I recently witnessed a public tarring and feathering for the ages at an open house that left me scarred as a reporter and occasional public speaker. Picture the scene as a well-dressed 30-something from a local development company presented plans for a new apartment complex to be built within eyesight of my own kitchen window. He came with impressive demographics and beautiful renderings, but walked into a buzzsaw of uncouth words, disgusted chuckles, hoots, hollers and generally embarrassing antics from a cohort of my neighbors who hated his plans with visceral intensity.

The restaurant industry has been on a tear in recent years with a surge in expansion that has delivered thousands of shiny new stores touting the latest designs, efficient floor plans and innovative tech. Standing behind them is a fleet of aging restaurants that are starting to feel a bit dowdy. Those older restaurants are facing more pressure to step-up their game—and their image—in order to remain competitive in today's marketplace.

Headlines are everywhere describing a “retail apocalypse” or the “tsunami” of retail store closures. Rest assured, the sky is not falling on the entire universe of brick-and-mortar retail. However, franchise operators are taking note of the changing retail real estate market and being more diligent when deciding where to locate new stores.

Digital Doc uses brokers to enter new markets. DMK Burger Bar relies on personal connections and one-to-one conversations. And Huey Magoo's has hired two experienced franchise sales people to get the unit count growing.

With three vertical bands of green, white and red, the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in 1797 inspired the design. The colors are those of Milan (red and white), combined with the green uniform color of the Milanese civic guard.

Though few understand Bitcoin, IRS wants cut—and Happy Tax will help Long before most people have even figured out Bitcoin (or other forms of cryptocurrency) the Internal Revenue Service is targeting those who profit from it to get their cut. One franchised tax preparation firm, Happy Tax, is aiming to be the first to help taxpayers comply with the law.

What was your upbringing like? I was born and raised in the Seattle area. My dad was in the broadcasting industry. He was able to raise some capital and got into buying troubled radio stations and turning them around. In addition to all the normal stuff, I actually was a student of The Little Gym, that's where it was founded. My mom was in journalism, with the Seattle Times. By 2002, we moved to Arizona and by 2002 she went to the Arizona Republic.

The true health of the restaurant industry is up for constant debate. While there is data, it's hard to know exactly what makes up that data. Anyone looking just at legacy casual dining is going to think the industry is falling to pieces. Anyone just looking at asset-light QSR stocks may be wearing rose-colored glasses.

Lena Hamideh was hired as a paralegal by Gray Plant Mooty's Franchise & Distribution Practice Group. Previously with DLA Piper, Hamideh will assist its franchise team with filings, state- and country-specific franchise regulations and renewals. Office Evolution appointed Eileen Proctor to the new position of vice president of revenue optimization and marketing, and hired William Edmundson as its new chief operating officer.

Think back to your most recent car buying experience for a moment. Did you start by researching the entire universe of models and styles? Did you research safety ratings, miles per gallon, anticipated resale price, and all the ratings from the last three years of Consumer Reports? Or did you instead fall in love with a car based on its look, image or reputation and then talk yourself into buying the one you most loved—perhaps using some of those exact “features and benefits” to convince yourself (or your spouse) that you were making a sound decision. Be honest now. Your spouse is not looking.