Dave Shula Returns as President of Shula's Restaurant Group
Dave Shula rejoins Shula's Restaurant Group as president, leading growth into Palm Beach Gardens and a 2027 Thomasville, Georgia expansion.
Sep 23, 2026
Dave Shula rejoins Shula's Restaurant Group as president, leading growth into Palm Beach Gardens and a 2027 Thomasville, Georgia expansion.
Sep 23, 2026
McDonald's commits $8.5 billion through 2036 to modernize restaurants, boost cash flow by $100,000 per store, and grow chicken and beverage sales.
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WKS Restaurant Group promotes Jay Spongberg to president and COO after he helped grow the company from 65 to 382 restaurants over 16 years.
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Smokey Mo's BBQ names Von Dawson, a Dine Brands veteran, as VP of Franchise Development to lead its Texas expansion strategy.
Sep 23, 2026
Meritage Hospitality's Chapter 11 filing pulls 5% of Wendy's U.S. stores into bankruptcy, exposing cracks in franchising's bigger-is-safer bet.
Sep 21, 2026
Jack in the Box names Rachel Ruggeri to its board as Michael Murphy retires, amid a CEO transition and deal with investor GreenWood.
Sep 21, 2026
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Explore how Applebee’s is driving consistency, accelerating growth, and integrating new menu items under new leadership to elevate restaurant performance.
Photo by Naoki Suzuki
With the recent leadership changes at Applebee’s, the focus has shifted towards optimizing operations to ensure restaurant success. The appointment of Wong, with his extensive operations experience from the hotel industry, signals a strategic move by the brand to scale global teams, drive consistency, and lead transformations.
To extend its sales growth, Applebee’s is incorporating new premium and value-oriented menu items like the Two-for-$25 offer, Bourbon Street pasta, and Sizzlin’ Skillets and Steak. While these additions can introduce complexities by adding new SKUs and processes, the brand ensures a rigorous process under Wong’s oversight. Testing new dishes in the corporate kitchen and with franchisees before broad rollout highlights a commitment to seamless menu integration.
Photo by Naoki Suzuki
Under Chin's leadership, Applebee’s is poised to leverage value-based marketing as a key strategy moving forward. With a background in consumer brands like Starbucks, Godiva, and Unilever, Chin brings valuable insights to enhance the brand's marketing efforts. Strengthening the in-house marketing team and expanding reach on social media have already shown significant results, with notable increases in engagement across various platforms.
Photo by Naoki Suzuki
The goal of Applebee’s under its new leadership is to elevate restaurant performance by fostering agility and operational excellence. By working closely with teams and franchisees, there is a strong emphasis on driving consistency and accelerating growth. The brand's commitment to a meticulous process in integrating new menu items and its value-based marketing approach positions Applebee’s for continued success in the competitive casual dining market.
Photo by Naoki Suzuki