Marble Slab Creamery and MaggieMoo’s Ice Cream and Treatery are merging into one concept, which retains the Marble Slab name and integrates both chains’ products into an updated, contemporary store. The first remodeled unit opened in August in St. George, Utah. Most MaggieMoo’s locations will transition to Marble Slab’s new look during the next 18…

An investment group led by former Hooters execs has signed a series of development deals for rival chain Twin Peaks. The agreements call for the launch of 35 new Twin Peaks units in Alabama, the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee during the next decade. Twin Peaks is a 15-unit, casual-dining chain with a concept similar…

Alabama may soon become the fifth state for Mama Fu’s Asian House restaurants. The Austin, Texas, chain currently operates 13 locations in Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina and Texas. Now it’s eyeing multiple cities in Alabama, including Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile and Montgomery. The chain offers fast-casual Asian fusion at lunch, with table service at dinner. Mama…

Phoenix will be home to Naked Pizza’s new corporate development and training hub. The all-natural pizza company, launched in 2009 as a franchise company, currently operates 15 locations—including two in Dubai—and is on track to open 50 to 75 stores by the end of this year. Target markets include Chicago, Colorado (Boulder and Denver), New…

Panera Bread has upped its expectations for new-unit growth and anticipates about 100 new units in 2011. In the second quarter, it cut the ribbon on 13 new bakery-cafés while franchisees opened 15 new stores. The systemwide total at the end of June stood at 1,493 units. During the same period, Panera completed the purchase…

Wahoo’s, which used a food truck in the summer of 2011 as its mobile test kitchen, is slated to add another 30 stores to its stable of Brazilian-Mexican-Hawaiian fusion restaurants. There are 60 Wahoo’s locations nationwide. Of those, 26 are franchises and 34 are owned by the chain’s founders. In November 2011, the Santa Ana.,…

Iowa is a hot market these days for both politics and doughnuts. Dunkin’ Donuts is planning to add about 20 locations in the Des Moines market, which covers about a third of the state. Another five locations will go into the Sioux City market; 12 are planned for the Cedar Rapids area. Franchise agreements are…

Dallas-based Bennigan’s Franchise Co. has 20 locations under development and plans to add its third corporate store in its hometown. Its other corporate stores will be in Chicago and Appleton, Wis.; the latter’s contemporary neighborhood bar look is the chain’s template for all new units. The 80-unit chain has seen same-store sales increases in Chicago…

A month after opening its first Red Lobster in Dubai, Darden Restaurants has entered into a formal area-development agreement to build and operate Olive Garden, Red Lobster and The Capital Grille brands in Mexico. The agreement calls for CMR, Mexico’s leading casual-dining company, to open some 37 restaurants in the country over the next five…

Sarah Krol has been appointed general manager-foodservice equipment and consumer products at NSF Int’l. She will work with Mike Kohler, foodservice equipment technical manager and Mark Holloway, operations manager. Krol succeeds Joe Phillips as G.M., who is retiring after 32 years; also retiring is Nancy Culotta, NSF’s v.p.- food safety product certification and consumer products.