Verdict Food Service

Daily Newsletter

08 August 2023

Daily Newsletter

Johnny Rockets to open twenty new locations in Texas

The Johnny Rockets locations will be opened in partnership with Brame Holdings.

US-based hamburger restaurant chain Johnny Rockets is planning to open 20 new franchise locations across Texas in the next ten years.

The first location is expected to open in 2024.

The FAT Brands-owned restaurant chain currently operates several stores in the Lone Star State.

Johnny Rockets has partnered with Brame Holdings to open the new stores.

These locations are expected to feature the classic fare that made the brand famous more than 35 years ago and will include made-to-order burgers and hand-spun shakes.

FAT Brands chief development officer Taylor Wiederhorn said: “Brame Holdings LLC continues to be a great growth partner in Texas across the FAT Brands portfolio.

“They are quickly developing many Fatburger and Buffalo’s Express locations in addition to Round Table Pizza locations, which is part of an 80-store development deal for the state. The first of these stores is set to open soon in San Antonio.

“We are thrilled to extend our relationship with an experienced operator like Brame Holdings, driving further domestic growth in Texas for another beloved, iconic brand of ours, Johnny Rockets.”

In April this year, Johnny Rockets opened a store in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). This store is located on Al Murihiban Street, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi.

The store was opened in partnership with its franchise partner Kitopi. FAT Brands entered a master franchise agreement with Kitopi to open 136 locations and 70 ghost kitchens across the Middle East.

In the same month, Johnny Rockets opened a new location at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, the capital city of the Indian state of Karnataka. This store was opened in partnership with HMSHost.

Generative AI remains an untapped potential across the consumer industry

GlobalData estimates the total AI market will be worth $909 billion in 2030, growing at a CAGR of 35.2% between 2022 and 2030. The consumer goods, foodservice, and packaging sectors are undergoing digital transformation, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and changing consumer preferences. AI can help companies operating in these sectors by significantly reducing costs and production times. In Nestlé's 2022 full-year results, the company announced a renewed focus on digitalization to drive growth. Financial and reputational pressures associated with supply chain disruptions and sustainability concerns are also driving interest in the digitalization of supply chains. Data science and ML are strong investments across all areas. However, the sectors cannot stop at AI-powered data analytics applications. They must also explore computer vision (CV), smart robots, AI sensors that automate manufacturing and distribution logistics, and generative AI tools that increase efficiency across corporate departments and customer service operations and enable innovation in product design. For the most part, the consumer goods, foodservice, and packaging sectors will not play a significant role in creating and developing AI hardware or platforms. Instead, these sectors will help scale up the adoption of AI technologies, such as CV, conversational platforms, and smart robots. This adoption will be driven by the financial benefits and potential cost savings AI automation delivers across global supply chains.