The 8 | August 3, 2018

1. Frantastic: If you’re a fan of Panera Bread’s bread bowls, then we have some Frantastic news for you. The brand is testing out a double bread bowl — and yes, it looks as weird and amazing as it sounds. The double bread bowl is made from one loaf of bread with two separate bowls carved into it, allowing customers to order different kinds of soups at the same time. Panera is testing out the double bread bowl this month in Philadelphia locations.

2. Franlebrity: We kicked off our finance issue on 1851 this week, and our cover star is an A-list Franlebrity. Isiah Thomas sat down with No Limit Agency* CEO Nick Powills to talk about how the NBA All-Star has capitalized on his brand off the court in order to succeed in business. From his line of champagne to his real estate investments and beyond, Thomas offers insights that are valuable for anyone in the business world. Head to 1851 for the full interview.

3. Frash Money: In order for a brand to bring in Frash Money, its operations need to be in check. Operations is the heart of franchising — it’s what franchisees are buying into when they make an investment. That’s why 1851 rounded up the top tips of operational advice from 10 operations executives. These best practices are designed to help franchisors elevate their processes and procedures.

4. Frant of the Week: What would happen if everyone in a company thought about it as if it was their company? That’s the question that Powills is pondering in his latest Frant. Achieving this level of buy-in from all employees starts with the vision, and then is dependent on the people, core values, operations, accountability and rewards that are in place. When a vision is properly executed, a job becomes a career.

5. Franch Forward: One of the best ways for brands to Franch Forward is by teaming up with multi-unit owners. These franchisees bring a lot of advantages to the table as investors, including their training and knowledge of the industry and brand. To help brands grow through multi-unit expansion, 1851 outlined three ways to encourage this type of growth, starting with ensuring support from the executive team.

6. Fran Funny: In honor of national avocado day, Chipotle offered customers free guacamole with the use of a special code. But its competitor, Qdoba, wasn't content to let Chipotle have the moment. Because Qdoba offers free guacamole to customers every day, the brand decided to clap back on Twitter. Check out the (playfully) shady exchange here. 

7. Franspiration: “You must train your team appropriately to manage and protect the brand in their areas of operation. - Anibal Fernandez, VP of Operations for Hard Rock International

8. Franemies vs. Frands: Papa John’s founder and former CEO John Schnatter has gone from being the brand’s Frand to its Franemy. The saga between the two parties is continuing to unfold — last week, Schnatter filed a lawsuit against the pizza chain. The suit seeks to allow Schnatter access to inspect company documents to determine whether the board may have “acted without adequate information and breached their duty of care” when he stepped down.