1) Milkbath Hair & Scalp Spa Launches Franchise Program

Houston-based Milkbath Hair & Scalp Spa looks to expand its customized hair and scalp treatments across Texas, and eventually the country, with launching a franchise program. 

Kristin Chandler knows her entry into franchising is a little unorthodox.Her hair and scalp treatment concept, Milkbath Hair & Scalp Spa, launched its franchise program on the heels of celebrating the flagship location’s one-year anniversary in March. The Houston-based spa is the company’s only location.

While other concepts may be hesitant to franchise with such a small footprint, Chandler sees this timing as an opportunity to kickstart the next big thing in beauty and wellness. “I can definitely see the benefits of franchising, and it’s super exciting,” said Chandler, the brand’s CEO and founder. “I’m in such an emerging market and space, and this is really geared toward potential franchisees who want to be at the forefront.”

2) American Family Care Celebrates Opening of 400th Urgent Care Clinic

American Family Care (AFC), the nation’s leading provider of urgent care, will open its 400th location today. Located in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, the state-of-the-art facility is independently owned and operated by local multi-unit franchise operator Daniel Ofosu. The Camp Hill clinic is AFC’s 17th clinic to open in 2025 and the 104th location to open in the past 24 months.

The Camp Hill clinic is Ofosu’s third AFC location, following successful clinic openings in Harrisburg and Lansdale, Pennsylvania. “Our growth strategy is centered around enabling passionate, community-minded franchisees like Daniel to expand access to high-quality, convenient healthcare,” said Jeremy Morgan, CEO of American Family Care. “The opening of this 400th location represents more than just growth in numbers—it is also a testament to the power of local entrepreneurship working in harmony with a national brand.”

“The opening of a 400th location is an important milestone for any franchise system,” said Edith Wiseman, President of FRANdata—the leading independent research and advisory company that focuses solely on tracking and analyzing franchise companies and their performance. Analysis conducted by FRANdata shows that only 6.3% of active franchise brands have 400 or more locations. “What’s more, having hundreds of locations is common among food franchises; the fact that this is occurring in the healthcare industry is worthy of note,” added Wiseman.

3) Las Vegas Natives Sign Multi-Unit Agreement with Blo Blow Dry Bar

Blo Blow Dry Bar expands its presence. Most recently, the blow dry bar franchise inked a multi-unit agreement in Las Vegas. A local family will be bringing three Blo Blow Dry Bar locations to Southwest, Summerlin and Northwest Vegas.

Azure White: A true native, Azure has deep roots in Las Vegas as it’s where she was born and raised, and where she raised her kids. With 30-plus year career in luxury real estate and having worked as a hairdresser, she has a solid understanding of the business landscape. Along with her husband and daughter, Azure is looking to level-up Las Vegas’ hospitality industry when it comes to beauty services. 

“Having experience as a hairdresser, I have a deep understanding of the industry,” shared Azure. “We were incredibly impressed with Blo’s corporate team and the infrastructure they’ve built. That, combined with the collective skills of my husband, my daughter and myself, gives us the recipe for success.”

EXTRA SAUCE 💥

Applebee’s Selects Toast Technology as New Point of Sale and Kitchen Display Systems Partner: Toast (NYSE: TOST), the digital technology platform built for hospitality, today announced an agreement with Dine Brands Global, Inc. (NYSE: DIN), the parent company of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar®, IHOP®, and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop® restaurants, to implement Toast technology at Applebee’s locations nationwide. In addition to Toast point-of-sale (POS) terminals, Applebee’s restaurants will use Toast Go® handhelds, Toast’s Kitchen Display Systems (KDS), and Restaurant Management Suite Enterprise.

Applebee’s, one of America’s largest casual dining restaurants, will utilize Toast technology to strengthen operational flexibility, provide greater ease of use and responsiveness, improve labor efficiency, and enhance the overall guest experience.

“This is a crucial step in the evolution of our 45-year-old brand,” said Justin Skelton, Chief Information Officer at Dine Brands. “POS and KDS systems are essential to efficient operations and can have major impacts on both the guest and team member experience. We look forward to working with Toast to enhance Applebee’s technology capabilities.”

Brooklyn Water Bagel Opens in Port St. Lucie with Two New Locations: Brooklyn Water Bagel is thrilled to announce the opening of two new locations in Port St. Lucie. Now open for business, the brand has introduced a new corporate location and a new franchised restaurant, owned by Dean Tendrich, a well-known TV personality and businessman in southern Florida.

Residents of Port St. Lucie can now enjoy Brooklyn Water Bagel’s great breakfast and lunch offerings. Both stores are open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

At Brooklyn Water Bagel, it’s “All About The Water,” due to the brand’s proprietary, multi-step water filtration and purification process that replicates the mineral content of New York’s water – the best for baking – creating its signature bagels. Consistency is key for the bagel concept, so no matter which location guests visit, they get the same great experience every time with an authentic New York-style bagel that is crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Floor Coverings International Bolsters Leadership Team with New Hire and Promotions: Floor Coverings International® (FCI) bolsters its leadership team with a new hire and internal promotions. FCI welcomes Hayden Shaw as Director of Franchise Development, and promotes Albert Hermans to Chief Development Officer, Grant Carter to Divisional Vice President – Startup, Katie Pynnonen to Senior Director of Brand Marketing, and Joe Benincasa to Divisional Senior Director of Operations.

“FCI is constantly evolving to maintain our position as a flooring franchise,” said Tom Wood, CEO of FCI. “Promoting Albert, Grant, Katie, and Joe, and bringing Hayden on were strategic decisions to strengthen our leadership team and provide experienced guidance across the system. Their values, expertise, and work ethic align with our vision for the brand.”

Swig Hires Former Hallmark Executive Vice President to Lead Legal, Employee Experience and Public Affairs Strategy: Swig welcomes Jill Marchant, former executive vice president and Chief Legal Officer at Hallmark, to the team as Chief Legal and Administrative Officer.

Marchant joins Swig with over 20 years of experience in corporate leadership and legal management. Before joining Hallmark in 2018, she held senior legal leadership roles at Applebee’s and Dine Brands and served as general counsel for Texas Roadhouse and Farm Credit Mid-America.

At Hallmark, Marchant was responsible for leading a team of attorneys and legal specialists who provided strategic legal and business advice to Hallmark’s portfolio businesses—Hallmark, Hallmark Media, Crayola, and Crown Center on a wide array of issues, including governance, business transactions, contracts, real estate, employment, litigation, intellectual property, media production and distribution, and other legal matters.

Another Broken Egg Cafe Welcomes Chef Joel Reynders as Vice President of Culinary and Corporate Executive Chef: Another Broken Egg Cafe, the award-winning, elevated breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant, has announced the appointment of Chef Joel Reynders as the company’s new Vice President of Culinary and Corporate Executive Chef. With more than 25 years of experience leading menu development for nationally recognized brands, Chef Reynders brings a wealth of expertise that will drive the continued evolution of Another Broken Egg Cafe’s chef-driven menu and beverage innovation.

Chef Reynders started his career at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, where he completed a three-year, 5,000-hour culinary apprenticeship program sponsored by the American Culinary Federation. He later spent over a decade at Darden Restaurants, serving as an Executive Chef for Smokey Bones, LongHorn Steakhouse and Red Lobster. In these roles, he spearheaded menu innovation, developed limited-time offerings and led major menu revamps. Chef Reynders went on to hold Vice President of Culinary and Executive Chef positions at Bar Louie and Tijuana Flats and served as the Director of Culinary at Ruby Tuesday, strengthening his expertise in both food and beverage innovation. His appointment marks a strategic move for Another Broken Egg Cafe as it continues to elevate its Southern-inspired menu with modern and innovative flavors.

Jamba’s Hello Sunshine Prototype Aims to Drive Growth: The Jamba® brand has introduced a new restaurant prototype, Hello Sunshine, with an eye toward expanding the franchise. Hello Sunshine will lean into technological efficiency with customer ordering kiosks and digital marketing screens. The prototype also presents a smaller Jamba store footprint that will nurture both innovation and maximum productivity. 

“With the introduction of the Hello Sunshine prototype, we are not just investing in the future of our brand and our franchisees, but also in the experience of every guest who walks through our doors,” Jamba Chief Brand Officer Nathan Louer said in a news release announcing Hello Sunshine. “We want Hello Sunshine to shine through in how we treat our guests, the products we serve, and the spaces they walk into.”

Taco Bell’s Australian operator plans to exit the market: Australian restaurant operator Collins Food Ltd. announced plans to exit its Taco Bell business in the market within a year. The company said it is in talks with parent company Yum Brands to transfer its license to operate 27 restaurants in Australia to new ownership.

Collins Foods acquired the rights to operate Taco Bell in Australia in 2017 with initial plans to open more than 50 restaurants across the country. According to Financial Review, it was the brand’s third entry into the market. Taco Bell initially entered Australia in 1981 but exited in 1987 due to weak sales. The company tried again in 1998 but exited in 2005.