Think Pink: Dunkin’ Opens Barbie DreamHouse in Manhattan
- The IFA World Franchise Show will showcase hundreds of brands from around the globe for potential franchisees.
- A New York City Dunkin’ restaurant has gone all-out Barbie, with bright pink enveloping the interior and even extending to some specialty beverages.
- Premium Service Brands, an umbrella franchisor, has added Wise Coatings to its portfolio. Wise Coatings applies surfacing to concrete floors.
- Undergraduate by Hilton, an upper-midscale hotel franchise, will serve visitors to college and university locales.
The IFA World Franchise Show, a joint venture by the International Franchise Association and Business Show Media, will connect more than 300 franchise brands with prospective owners. The show will be held Sept. 25-26 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Exhibitors will represent a vast range of industries, from restaurants and child enrichment to fitness and home services, plus much more. The Ibero-American Federation, the Brazilian Franchising Association and the Canadian Franchise Association will host pavilions for networking related to their areas of the globe.
Speakers include Britt Riley, CEO and founder of Haven; Bradford Reynolds, CEO of Gold’s Gym; Ashley Clark, a multi-unit franchisee with Kilwins Chocolates, Fudge & lce Cream; Anthony Padulo, chief development officer of Arthur Murray International Inc.; Sean Oatney, director of franchise sales for Planet Fitness; Laura Sintes, a School of Rock franchisee; Jeff Perera, co-founder of Jeff’s Bagel Run; and Dave Mortensen, co-founder and board member of Purpose Brands.
Click here to register as a show attendee. Visit this webpage to find out about exhibiting.
Dunkin’ Debuts Barbie DreamHouse in NYC
Guests can steep themselves in all things pink at the two-story Dunkin’ Barbie® DreamHouse™, 265 W. 37th St. in Manhattan. Admission is free to the Dunkin’ restaurant wrapped in Barbie pink and equipped with pink menu boards, pink stair risers and a bakery case filled with pink-frosted doughnuts. There’s Barbie-themed merchandise available, too.
Dunkin’ ups the ante with pink beverages: The Ultimate Pink Daydream Refresher, Strawberry Cloud Matcha, Almond Strawberry Shortcake Iced Coffee and Strawberries & Crème Cloud Dunkalatte are all topped with Barbie Pink Strawberry Cold Foam.
The Barbie extravaganza at the New York shop will last through June.
Premium Service Brands Acquires Wise Coatings
Premium Service Brands, the parent of North American home services franchises, on Wednesday announced that it has acquired Wise Coatings, a residential and commercial floor coatings franchise. Florida-based Wise Coatings has 22 locations in 20 states, PSB said in a news release.
Wise Coatings provides durable surface treatments for concrete floors in locations like garages, basements, patios, warehouses and showrooms. “This acquisition strengthens our ability to serve homeowners more comprehensively while creating additional opportunities for franchise owners across our network,” said Paul Flick, founder and CEO of Premium Service Brands.
Virginia-based Premium Service Brands plans to invest in growing Wise Coatings to expand its services and enhance franchise development, marketing support, operational resources, technology investments, and strategic growth initiatives. Whitney White, CEO of Wise Coatings, said in the news release that “PSB’s track record of franchise growth, operational excellence and franchisee support makes them an ideal partner for our next phase of growth. We are excited about the opportunities this creates for our franchise owners, employees and customers.”
New Brand: Undergraduate by Hilton
Undergraduate by Hilton is a new upper-midscale hotel franchise brand that will host visitors to college and university towns, including prospective students, parents and families, alumni, sports fans and conference guests. In an early June news release, McLean, Va.-based Hilton said the new brand complements its fully upscale Graduate brand serving collegiate areas.
The Undergraduate brand has long-term potential for 400 to 500 hotels, according to Hilton, with the first expected to open next year. Undergraduate by Hilton will leverage new-build and conversion projects located close to campuses. The brand will feature public spaces – lounge- and library-like areas – that are welcoming hangouts with baristas.
In the news release, Chris Silcock, president of global brands and commercial services for Hilton, said his company constantly evolves to connect with travelers. “With Undergraduate by Hilton, we’re broadening the stay experiences we offer, pairing community-led experiences with the scale of Hilton’s global platform to expand choice and deliver long-term value for owners,” Silcock added.
Wag N’ Wash Launches Mobile App
The Wag N’ Wash franchise has debuted its first mobile app, which delivers an array of consumer-friendly functions, according to a Tuesday news release on Franchising.com. Based in Michigan, Wag N’ Wash is a spa-store combination for dogs and cats that provides self-service wash stations and full-service professional grooming along with sales of pet foods and toys.
The app lets customers shop, book grooming appointments and manage their rewards; the app also sends out updates on appointments, promotions and account activity. The Wag N’ Wash mobile app, easily accessed via biometric login, may be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
