Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Dunkin’ Donuts percolating in Milwaukee

Dunkin’ Donuts has signed a multi-unit store-development agreement with the Milwaukee Coffee Brewing Company. The deal entails a plan to open 36 new restaurants in the central and southern parts of Milwaukee.
The units will be under the operation of six existing Northeast Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees, who are partners of the MCBC. They currently run more than 370 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in metro and upstate New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut.

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Wingstop launches franchise incentive program

As part of its aggressive expansion campaign, Wingstop has announced a franchise incentive program designed to help new and existing franchises open more restaurants nationwide.
The program is the first of its kind being offered by the chain to attract more multi-unit owners.
"With the launch of this program we are taking the most aggressive approach in our company's 16-year history," said David Vernon, vice president of franchise sales for Wingstop. "The Wingstop concept was built on a simple operating platform that appeals to multi-unit investors and entrepreneurs who want to own their own business. We are offering this program for a limited time to accelerate our growth into both existing and new markets."

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Irish Clarion group loses €4.6m

THE company that operates the Clarion Hotel and Quality Hotel chains in Ireland lost €4.6m before tax last year, according to accounts filed with the Companies Registration Office.
Despite an operating profit of more than €8m, the loss was recorded after property costs of €12.5m were deducted from its €39m turnover.

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South L.A. restricts new Fast food restaurants

While there are an abundance of fast food restaurant options for diners in South L.A. right now the future of the restaurant landscape might soon look very different: today, by a vote of 13-0, the L.A. City Council approved a set of permanent design guidelines that would severely restrict the development of new, stand-alone fast food establishment for the L.A. neighborhoods of South L.A., Southeast L.A. and West Adams

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Arizona Restaurant puts "Rudolph" on the menu

TEMPE, Ariz., Dec. 8 (UPI) -- An Arizona restaurant is getting into the holiday spirit by temporarily offering a special all-reindeer menu.
The Caffe Boa in Tempe, which made headlines last Easter with an all-rabbit menu, said it will be serving North American caribou from Colorado and Idaho in a variety of dishes, including caribou tartare gilded with pickled quail egg and caribou tongue bruschetta with pickled watermelon radish and horseradish cream, The Arizona Republic reported Wednesday.

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Maid finds body parts scattered around L.A. hotel room, in backpack

A Pennsylvania couple is wanted in the slaying and dismemberment of a Hollywood man whose body was "cut up into five different parts -- basically his limbs were removed," said a Los Angeles detective.
The body was found in a hotel near downtown Los Angeles' skid row. Los Angeles Police Department detectives are seeking Edward Garcia Jr., 36, and his wife, Melissa Hope Garcia, 25 (also known as Melissa Turner). They are believed either to be in Hollywood or en route to Pennsylvania, said LAPD Det. Kelle Baitx.

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Interstate to run Blackstone hotels

Arlington-based Interstate Hotels & Resorts, taken private by investors including China's largest hotel group this year, will manage more hotels owned by New York-based investment firm The Blackstone Group.
Interstate Hotels, will add 13 Blackstone-owned properties to its portfolio, including the Westin Washington D.C. City Center and the Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel.

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Hawaii hotel occupancy rates continue to rise

Hotel occupancy rates throughout Hawaii continued to rise compared with a year ago, while average room rates declined slightly, according to a report released Tuesday by Hospitality Advisors LLC.
The monthly analysis found that statewide hotel occupancy averaged almost 70.9 percent in October, an increase of 4.5 percentage points over the same month last year.

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McDonald's Sales Rise Less Than Expected in November

McDonald's Corp.'s same-store sales rose 4.8% in November from a year earlier, driven by its McRib sandwich in the U.S. and continued strong demand for McCafe beverages.
Shares were down 1.6% at $79.05 in premarket trading as the latest numbers missed analysts' estimates for growth of 5.6% globally, including a 5.1% rise in the U.S. The stock was up 29% this year through Tuesday's close.
McDonald's also said currency fluctuations are expected to hurt fourth-quarter earnings by one to two cents a share.

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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Need a job? Run a remote wilderness resort

Anyone interested in running a wilderness resort needs to look no further than Washington's rugged North Cascades, where the National Park Service is seeking bidders to manage a 21-room lodge, restaurant and general store in the remote community of Stehekin.
Stehekin is a remote collection of homes and summer cabins surrounded by mountain peaks. Sitting at the north end of Lake Chelan, the area is reachable only by boat, floatplane or on foot.

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Fleming’s settles sexual harassment suit

A Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar in Arizona agreed to pay $248,750 to three male employees to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix, charged that the male employees of a Fleming’s location in Scottsdale, Ariz., were sexually abused by a former chef.

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New Study To Bring Together Travel Industry Thought Leaders

(Hospitality Business News) Washington, D.C. –AOL, Wyndham Hotel Group, AvisBudget Group, and the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) have joined forces with other organizations in the U.S. travel and tourism industry to develop unique research that focuses on U.S. travelers who drive rather than fly to their destinations. Project 85, named after the 85% of travel that takes place in the U.S. by car, motorcycle, RV or other vehicle, will focus on the “drive market” – which, according to the U.S. Travel Association, represents over three quarters of the $495 billion in travel spending.

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Dubai Needs 2.5 Million More Tourists to Match Hotel Growth, Deloitte Says

Dubai will need to attract an additional 2.5 million tourists annually to absorb an estimated 60 percent increase in hotel rooms over the next five years, Deloitte LLP said.
Dubai, which has around 50,000 rooms, may struggle to maintain occupancy and rates as a further 30,000 rooms are likely to be added, said Alex Kyriakidis, the New York-based consulting company’s global managing director of Tourism, Hospitality & Leisure.
The sheikhdom has spent billions of dollars to transform itself into an international tourist destination. It built the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel and opened a 160-room hotel designed by Giorgio Armani in the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower. Horserace complex Meydan and Dubai Mall are also among the attractions that have been built.

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New TV Show 'Magic City' Will Follow Mobsters in a 1960s Miami Beach Hotel

Here we go again--someone is attempting another tv show about hotels. But this one may fare slightly better than the rest.
Cable network Starz has just announced their pick-up of "Magic City" , a period drama set in the 1960s that follows the comings and goings of mobsters, entertainers and politicians at a posh Miami Beach Hotel. Ooo kinda like if Mad Men met Boardwalk Empire!!

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Schrager Passes on Buying Manhattan's Hotel Chelsea After Considering Bid

Ian Schrager, the developer credited with inventing the boutique-hotel concept, considered buying Manhattan’s landmark Hotel Chelsea and decided against an offer after viewing the 127-year-old property last month.
“It’s a sexy asset with an incredibly sexy history and we felt obliged to take a look at it,” Schrager, the chairman and chief executive officer of Ian Schrager Co., said in a telephone interview yesterday. “We took a pass.”

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