Jake’s Wayback Burgers has grown to 72 stores in 22 states since its debut in Newark, Del., in 1991. Now it will have a presence in 28 countries in the Middle East and Africa. The Cheshire, Conn., chain has entered the international arena through an agreement with Topaz Mena LLC, a Saudi Arabian firm that…

The Dallas-based fast-casual burger chain is taking its hometown expansion strategy to North Carolina. Mooyah plans to follow up this year’s planned flagship restaurant opening in Charlotte and expand its brand to Raleigh and Greensboro and other surrounding areas. The chain previously used this development strategy to establish 22 restaurants in the Dallas area. Mooyah,…

Texas palates might be getting greener. Austin-based Snap Kitchen, which offers takeout and delivery of vegan, gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian and sugar-free meals, is adding five locations in Dallas-Fort Worth. It will include a commissary kitchen in a 4,000- to 5,000-sq.-ft. flagship location; other units will have 600- to 1,500-sq.-ft. footprints. The eateries, due to open…

Win2uit Electronics and Manufacturing Services, a division of Winston Industries, will host an open house on Sept.13 to showcase the company’s capabilities. Win2uit products and services include PCB assembly, cable/harness assembly, custom metal fabrication, procurement, product integration and engineering. The daylong event will be held at the firm’s recently remodeled facility in Louisville. More information…

White Castle has unveiled a quick-service spin on exhibition cooking with what it calls its “kitchen of the future.” The Elizabethtown, Ky., store, a test-drive for future expansion, features a stainless and glass griddle set within a wall-free kitchen that allows patrons to see their burgers being prepped, cooked and wrapped. The design is a…

The rapid growth pace for Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants continues unabated. The Dallas-based company, one of the nation’s fastest-growing chains, will open nine new sites in central California. Franchise partners and KFC veterans Kevin and Bryan Roche are centering their development plans in Fresno, Clovis and Hanford. The 72-year-old fast-casual chain currently has 32 locations in…

The Middleby Corp. has hired Peter Cooper, formerly of Johnson & Wales University, as its new v.p.-business development, consultant and design services. Cooper is acting as a liaison between all of the Middleby brands and the design and consultant community. Prior to joining Middleby, Cooper spent six years as the executive director of culinary procurement…

Kitchen Brains has appointed company veteran George Koether as chief strategy officer to bring additional focus to its external development agenda, including strategic alliances, partnerships and acquisitions. “In his new position, George will work with me in assessing and executing our external growth opportunities. Evidence of his effectiveness was the important role he played in…

Bill Eggers has been promoted to the position of chief marketing officer for Cooper-Atkins Corp. The company veteran has held various responsibilities at the Middlefield, Conn., maker of time- and temperature-measurement devices, including developing marketing strategy; managing the marketing team; overseeing the domestic sales teams for the foodservice and industrial divisions; and most recently assisting…

Los Angeles residents will be waking up to Dunkin’ Donuts by the end of the year. The Canton, Mass., chain signed its first Southern California multi-unit development agreements late in July with four franchise groups committing to a total of 45 new restaurants. The first standalone units are expected to open in 2015 in Orange…