The Senate rejected the National Labor Relations Board's joint-employer rule in a 50-48 vote on a Congressional Review Act resolution on Wednesday. IFA has sounded the alarm about the impact of the joint-employer rule, which it says "would fundamentally change the relationship between franchisor and franchisee." The resolution now goes to President Joe Biden, who has threatened to veto it.

US quick-service chain Wendy's is in growth mode in the UK after returning to the market in 2021 following a 20-year absence. The brand has grown to more than 30 locations and aims to continue growing this year with plans for new units that will create 400 new jobs.

Panera Bread's recent focus on returning to its roots via a menu transformation focused on soups, salads and sandwiches is paying off in higher customer traffic, according to Placer.ai. The changes ahead of a planned initial public stock offering helped fuel a 5.2% year-over-year traffic increase, the data show.

Alex Barsk, who was previously the global chief financial officer for Pizza Hut, will start as CFO at KFC Global on June 1, reporting to CEO Sabir Sami. Barsk's "leadership has had a positive impact in driving Pizza Hut's growth agenda," KFC Global noted in a statement.

Buffalo Wild Wing has expanded its quickservice BWW Go concept to 100 locations with the opening this week of a new unit in New York City, and the chain says it has signed franchisees to open 600 more Go units. The BWW Go concept features the chain's wings and other familiar items with limited seating and a focus on takeout and delivery.

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IFA is voicing its support for the Senate's decision to vote against the National Labor Relations Board's joint-employer rule by passing a Congressional Review Act resolution. "Today, Congress stood with hundreds of thousands of small businesses from around the country by rejecting this misguided joint employer rule," said IFA President and CEO Matt Haller. Haller called on President Joe Biden to "join the bipartisan effort to reject this proposal."

Fast-growing franchise Marco's Pizza added three new leaders to its marketing team. Ben Halliwell will serve as senior vice president of digital marketing; Tanisha Chea will be vice president of brand marketing; and Kathleen Kennedy will serve as director of culinary innovation.

As the IFA and its members applaud the Senate's vote against the joint-employer rule, Michael Layman, IFA senior VP of government relations and public affairs, notes that more needs to be done. "We need the president to support the franchise model and also sign the measure," Layman said. "We think it's an opportune time to use the [Congressional Review Act] to lock in the direct control standard that really strikes the right balance between franchisor and franchisee," Layman said.

The producer price index gained 0.2% in March on a monthly basis, down from February's 0.6% increase and below the Dow Jones estimate. The index was up 2.1% from the prior year. Meanwhile, core PPI, which strips out food and energy, rose 0.2% for the month, in line with expectations.