Foodservice Equipment Reports

Lo Davlin, senior regional account manager at SilverChef, will transition to support the company’s Florida territory. In the role, Davlin will work directly with hospitality equipment dealerships across the state. Davlin joined SilverChef two years ago and was promoted from regional account manager to senior regional account manager in October 2025. In 2025, Davlin led the SilverChef US sales team in Rent-Try-Buy financing volume.

Buffalo’s Express—one of FAT Brands’ fast-casual concepts—has opened its first-ever standalone restaurant and location at a casino. It resides within Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Airway Heights, Wash. “Opening the first standalone Buffalo’s Express at Northern Quest is an exciting milestone for the brand,” says Jake Berchtold, COO of FAT Brands’ fast casual division, in a July 13 press release.

Burkett Restaurant Equipment & Supplies, based in Perrysburg, Ohio, has donated a combi oven to The Maritime Academy of Toledo. The oven offers steam, combi-steam and hot-air cooking methods, allowing students in the school’s culinary arts program to learn a variety of cooking techniques on a single piece of equipment. “This is exactly the kind of opportunity we look for when we talk about supporting our community,” says Jameel Burkett, president and CEO of Burkett, in the release.

Atlanta-based Zaxbys is expanding in New York this summer with openings in the Bronx and Manhattan. The former location, spanning about 2,000 square feet, opened June 29, while the Manhattan unit—a 2,800-square-foot store on the Upper East Side—opens later this summer. It will feature 16 dine-in seats and self-service ordering kiosks. “New York is one of the most influential food cities in the world, and we’re incredibly proud to introduce Zaxbys to this market,” says Zaxbys CEO Bernard Acoca.

Slutty Vegan will soon launch in Ohio. The plant-based burger brand has signed deals with Soul Republic Hospitality Group to open restaurants in Columbus and Cleveland. The locations will open sometime in the fall. “Ohio embodies the bold, hardworking and ready for something different energy that Slutty Vegan was built on,” says Pinky Cole Hayes, founder and CEO of Slutty Vegan, in the release.

Swig is bound for the southwest suburbs of Chicago following a 13-unit franchise agreement with operators Derek and Michelle Hincks. The new locations—the first of which will open in August—are planned for communities including Naperville, Crest Hill, Joliet and Bolingbrook. The Hincks, a husband-and-wife team, also own Sip City Social and have lived in the Chicago area since 2020.

EPI, a manufacturers’ rep firm based in Grapevine, Texas, has merged with Paragon Marketing. The deal deepens EPI’s presence across Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and southern Illinois. The merged organization will integrate Paragon’s field expertise and relationships with EPI’s operational infrastructure and support systems, with the transaction effective Aug. 1. Paragon’s leadership team will stay on as part of the new EPI Mid Central team.

Aaron Howard—who has decades of operating leadership across brands including CKE Restaurants and Cracker Barrel—has been named chief operating officer at Denny’s Corp. He will oversee operations across the Denny’s franchise system, working to strengthen the brand’s field execution, improve the guest experience and drive performance. “Aaron is an operator,” says Chris Bode, president and CEO of Denny’s.

Qdoba Mexican Eats has signed a deal to open 30 restaurants in Atlanta, and another deal to open 20 units in Nashville, Tenn. Qdoba operates more than 865 restaurants and plans to double its footprint to about 2,000 stores in the next eight years, with 100 opening annually. Additionally, existing franchise partner B Wild Investments has expanded its commitment to 63 units across Colorado, Utah, Washington, Nevada and New Mexico.

Hot Dog on a Stick has been acquired by an affiliate of Amazing Brands—a multi-brand restaurant and hospitality platform led by Stephen Siegel—through a bankruptcy court-approved transaction. The new ownership will lead the brand in pursuing “disciplined growth,” says the press release, including evaluating growth opportunities in the Las Vegas area for a flagship and additional units alike.