A few restaurants close as other eateries, retailers plan growth
Among the casualties is the downtown restaurant Hue and Carmel’s The Glass Chimney. El Rodeo, Eggshell Bistro and Hotcakes Emporium are among those opening locations in the area.
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Massage franchise expanding Indiana presence
Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Massage Envy plans to open nine new locations in Indiana in the next year. Five of those should be in the Indianapolis area.
Frozen yogurt hot item on local retail scene
Frozen yogurt businesses are sprouting up all over the Indianapolis area, with owners hoping to cash in on the public’s appetite for what they perceive as a healthy treat.
Noble Roman’s first-quarter profit, revenue tick up
Revenue at Noble Roman's Inc. inched up in the first quarter as the Indianapolis-based franchisor continued to grow its take-and-bake pizza operation in grocery stores.
J.D. Byrider sold to private equity firm
The Indianapolis-based used-car chain has been acquired by Altamont Capital Partners near San Francisco, in a deal Byrider executives say will give the franchisor the necessary capital to grow.
Insurer coveted by Biglari sold to another firm
Steak n Shake's parent company, Biglari Holdings, twice tried to acquire Fremont Michigan Insuracorp Inc. before the insurer agreed to be sold to Michigan-based Auto Club Insurance Association. Biglari, which owns nearly 10 percent of the insurer's shares, nevertheless was a winner in the sale.
New York firm wins Steak n Shake ad account
Indianapolis-based restaurant chain selects Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal & Partners as agency of record for its $18 million advertising account, ending about two years of uncertainty surrounding its marketing efforts.
Annual profit, revenue shrink for Noble Roman’s
The Indianapolis-based pizza franchisor saw declining results from its restaurants, but got a boost from its growing line of take-and-bake products.
Retail chain Family Leisure finding new identity
Recreational product superstore Family Leisure changed its name from Watson’s two years ago, but it could take years before the company led by Kevin Prefontaine builds the kind of brand equity tied up in the old name.
Blockbuster selling movie-rental chain to creditors
The bankrupt chain will immediately close 609 stores. The company declined to comment on whether any of the 20-some stores in the Indianapolis area will be among the casualties.
Judge tosses Noble Roman’s franchisee claims
Noble Roman's Inc. has won a pivotal courtroom victory in a battle with 14 former franchisees of its dual-branded Noble Roman’s Pizza and Tuscano’s Italian Style Subs restaurants.
New rules rile Steak n Shake franchisees
Franchise owners of Steak n Shake restaurants are revolting against parent company Biglari Holdings Inc. just as the chain plans a nationwide expansion fueled by franchising.
INSIDE DISH: Squealers goes whole hog on franchising
Jeff Yater has ushered his meat-lovers concept from the barbecue competition circuit to two Indy-area restaurants. Now he wants to recruit wannabe franchisees with $500,000 and a passion for chicken, beef and pork.
Ritter’s Frozen Custard franchisees reopening stores
As a new owner revamps the Ritter’s business plan, at least four of the frozen custard stands in the area have either opened or are set to reopen in the same locations where they previously operated.
Lego plans first Indiana store for Castleton Square
The roughly 1,200-square-foot shop is scheduled to open in late March or early April.
Marion, Ind., chain balloons to 620 mobile-phone stores
The chain’s growth got a boost last year when it landed a deal to operate 164 cellular shops inside HHGregg stores.
Ricker rebranding 17 Indianapolis convenience stores
Anderson-based Ricker Oil Co. is changing the name on the ampm shops, which it acquired in 2008 from a division of oil giant BP, to match the remainder of its 50 Indiana stores.
Retailers scout new Indy-area locations
Several restaurants, including three pizza chains, and an adult-oriented retail store are planning new locations around the city.
Steak n Shake’s annual profit sizzles
The Indianapolis-based restaurant chain grew pretax profit in fiscal 2010 to $37.7 million, a 331-percent increase compared with the previous fiscal year.
Longtime local Cadillac dealer loses fight to sell car
Tutwiler Cadillac, which has sold Cadillacs in the Indianapolis area for almost five decades, has lost its franchise despite a long battle with General Motors.