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Ron Ruggless

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  • 1 min

Artistry Restaurants names Bryan Lockwood CEO

📢 Artistry Restaurants, with 29 Southeast locations and five brands, appoints Bryan Lockwood as CEO to drive expansion, including a sixth brand in 2023. Lockwood, a veteran with CEO roles at Stonefire Grill and Real Mex Restaurants, brings a multi-disciplinary approach to growth. He succeeds Jason Brooks, now COO and partner, formerly of Uncle Julio’s and Bloomin’ Brands. Artistry brands include Boca, Shrimp Basket, Oak & Stone, Atlantic Beer and Oyster, and Sandbar Amelia Island.
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  • 2 min

Berg Hospitality grows in Texas, plans Buttermilk Baby with Carvel

🍴 Berg Hospitality Group, founded by CEO Benjamin Berg, opened its first restaurant, B&B Butchers, in Houston in May 2015. Now, the group operates 16 restaurants across Fort Worth, Houston, and Arlington, Texas. The group's latest opening is Soy Cowboy, a pan-Asian-inspired eatery at the Loews Hotel in Arlington, and has plans for a partnership with Roark Capital-owned Carvel to launch Buttermilk Baby in Houston, a fast-casual concept reminiscent of a nostalgic soda fountain, with a second location in Sugarland, Texas, and an ambition to open 10 more within five years. Berg Hospitality also anticipates the launch of a speakeasy and Canopy Social rooftop bar in Houston in the next 6-7 months, along with expansion of other concepts like Turner’s Cut steakhouse in San Antonio and Austin. Berg emphasizes service and hospitality as core values in his business.
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Thompson Hospitality unveils restaurant group brand

🍴 Thompson Hospitality announced the creation of Thompson Restaurants division with plans to expand and launch a loyalty and gift card program in 2025. The Reston, Va.-based minority-owned company operates over 70 locations across 14 brands. The expansion targets the District of Columbia-Maryland-Virginia region, South Florida, and Columbus, Ohio. New openings include Milk & Honey, Makers Union, and Wiseguy Pizza, with Virginia Beach, Va. as a planned market. Alex Berentzen is appointed as COO of the restaurant division.
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Texas restaurants cope with Hurricane Beryl aftermath

🌀 NOAA predicts an 85% chance of an above-normal 2024 Atlantic hurricane season with 17-25 named storms, 8-13 hurricanes, and 4-7 major hurricanes—averages are 14, 7, and 3, respectively. Hurricane Beryl, downgraded to a tropical storm, hit the Texas Gulf Coast causing power outages for over 2.5 million customers. The Texas Restaurant Association advises operators on disaster preparedness and recovery, offering resources from Ready.gov, Floodsmart.gov, and outlining pre-storm to post-storm strategies for business continuity.
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