• Focus Brands, a private equity-owned company that has Cinnabon, Schlotzsky's, Moe's Southwest Grill, and Auntie Anne's in its portfolio, has made a $200 million cash acquisition of Jamba Juice, which will continue to operate as a separate, privately held retail brand.
The deal is expected to close in the third quarter.
• QSR reports that Subway has announced that “it is updating its food and beverage offerings through its Fresh Now platform. Fresh Now features new sauces, flavors, and beverages available for customers to further customize their Subway meal.”
The program is bringing new sandwiches and sauces to the fast feeder’s menu, and, according to the story, “was piloted in about 200 San Diego locations and is now in nearly 500 Subway across the country. The company plans to roll it out system-wide by summer of 2019.”
• CNN reports that Brookstone has “filed for bankruptcy and will close its remaining 101 mall stores. The mall and airport seller, best known for massage chairs, quirky gadgets, and travel luggage, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in federal court on Thursday. It was Brookstone's second bankruptcy round in four years … The company will keep its 35 airport stores and website open and running while it attempts to find a buyer.”
• The Los Angeles Times reports that “a California produce company has been linked to a multistate outbreak of illnesses from parasites found in wholesale bagged salad mixes, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“Fresh Express, based in Salinas, supplied bagged salad mixes tainted with cyclospora to McDonald’s franchises in the Midwest, where health authorities in two states reported at least 286 customers of the fast-food chain were sickened, the FDA said. McDonald’s was forced last month to halt salad sales at 3,000 regional franchises as a precaution, and changed its supplier.”
The deal is expected to close in the third quarter.
• QSR reports that Subway has announced that “it is updating its food and beverage offerings through its Fresh Now platform. Fresh Now features new sauces, flavors, and beverages available for customers to further customize their Subway meal.”
The program is bringing new sandwiches and sauces to the fast feeder’s menu, and, according to the story, “was piloted in about 200 San Diego locations and is now in nearly 500 Subway across the country. The company plans to roll it out system-wide by summer of 2019.”
• CNN reports that Brookstone has “filed for bankruptcy and will close its remaining 101 mall stores. The mall and airport seller, best known for massage chairs, quirky gadgets, and travel luggage, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in federal court on Thursday. It was Brookstone's second bankruptcy round in four years … The company will keep its 35 airport stores and website open and running while it attempts to find a buyer.”
• The Los Angeles Times reports that “a California produce company has been linked to a multistate outbreak of illnesses from parasites found in wholesale bagged salad mixes, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“Fresh Express, based in Salinas, supplied bagged salad mixes tainted with cyclospora to McDonald’s franchises in the Midwest, where health authorities in two states reported at least 286 customers of the fast-food chain were sickened, the FDA said. McDonald’s was forced last month to halt salad sales at 3,000 regional franchises as a precaution, and changed its supplier.”
- KC's View:
