Seattle’s Minimum Wage Law Heads to Court
This past Tuesday, the International Franchise Association (IFA) told a federal judge that Seattle’s minimum-wage law discriminates against franchises. The law, which is set to take effect on April 1, requires businesses with more than 500 workers to pay employees $15 an hour by 2017 (smaller businesses have until 2021 to comply). The law classifies local franchises as a large business, although franchises are locally owned and operated.

Macaroni Grill Sells for Second Time in Two Years
Ignite Restaurant Group announced this week that it is selling Romano’s Macaroni Grill for $8 million to Redrock Partners. This comes just two years after Ignite purchased the chain for $55 million. With this sale, the value of Macaroni Grill has decreased by $47 million. Ignite will be using the money from the deal to focus on their other chains.

 

Celebrate Pi Day with Your Pie
This year, Your Pie will be commemorating the brand’s 7th annual celebration of Pi(e) Day on March 14, 2015, celebrating the mathematical equation of Pi. The down-the-line pizza company will offer a $3.14 discount on all orders. The celebration will be continued on their social channels. Customers can pick up a Pi(e) Day sticker and post photos of it using #YourPieDay on Instagram to win prizes.

 

Bruegger’s Bagels is Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day
It’s the season for green bagels at Bruegger’s Bagels. The bakery will be offering green bagels to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day from Saturday, March 14,through Tuesday, March 17. The green bagels are made in the same New York style as the restaurant’s regular menu bagels.

Hot Sauce is on Fire in the US
According to the NPD Group, a leading global information company, 56 percent of households have hot sauce in their kitchens. Sriracha, an Asian hot sauce, is stocked in 9 percent of homes headed by those under 35 years old. This hot trend is not only in the home - it also extends to dining experiences. In the past two years, the number of cases of hot sauce shipped from foodservice distributors to restaurants has increased by double digits.

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Nick Powills

About the Author

Nick Powills

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Nick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.