CiCi's Pizza has created an "equity partnership" with its franchisees through the launch of its 2013 Franchisee Partner Investment program. As part of the program, CiCi's created a special fund to …

Balboa Capital, a provider of franchise financing in the U.S., announced it has been named as a preferred lender for Papa John's current and prospective franchisees nationwide. Balboa Capital will …

Long Island, N.Y.-based SKINNYPIZZA has signed an exclusive deal with Mogull Realty for multiunit expansion into Manhattan. SKINNYPIZZA is a concept that features thin and crispy pizza using no …

PizzaRev, an artisan pizza concept based in Los Angeles, today announced that Buffalo Wild Wings has taken a minority position in its new concept. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. "The PizzaRev …

PeopleMatter announced it has closed a $19-million growth round of capital led by Scale Venture Partners, based in California. According to PeopleMatter CEO and president Nate DaPore, this additional …

Driven by a more optimistic outlook among restaurant operators, the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) rose to its highest level in five months. The RPI — a …

The Franchise Business Index (FBI), an index of the economic health of the U.S. franchising industry, increased by 0.7 percent in January as nearly all components showed improvement. The …

Papa Murphy's Pizza's partnership with Directed Equity to provide funding for qualified franchise candidates led to the chain's record growth in 2012. "Even in this difficult lending environment …

OLO, a digital commerce engine for restaurants, announced a $5 million dollar Series B financing from PayPal and existing investors. The New York-based company is hiring as it aggressively scales …

Greenfield Farms Food Inc. has signed a non-binding Letter of Intent to acquire 100 percent of the equity interest in Ohio-based Carmela's Pizzeria. Carmela's presently has three Dayton, Ohio area …

A majority of the 200 U.S.-based chief financial officers and senior finance executives surveyed said they plan to invest in their companies to drive growth in 2013, and expect to achieve higher …

Papa Murphy's has received a $7.5 million facility as part of a franchise lending program created by Franchise America Finance and The Bancorp Bank. The capital provides start-up funding for …

GE Capital, Franchise Finance (GEFF) is rolling out a new Web tool, GE SmartChart, to its customers across the U.S. The tool was introduced at this week's Restaurant Finance & Development …

Round Table Pizza Inc. has completed the refinancing of its senior debt. On Nov. 2, the company entered into a $35 million senior secured credit agreement with Summit Partners, a growth equity firm …

As a result of softer same-store sales and customer traffic levels, the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) declined in September. The RPI — a monthly composite …

Michigan-based Hungry Howie's Pizza, which was named a 2012 "Military Friendly Franchise" by G.I. Jobs Magazine, is actively targeting veterans for franchising opportunities. The company recently …

Villa Enterprises Management Ltd. Inc. announced that it closed a seven-year, $15 million credit facility with Capital One Bank. Villa and its affiliated companies own, operate and franchise 329 …

Yum! Brands Inc.'s board of directors approved an 18-percent increase in the company's quarterly dividend. The quarterly cash dividend will increase from 28.5 cents to 33.5 cents per share and will …