small business opportunity magazine

ANN ARBOR, MI – PRNewswire

Domino’s Pizza (NYSE: DPZ), the largest pizza company in the world based on global retail sales, has named Tom Curtis as its new executive vice president of Team USA.  Curtis will lead Domino’s network of 396 company-owned stores across the United States. He will also oversee Domino’s operations innovation and global store training teams.

“Tom has been a key player on our team for many years and I know that Team USA is going to benefit from his many years of operational experience with our brand,” said Domino’s Chief Executive Officer Ritch Allison. “I’m looking forward to bringing his strong track record on the franchise side of the business to our corporate stores around the country.”

After graduating from Emory University in 1985, Curtis began his career with Domino’s as a store manager in Atlanta, and then became a franchisee in the New Haven, Connecticut area from 1987 until 2006. After franchising, Curtis joined Domino’s corporate as an area leader in 2006. He went on to a variety of leadership positions in the field, including becoming the director of strategic market growth and leading the Seattle “fortress market” program prior to providing operations support as the West region vice president and then vice president of operations support for the U.S. Prior to his current role, Curtis served as vice president of franchise relations and operations innovation.

Curtis replaces Stan Gage, who recently purchased 12 Domino’s stores to become a franchisee.

MADISON, NJ – PRNewswire

Century 21 Real Estate LLC, franchisor of the iconic CENTURY 21 brand, today announced it has received global recognition for its recent brand reinvention. The launch of its new identity was named most innovative marketing campaign at the 2018 Inman Innovator Awards, which recognizes the visionaries and forward-thinking individuals and companies in the real estate industry.

An annual competition, the Inman Innovator Awards highlight the real estate industry’s most forward-thinking and unencumbered members across seven categories, including most innovative: real estate technology, real estate company, broker-owner, agent, MLS association or industry organization, team and marketing program.

“As the real estate industry continues to dynamically change and evolve, we’re constantly challenged to progress and push the industry forward, which was a huge motivating factor behind this year’s rebranding campaign,” said Cara Whitley, chief marketing officer, Century 21 Real Estate. “To be recognized by industry leaders with this prestigious award acknowledges our hard work to defy mediocrity and deliver extraordinary experiences to both our brokers and agents and their customers.”

This year’s 2018 Inman Innovator Award winners were announced at Inman Connect in San Francisco July 17-20, 2018, which brings together 4,000 top-producing agents and brokers, CEOs of leading real estate franchises, MLS and association leaders, tech entrepreneurs and marketing executives to explore the changing industry. To check out the full list of finalists and winners, visit: www.inman.com/2018inmaninnovatorawards

CLEVELAND, OH – PRNewswire

Pain often stops people from doing what they love.  HealthSource, America’s leading franchise group of wellness clinics, offering non-surgical and non-prescription treatments to address pain, has launched a campaign encouraging those dealing with pain to fight it and stay active.  The integrated branding campaign features cyclists, tennis players, runners, walkers and others in their daily exercise routines.  Advertising elements include radio and television spots, digital pre-roll, digital display ads, out-of-home billboards, direct mail, print and exterior window graphics.  Co-op funding is covering the cost of broadcast advertising, while all other elements are being paid by a national media buy.

To view the broadcast spot, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5662S2c5ZY.

Kieran McCauley, VP of Marketing at HealthSource believes the campaign message will resonate with consumers.  “We’ve essentially flipped the focus to active living from pain management,” said McCauley.  “People don’t need to be reminded about pain, they need to remember what makes them happy, and this campaign shows them how to get into a routine to address and prevent pain – using stretching, massage, progressive rehab, nutritional supplements and spinal manipulation.”

Faction Pictures of Cleveland created the broadcast spots for HealthSource.  For the first spot, which will air during the 3^rd quarter media buy, the creative production company used captivating visuals and engaging music to tell the story of a mom trying to stay fit through spinning and a wellness plan to address back pain.  Future spots will spotlight other patient segments, conditions and services.

Another aspect of the campaign is showcasing natural and holistic ways for treating pain.  This is important to many Americans who are increasingly more skeptical of traditional medical approaches as a result of the opioid crisis.  Millennials in particular are leery of taking prescriptions, and prefer holistic and homeopathic treatments versus surgery and medications to address chronic pain.   Sales for alternative treatments to address chronic pain are growing at a rate of 17.61% in the United States, and will exceed $58 billion by 2025 according to a study by Grand View Research.  HealthSource clinics have realized a steady stream of new patients as a result of this trend.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – PRNewswire

Massage Envy, the leader in professional massage and skin care, is revolutionizing massage services with the introduction of CyMe™ Boost – a first-of-its-kind collection of skin serums that blend with Massage Envy-branded massage oils and creams to create personalized skincare for the entire body.

The highly concentrated CyMe Boost serums contain potent, efficacious ingredients designed to hydrate, purify, balance and improve the appearance of the skin from head to toe. The result is a highly customized, differentiated massage that delivers on the brand’s promise of total body care.

“CyMe Boost addresses the emerging trend of consumers beginning to care about treating their skin beyond just the face and neck,” said Joe Magnacca, Massage Envy CEO. “Collectively, the Massage Envy franchise network has performed more than 135 million massages and facials, far more than anyone else in the industry. We used that experience and expertise to create CyMe™ Boost.”

The CyMe™ Boost assortment includes:

• Energizing Boost: Contains guarana seed extract and caffeine to stimulate the skin for a more radiant and youthful look.
• Renewing Boost: Designed to support suppleness, and appearance of firmness for a youthful look.
• Purifying Boost: Works to purify skin for a smoother, brighter and healthier-looking appearance.
• Clarifying Boost: Helps clarify and balance the skin by removing impurities from the surface of the skin.
• Hydrating Boost: Intensely hydrates and penetrates to the lower layers of the skin, providing lasting moisture while increasing skin’s natural luminance.
• Firming Boost: A moisturizing serum that minimizes the appearance of lines, leaving skin looking soft and satin-smooth.

These serums can be used separately, paired together, or combined with other enhancements in the selection of Massage Envy’s offerings, like aromatherapy. In total, there are more than 720 possible enhancement combinations that allow customers to receive a personalized body care treatment at Massage Envy franchised locations across the U.S.

The CyMe™ Boost offering advances Massage Envy’s growth strategy, which is aimed at serving emerging consumer trends; discovering attractive concepts on the cusp of growth and launching them on a large scale; and making advanced products and services accessible.  In the last two years, the company has launched Total Body Stretch, an assisted stretching service that uses Massage Envy’s proprietary Streto method; advanced skincare offerings such as microderm-infusion and chemical peels and its first private-label skincare line, CyMe™, which quickly became the best-selling SKUs across the franchise network and continue to outpace expectations.

“More than 15 years ago, this company revolutionized the wellness category by offering therapeutic massage in a membership model, and that spirit continues to drive the business,” Magnacca said. “Our model is ripe for growth, and innovations like CyMe™ Boost have the power to expand our reach, attract new customers, and deepen the loyalty of the membership base.”

CyMe Boost is now available at Massage Envy franchised locations nationwide, with an added cost of $10 per Boost to any Wellness Massage session.

CHANDLER, AZ. – Native Grill & Wings, an award-winning Arizona-based restaurant chain known for introducing chicken wings to the Valley of the Sun is celebrating National Chicken Wing Day on Sunday, July 29.

Native will be offering 10 cent wings, with a max of 10 wings per person, as the Native team reintroduces a former fan favorite special from their early days in 1979. Customers can indulge on wings with their choice of over 20 sauces and dry rubs at any of the Native Grill & Wings nationwide. The celebration will give guests, both old and new, the chance to enjoy their favorite wing flavor or try a new one during the one-day limited-time offer.

“We are excited to celebrate this national food observance,” said Dan Chaon, CEO of Native Grill & Wings. “As self-proclaimed wing experts, the team and I are thrilled for our customers to take advantage of this amazing limited-time offer and try new flavors at a low cost.”

Chicken wings can be seen as the crown jewel in the restaurant industry. They can be dressed in sauces or dry rubs that are spicy, sweet, savory or left plane Jane style and accompanied with dipping sauces galore.

“National Chicken Wing Day is not just any holiday – it’s our holiday that allows us showcase Native’s roots and why we began in the first place,” said Chaon. “Native was founded in 1979 with the mission to bring flavorful wings to Arizona. Nearly 40 years later, Native is a staple in Arizona with customers always coming back for more. Our 10 cent wing deal on July 29 is also a way for us to celebrate our customer’s never-ending support.”

Native Grill & Wings (or, “Native,” as the regulars called it) focuses on food and being family-friendly unlike competitors such as Hooters, Twin Peaks and Buffalo Wild Wings. The polished sports grill proudly offers over 20 wing flavors – from Strawberry Hot to Ancho Chile Lime, Asian Garlic to Honey Chipotle – which guests can order by the individual wing, as well as an extensive menu of burgers, sandwiches, salads and more. Most of the sauces and rubs can be used to customize other menu items.

The restaurants are divided into a bar and restaurant, with approximately 30-40 flat screen TVs throughout, offering sports coverage for families and serious fans, and a customer base spanning all generations – baby boomers, Generation Xers and Millennials.

IRVINE, CA

In five short months since launching its franchise opportunity, Row House, the nation’s leading fitness rowing concept, has signed an impressive 47 franchise agreements which will rapidly expand the brand across the country. Row House’s strong initial development is directly in line with the brand’s overarching goal to open 100 studio locations each year through 2022.

The recent franchise agreements will debut the brand in new states such as Connecticut, Colorado, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia with the largest development agreement coming to Illinois with 10 locations slated to open by 2022. These locations come alongside the brand’s plans to further develop Row House’s presence in New York and California where Row House will add three and nine locations, respectfully.

Long recognized by the rowing community as one of the most effective forms of full-body exercise, Row House is initiating the revitalization of America’s oldest sport with plans to completely transform the $22B fitness industry.

“We expect the initial development of Row House to act as a catalyst for additional franchise deals, motivating passionate entrepreneurs to join the nation’s leading rowing brand,” said Ramon Castillon, President of Row House. “The Row House concept has officially gained mass appeal across multiple markets, posing as a true testament that the highly-effective, low-impact workout is filling a niche in not only regional areas but throughout the crowded boutique fitness space nationwide. We are excited to provide communities across the country with an alternative fitness regimen over the coming months.”

Row House is a fitness community focused on providing the comradery and drive fostered by the sport of rowing. By offering a variety of classes, those of different strengths and abilities come together for a synchronized group fitness experience. In class, participants row on the same stroke, moving as a unit, but also have the ability to row at their own intensity. As rowing is one of the most effective low-impact, high-energy workouts, each stroke offers participants the opportunity to engage 85 percent of the body’s muscles with a low risk of injury – maximizing calorie burn, activating the core, strengthening and lengthening the body and ultimately improving posture.

To further expansion and market disruption, Row House is actively seeking qualified franchise partners. Headquartered in Irvine, CA, Row House is backed by Xponential Fitness, a team with more than 25 years’ experience in fitness franchising. The Row House franchise opportunity offers potential franchisees the opportunity to capitalize on an emerging market across all 50 states. With a total investment of $213,000-$311,000, Row House provides sound business opportunity along with a wealth of support, infrastructure and knowledge from the Xponential Fitness team.

“With our proven business model which is backed by Xponential Fitness’ more than two decades of experience in fitness franchising, we have been able to build a sophisticated support team to provide our franchisees with operational systems necessary to generate ongoing stability and brand loyalty,” added Castillon.

For more information about Row House franchise opportunity, please visit http://therowhouse.com/franchise/.

NASHVILLE, TN – PRNewswire

Back Yard Burgers has announced the hiring of Scott Shotter as its new chief executive officer. Axum Capital Partners, Back Yard Burgers’ private equity firm, selected Shotter for his proven track record in operations and success in guest loyalty and team building strategies.

Shotter joins Back Yard Burgers from Moe’s Southwest Grill, where he was vice president of operations. While at Moe’s, he helped bring about exponential growth for the brand, which expanded from 200 locations to more than 700 locations during his nine-year tenure.

Prior to Moe’s, Shotter managed operations for more than 30 national and regional brands, including Starbucks, Sbarro, Popeye’s, Johnny Rockets and Burger King.

One attribute that attracted Shotter to the Back Yard Burgers brand, which boasts 51 locations across 11 states, was its vision for a new restaurant prototype and growth plan to bring its signature fresh, flame-grilled favorites to a new generation of guests.

“I’m very excited about these plans and it’s one reason I joined the team,” Shotter said. “In addition to the new store prototype, we’re going to focus on the culinary and service experience Back Yard Burgers provides to our customers. We know that our franchise partners are going to be equally excited and we look forward to rolling out what I believe is a well-planned growth strategy.”

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – PRWEB

Celebrating its 35th year of business, leading staffing company Express Employment Professionals continues to smash sales records, reporting $1.71 billion in sales in the first half of 2018, 11 percent ahead of the same period in 2017. At its current growth rate, the company is projected to finish 2018 with $3.57 billion in sales.

Coinciding with its milestone anniversary, the international staffing company has awarded 26 franchise locations so far this year, including the 800th territory to Ryan Strain in Central Calgary, Alberta, Canada. For every Express office that opens, on average 700 more people find work annually.

“Express continues to outperform the competition by impacting communities on every level,” said Bill Stoller, Express CEO. “Our franchisees are committed to connecting quality workers with reputable companies, helping put food on the table for families and generating revenue to boost local economies. In an era of increasing automation during the job search, we are committed to preserving the human element of recruiting.”

At the end of June, Express’ more than 800 offices have put 336,528 people to work this year in the United States and Canada and nearly 180,000 of those were first-time associates. A total of 566,893 people are projected to find work through the staffing company by the conclusion of 2018, a 5 percent increase from 2017.

Currently, Express has nearly 19,000 job openings for a variety of positions, including technical support analysts, administrative assistants, inventory clerks, delivery drivers, carpenters, customer service reps, switchboard operators, auditors and welders.

“For the first time in American history, there are more open jobs than people out of work because of the booming economy and low unemployment,” Stoller said. “While the labor force participation rate increased from 62.7 percent in May to 62.9 percent in June, it continues to lag behind 66.2 percent at the beginning of the Great Recession. There are more than 95 million workers who we need to get off the sidelines. In the midst of a recruiting crisis for companies, we are excited to work with this untapped labor pool.”

To make connecting with Express recruiters even easier, Express recently released the much-anticipated ExpressJobs app. The new app is a significant step in the digital transformation of the company, which believes in creating a personalized experience for job seekers while embracing advancements in technology. The free app leverages machine-learning models and intelligent search to help users easily find jobs in their area, link to their social networks, apply to jobs, schedule interviews, access resources and manage their employment details, all within the same platform.

All of these accomplishments and the company’s continued success in 2018 led to the distinction of being named the No.1 staffing franchise in the U.S. by Entrepreneur Magazine for the seventh consecutive year. It was also ranked among the Top 100 companies on the 39th annual Franchise 500 List. The magazine ranks companies based on financial strength and stability, growth rate and the number of years a company has been in business.

“As a company, we have accomplished quite a bit in the first two quarters of 2018, but I’m confident that our greatest chapters are yet unwritten,” Stoller said. “And that we absolutely have the best people to help further the remarkable story of Express.”

If you would like to arrange for an interview with Bill Stoller to discuss this topic, please contact Sheena Karami, Director of Corporate Communications and PR, at (405) 717-5966.

GLENDALE, CA – PRNewswire

Today, IHOP® Restaurants marks its 60th year by announcing the rollout of its first, and largest, national delivery program in partnership with DoorDash. The introduction of delivery at select IHOP restaurants across the U.S. is a critical step in expanding the brand’s IHOP ‘N GO® (to-go) platform which already includes a fully-integrated online ordering system through IHOP.com and the IHOP mobile app. Guests ordering IHOP ‘N GO via DoorDash will be able to enjoy the full range of items off the restaurant’s regular and limited time menus as well as fully customize any order. All IHOP delivery and to-go orders are placed in proprietary packaging that is designed to keep all-day breakfast foods and more – like IHOP’s new Ultimate Steakburgers – hot and fresh while in transit – or in the case of its world-famous pancakes, hot, fresh and fluffy until eaten.

“For 60 years, IHOP has proudly served our guests freshly made breakfast favorites and more, all day, every day,” said Darren Rebelez, President, IHOP. “Undertaking a national delivery partnership is an exciting new chapter in our story and builds on the foundational work we’ve done on IHOP ‘N GO this past year, including introducing a mobile app, online ordering through IHOP.com, and special packaging that preserves the quality of our food for takeout. Most importantly, our partnership with DoorDash helps us bring more pancakes, to more people, whenever and wherever cravings strike – something IHOP guests told us they wanted.”

As part of the weeklong anniversary festivities – which also includes an in-restaurant, 60-cent short stack of pancakes deal today only* – DoorDash customers can enjoy free delivery on any IHOP order totaling $10 or more from Wednesday, July 18 through Sunday, July 22**. Currently, more than 300 IHOP restaurants are set-up for online ordering through the DoorDash website and mobile app with another 600-700 IHOP restaurants expected to be available for delivery by the end of the year.

“As a leading delivery provider with extensive national reach and a focus on strategically – and rapidly – expanding, DoorDash is an ideal partner to help us kick off the next phase of IHOP ‘N GO,” continued Rebelez. “Right now, about 300 IHOP restaurants are signed up with DoorDash with more coming online every day. Given the national matchup between where there’s an IHOP and DoorDash’s current and anticipated service areas, I expect to have close to 1,000 restaurants added to the DoorDash platform before the end of the year.”

Through this partnership, IHOP will ensure a best-in-class guest experience by seamlessly integrating DoorDash into its Point of Sale (POS) system. POS integrations allow DoorDash to scale additional IHOP restaurants at a faster pace. By integrating with IHOP’s restaurant management system, DoorDash can ensure a better experience for the guest and the restaurant team.

“At DoorDash we pride ourselves on offering the best selection in the industry, and today’s announcement with IHOP is especially exciting as this brand has consistently been a top requested restaurant by our customers,” said Christopher Payne, Chief Operating Officer at DoorDash. “Customers can now order their favorite IHOP menu items any hour of the day, from over 300 locations across the country, and counting.”

The partnership news from IHOP comes a month after the brand debuted its Ultimate Steakburgers, seven mouthwatering burgers made with 100 percent USDA Choice, Black Angus beef and piled high with premium ingredients like hickory-smoked bacon, thick-cut onion rings and a special sauce. To show the brand was as serious about its burgers as it is about its pancakes, it temporarily flipped the “p” to a “b” in its iconic name for the campaign launch. Perfect for delivery – and available with a side of pancakes – Ultimate Steakburgers, along with breakfast combos, hearty omelettes, and more are available via DoorDash.

DoorDash is available from select IHOP locations starting today. To find the nearest IHOP location and learn more about special offers, including the IHOP Anniversary Event featuring a 60-cent short stack of pancakes on July 17, available in-restaurant only, visit IHOP.com.

*Guests can receive one short stack of IHOP restaurant’s Original Buttermilk pancakes for 60 cents on Tuesday, July 17 between 7 am and 7 pm in honor of the brand’s anniversary; good for dine-in only at participating restaurants.

**$0 Delivery Fees Promotional Terms: Free delivery only available by ordering IHOP ‘N GO through DoorDash; applies to a purchase of $10 or more placed between 7/18/2018 and 7/22/2018. See DoorDash for additional details and limitations. Offer, price and participation on all promotions varies by location. Delivery is not available at all IHOP restaurants.

LOUISVILLE, KY – BUSINESS WIRE

Papa John’s is not an individual. Papa John’s is a pizza company with 120,000 corporate and franchise team members around the world. Our employees represent all walks of life, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace for all. Racism and any insensitive language, no matter what the context simply cannot – and will not – be tolerated at any level of our company.

The Board of Directors of Papa John’s accepted Mr. Schnatter’s resignation as Chairman of the Board earlier this week. It has also been decided he will no longer be in any of the advertising or marketing materials associated with the brand.

This decision is the first of several key steps to rebuild trust from the inside-out. We will be engaging a broad set of stakeholders to chart a course forward that demonstrates our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

First, we will identify and retain an independent and outside expert to audit all of our existing processes, policies and systems related to diversity and inclusion, supplier engagement and Papa John’s culture. As part of that process, we will establish a process for communicating progress against transparent goals to everyone in our Papa John’s family.

The entire senior management team will also be visiting key locations across the country and hold listening sessions with employees in our stores to talk about what they are seeing and give them a platform to voice their concerns. To follow-up, we will initiate two-way conversations to invite ongoing feedback from employees and franchisees to ensure that their voices are heard.

I will personally be leading this effort because there is nothing more important for Papa John’s right now. We want to regain trust, though I know we need to earn it. We will demonstrate that a diverse and inclusive culture exists at Papa John’s through our deeds and actions.