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Insights: Shake Shack hires CGO and CCO, Dine Brands lays off, Starbucks and union bring mediator, EMY group sale, NLRB member fired

Shake Shack hires Steph So and Luke DeRouen  

Company announced that it hired Steph So as Chief Growth Officer and Luke DeRouen as Chief Communication Officer. Steph So joined Shake Shack in 2019 and has taken various role including Vice President of Digital Experience. 

Source: PressRelease

Riko’s Pizza opens new location in Vermont    

It opened its 12th location overall and first location in Vermont. It has total of four corporate owned and eight franchise owned locations. 

Source: NewsRelease

Dine Brands lays off  

Parent company of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, Applebee’s and IHOP announced it laid off 9% of its corporate staff. 

Source: Restaurant

Starbucks and union bring mediator   

Starbucks and union covering over 500 locations in US agree to bring in mediator. There are some disagreements over pay increase that Starbucks was offering the union represented employees. It is sign that there is possibility of agreement under the leadership of Brian Niccol. 

Source: Quartz

Multiple buyers emerge for locations of Pizza Hut from EMY Group   

EMY group used to run 142 locations before it was placed in bankruptcy last year. 65 of its locations have been shuttered and it sold remaining 77 locations as part of its bankruptcy procedures. It filed for bankruptcy after company’s franchise agreement was terminated over underpayment of royalties to Pizza Hut. EMY was owned by Eduardo Diaz who was former McDonald’s Mexico who stated the company after started buying Pizza Hut in 2015. It has $23 mil in bank debt after spending over $46.6 mil to buy/ renovate restaurants. 

Source: QSR    

President Trump fires NLRB democratic member       

NLRB democratic member was fired by President Trump. This is a similar move as President Biden’s firing of Peter Robb in 2021. It means now that it does not have quorum which means it cannot conduct hearing. It was generally used by workers to create equal playing field for workers when they had problem with the employers. 

Source: JDSUPRA