Mid-Continent Hospitality Inks 10-Unit Deal 

Mid-Continent Hospitality agreed to develop 10 dual-branded locations of Buona and The Original Rainbow Cone Ice Cream Shop. The units will be in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and represent the brands' Texas debuts.

Family-owned and operated, Mid-Continent Hospitality operates hotels, restaurants, and retail outlets across the country. The company's founder, Minhas Ladiwalla, passed away unexpectedly last year. His wife, Zeenat Ladiwalla, CEO of Mid-Continent Hospitality, and her two sons will carry out Minhas' vision to bring a dual-branded Buona and Rainbow Cone restaurant to every major city in Texas.

"We're extremely pleased to be the first to introduce the Buona and Rainbow Cone brands to Texas," she said. "Our team is ready to hit the ground running and already have sites picked out for our first restaurants in Frisco & McKinney. It's an honor for our family to continue the Buonavolanto family tradition and create memorable dining experiences for all our soon-to-be guests."

The agreement is a milestone for the Buona Companies, made up of Buona, the largest family-owned Italian Beef restaurant group and beef producer in the country, and The Original Rainbow Cone Ice Cream Shop (Rainbow Cone), home of the iconic five-flavor cone, as it continues its strategic nationwide expansion.

"We are thrilled to be expanding into Texas. Texans have been introduced to Chicago dogs and deep-dish pizza, now they will have the opportunity to experience Chicago's true gem, the original Italian Beef sandwich," said Joe Buonavolanto III, executive vice president of the Buona Companies. "Dallas and Fort Worth are prime markets for our dual-branded franchise opportunity as they make up one of the country's fastest-growing metropolitan areas, and we couldn't have found better partners than Mid-Continent Hospitality to introduce these iconic brands to its residents."