in Newport Beach, California, with direct coaching to build their plan for scale. Plus, they will receive real food to fuel late work-nights with monthly Chipotle catering for their office and a Chipotle celebrity card, because Chipotle believes these entrepreneurs deserve celebrity status.

“The Chipotle Aluminaries Project is part of a fresh perspective from the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, which we founded in 2011 to extend our commitment to creating a more sustainable food future,” said Caitlin Leibert, director of sustainability at Chipotle. “Chipotle believes that philanthropy is more than check cutting, and this is the first of many efforts from the Cultivate Foundation of investing in new ways.”

The Chipotle Aluminaries Project will be launched in partnership with Uncharted, a 501(c)(3) organization that uses the DNA of an entrepreneurial accelerator to tackle major social problems like urban poverty and food deserts. Uncharted has helped social entrepreneurs raise $252 million, create impact in 96 countries, and benefit 37 million lives.

Companies interested in submitting an application for the Chipotle Aluminaries Project can find more information and apply here starting September 12.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL – 24-7PressRelease

John and Ashly Robbins, owners of the Signarama shop in Redding, CA, looked out the window of their home and in the distance across the river, saw plumes of smoke rising into the air. Their first thought was that it was just another normal brush fire. They would soon know that this fire was anything but normal.

It began earlier in the week as a seemingly contained brush fire, but by midweek a phenomenon called a fire-tornado or “firenado” had formed. With flames being fueled by sustained tornado winds of 143 mph, the fire raged out of control, quickly moving toward their home in Stanford Hills.

Two days later, another phenomenon took place. At their Signarama shop in downtown Redding, staff voluntarily came in and worked two 24-hour shifts to design and print “thank you” signs to first responders and others that came to the rescue of families throughout the area. John, his wife, Ashly, and members of their Signarama team are great examples of neighbors helping neighbors.

“The full force of the fire was Thursday and by Saturday we were in the shop designing and printing signs,” said Robbins, whose company is part of United Franchise Group, headquartered in West Palm Beach, FL. “We began by handing out a few signs to say ‘thank you’ to the first responders, and when the sheriff got on the TV and told people how much the signs helped morale, there was an instant demand for more signs.” By the following Wednesday, the Signarama team had printed and handed out more than 6,000 signs thanking everyone from firefighters, law enforcement, and first responders, to heavy equipment operators, utility workers, air support, and others.

The project began with four designs but as more requests poured in, the Robbins’ team ended up with 10 designs. “We did our best to accommodate everyone and held a drive thru distribution day at the shop that created quite a traffic jam,” he said. “People wanted to show their appreciation and they’ve been super-supportive and very thankful.”

The Robbins depleted their entire stock, but thanks to the efficiency of Signarama’s Sacramento supplier, Grimco, more materials were on the way. “They went above and beyond, meeting with us on the weekends, and arranging to get supplies to us as quickly as possible,” Robbins said. “Without them going the extra mile we probably would have been able to print only half the signs. They also helped defray the cost of supplies because they knew we were giving the signs away.”

Signs were printed on Saturday and Sunday, and on Monday at 6 a.m. the team gathered for more work and the printers didn’t turn off until Wednesday night. “My guys knew how much those signs meant to people in the town and everyone did a terrific job.” Local radio stations also got in on the action, setting up shop in front of Signarama and holding drive-thru fundraisers with the proceeds benefitting the fire relief fund.

“Giving back to the community is something we take great pride in,” said Signarama President A.J. Titus. “The creativity, hard work, and community spirit shown by John, Ashly, and their entire team is to be commended. We are extremely proud of their efforts.”

Robbins recalled talking with Titus about the difference between Florida’s hurricanes and California’s wildfires. “I told him that with a hurricane there was time to prepare, but with a wildfire there is no time because it can spread so quickly,” commented Robbins. “This went from a small brushfire to an out-of-control wildfire; like nothing we had ever seen before. When the winds picked up it went from covering 8,000 to 23,000 acres overnight.” The blaze is estimated to have burned more than 176,000 acres, making it the most destructive in state history.

Robbins said the barometer for evacuation was when a helicopter with a dumper container hovered above his house. “I thought it was hovering waiting on instructions to go somewhere and drop the water,” he said. “It moved about 100 feet and dropped the water in my neighbor’s back yard. I knew it was time to leave.” On that day, thick smoke blocked the sun, the entire neighborhood was without electricity, fumes burned the eyes and throat, and hot embers and debris were flying. “My family had to literally drive through flames to get out of the neighborhood,” Robbins said. “Heavy-duty pickup trucks were lifted off the road by the tornado.”

The last couple of weeks have been a nightmare for residents of Redding and its surrounding suburbs. There has been loss of life and more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed, yet stories continue to emerge about survival and people helping people. “What we did with our signs definitely had an impact and we’re proud to have made some small difference,” he said. “I am most proud of our community coming together as one in a very difficult time.”

Signarama is more than a sign of good business…it’s a sign of community spirit…a sign of caring. Perfect examples can be found in Redding, CA.