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COOP Beverage Works rolled out Sonic Hard Southern Sweet Tea and Sonic Hard Slush as two new adult beverage offerings. COOP Ale Works, its parent, has licensed from and partnered with Sonic Drive-In to offer a line of hard beverages, including RTD (ready-to-drink) cocktail drinks and hard seltzers as part of the line of Sonic Hard Beverages. The new rollout comes on the heels of the release of Sonic Hard Seltzer last spring.
Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers will expand in Texas with 57 new units, confirming its emphasis on Texas as a key market. The fast-casual chain has set its sights on Dallas/Fort Worth and several counties in the eastern and western part of the state.
Mendocino Farms will open in West Village, expanding its presence in the Dallas market. The restaurant at 3700 McKinney Avenue will be unveiled Tuesday, July 12. The new unit marks the third in the market, with two more openings planned in Dallas later this year.
Smokey Bones will add a digital drive-thru lane to its restaurants, starting with Bowling Green, Ky. The drive-thru opening there today, June 22, begins a new chapter for the casual-dining chain, as it seeks to emulate the convenience of QSR drive-thrus by way of technology.
Popeyes brought back its Cajun Rice and launched a $6.99 fried chicken special as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. Founded in 1972 by Al Copeland in New Orleans, the company is rooted in its Cajun roots and has grown to become a QSR brand with which to contend, as it now generates $5B in systemwide sales.
Through a partnership with Americana, Miso Robotics has expanded its robotics solutions to restaurants outside the United States. Americana’s popular Wimpy brand will test Flippy 2 at its location in The Dubai Mall. Beyond Wimpy, Americana serves as a master franchisee of KFC, Pizza Hut, Hardee’s, Krispy Kreme, and TGI Friday’s to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers introduced a Double Bacon BBQ Steakburger. The Wichita, Kan.-based burger chain also returned the Key Lime Pie Concrete and premium white cheddar cheese curds.
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop secured a four-unit development agreement for expansion into Utah, as well as growth in its Colorado market. The deal with franchise partner John Cassity will set a new milestone for the number of states in which Fuzzy’s operates.
Taco Bell will unveil Taco Bell Defy, one of its most innovative restaurant designs, in Brooklyn Park, Minn. June 7. Consisting of a four-lane drive-thru, Taco Bell Defy includes a proprietary vertical lift that sends Taco Bell items directly to awaiting customers.
7-Eleven opened its ninth Evolution Store in the United States at the corner of Preston Road and Alpha Road in Dallas. The Preston Road Evolution store marks the fifth location in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The location will include a unit of Laredo Taco Company, a popular south Texas restaurant concept.
