Good, Bad, and Other News! – February 2022

Even as the omicron variant works its way unevenly across the country, franchises continue to expand and anticipate opening a slew of new units in 2022. But it’s not all sunshine and roses as inflation, supply chain issues, political posturing, and Covid-related uncertainties continue to plague businesses worldwide. Here’s your chance to follow the leaders and catch up on the news every third Tuesday of the month. And if you’re not doing it already, send us your good (and other) news here!

POST-COVID – REOPENING & RECOVERY

Bank of America Is Refusing To Forgive Some PPP Loans in Full

Winter 2022 Fortune/Deloitte CEO Survey

NRA’s 2022 State of the Restaurant Industry Report

U.S. Attorney General Sues Burgerim Over Franchise Violations

Rep. Schakowsky Introduces Franchisee Freedom Act To Empower Franchise Owners

More Starbucks Baristas Across the U.S. Are Looking to Unionize

Starbucks Fires 7 Tennessee Workers Involved in Union Push as U.S. Movement Gains Momentum

Report: Holiday Sales Were Driven More by Inflation than Organic Growth

Crypto Group friesDAO Is Looking To Buy McDonald’s, Subway Units

Burger King, Denny’s, Domino’s Pull Back on Value Menus as Costs Rise

McDonald’s Says Its Costs Will Rise Further in 2022

Domino’s Will “Tip” Customers $3 for Picking Up Their Pizza thru May 22

Chipotle CEO Says Another Price Increase Likely as Costs Grow

DoorDash Plans To Lower Base Rates & Add New Penalty Fees for McDonald’s

HIRING & EMPLOYMENT

U.S. Added 467,000 Jobs in January Despite Omicron Variant Surge

LEADERSHIP

Deloitte 2022 CxO Sustainability Report

Survey: Marketing’s Strategic Importance Is on the Rise

MARKETING/CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Lead Nurturing Guide: 7 Steps Toward Setting Up Your Next Campaign

New Privacy Bill Aims to Curtail Targeted Ads

Big 3 Tech Giants – Alphabet, Meta, & Amazon – Rake in Almost Half of Global Ad Spend

OPERATIONS

TGI Fridays To Launch New Small Format Concept, Fridays on the Fly

P.F. Chang’s Is Expanding Its Takeout Store Format

7-Eleven Launches Delivery Subscription Program