The 8 | October 7, 2016

8. The Buzz: In case you missed it, here’s the top story of the week on 1851. Checkers announced plans to open 12 locations in Long Island. Within the next five years, the fast food chain would like to open up to a dozen locations in the area.

7. Brand of the Week: TWO MEN AND A TRUCK*

It’s been a busy year for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK. Did you hear about Jason Washburn? As a general manager for the brand in Wilmington, North Carolina, Washburn won the $50,000 Business Scholarship—he plans to use the money to open a franchise of his own.

As Halloween approaches, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Marketing Specialist Jessica Chapman appeared on WJW in Cleveland to show viewers how to make costumes out of old moving boxes.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK was highlighted by the Wall Street Journal for its increased hiring efforts. With a plan to hire up to 3,000 employees, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK is utilizing more proactive means, such as television advertising and offering more flexible hours, to find the right hires.

We recently featured one of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK’s all-star franchisees, Mike Lally, on 1851. Lally is the owner of seven TWO MEN AND A TRUCK territories. Read his Q&A to learn more!

And, finally, we highlighted another major milestone for the brand—TWO MEN AND A TRUCK celebrated 5,400 moves in a single weekend this summer.

6. 1851 recently welcomed a new member to our growing team: Scott Oaks. Oaks brings with him years of experience to his new role, and previously worked in franchise sales for brands like Wireless Zone, Quizno’s and BrightStar Care. And in case you were wondering, he likes chicken and burgers equally.

5. “Star Power: How Celebrity Endorsements Can Drive Restaurant Sales and Boost Traffic:” Blaze Pizza is just one of many restaurants using the public backing of celebrities to gain worldwide notoriety. After being endorsed by LeBron James, sales grew 205 percent over the year prior. That’s a lot of dough (pun intended).

4. The franchise industry continues to grow. Philly Pretzel Factory is looking for a franchise partner to help build the brand in the state of Indiana. Right at Home* has plans to expand in Minnesota. And Dairy Queen continues its growth throughout New York—starting with Staten Island.

3. Columns:  “Cultivating a Marathon Mindset:” When was the last time you challenged yourself? Our vice president, Troy Kehoe, explains how the things in life that are truly worth celebrating can often be the hardest to achieve.

2. In the Media: This week, Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes owner, Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp., joined the list of restaurant operators that have declared bankruptcy in the last year. The restaurant Don Pablo’s also announced that they were filing for bankruptcy.

1. Power Rankings: Through October 1, Smoothie King jumped three spots to the top spot of No. 1; Famous Toastery jumped eight spots to No. 2; Buffalo Wings & Rings dropped two spots to No. 3; Checkers, which was previously unranked, came out of nowhere and landed at No. 4; and Pita Pit also climbed the ranks to No. 5.