Oceanside, Calif. — KBS, the largest privately held facility services provider in North America, has appointed Chris Studney as its new chief commercial officer. Studney will be responsible for sales, strategic account management and marketing at KBS. Studney is a highly successful global real estate and facilities services executive with a 25-year track record of driving industry leading growth at scale with clients, including in the same industries and services as KBS. Studney was previously with JLL, one of the largest commercial real estate services companies in the world and a …
Katie Lee
Austin, Texas — Whole Foods Market is introducing a new, quick-shop store format designed to provide customers in urban neighborhoods a quick, convenient shopping experience. The new format, called Whole Foods Market Daily Shop, will initially launch on the Upper East Side in Manhattan with additional locations in New York City to follow. The first store, located at 1175 Third Ave., is expected to open this year. Following the New York City launch, Whole Foods Market plans to bring the format to other cities across the country. Ranging between 7,000 …
— By Glen Greenawalt — 3 hospitality employment challenges facing the industry today. It’s ironic that “Down Under,” the 1980s anthem about a group of Australians traveling the world, is by the band Men at Work. In the song, the protagonists clearly are not working — just like much of today’s working age U.S. population. What’s going on with employment trends, and how can hospitality employers get the workers needed to ensure guests get a guest experience? Here are the top three workforce challenges our team sees facing the industry …
— By Kait Paradowski — How design and art go hand in hand when creating bespoke spaces for restaurants. In a time when all demographic groups, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are increasingly seeking authentic and immersive experiences, bespoke design is providing a meaningful connection between patron and location. Naturally, design and art go hand in hand. Whether it be a large mural or unique branding, bringing in an artistic element allows designers to tell a captivating story for the restaurant and create meaningful differentiation. When it comes to choosing …
Wilmington, N.C. — Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar, a laid-back full-service seafood restaurant franchise with 19 units across the country, has promoted Sarah Meriam to chief operating officer. The promotion fills the role vacated in late 2022 due to the retirement of the previous COO. Aided by her operational acumen, Meriam has already driven impressive growth and development for the company. “Sarah’s operational background and desire to see our strategic franchise partners succeed makes this move a no-brainer for us,” says Jonathan Weathington, CEO. “Sarah, since joining our team 2 years …
Minneapolis — Target Corporation plans to continue to invest in its guest experience and long term growth through various strategies, including through the building of more than 300 new stores and enhancing and/or remodeling existing locations. “For years, Target has consistently built for the long term, investing in the assets, capabilities and team that have differentiated our business, enabled us to deliver for guests in any environment and driven strong growth,” says Brian Cornell, chair and CEO, Target. “Today, with that same long-term view, we’re making strategic investments that expand …
Junior’s Restaurant and Bakery, an East Coast Classic, Opens First Western U.S. Location
Las Vegas — Blending East Coast tradition and Las Vegas flair, Junior’s Restaurant and Bakery, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based eatery famed for its cheesecakes and classic diner menu, opened its first location in the Western U.S. at Resorts World Las Vegas (RWLV) on Feb. 28, 2024 in Las Vegas. The 300-seat venue is a culinary time capsule where classic New York meets contemporary Las Vegas. The menu features New York and Brooklyn comfort food dishes ranging from classic New York deli sandwiches piled high, famous 10 oz. steakburgers, salads, jumbo half-pound …
— Interview with Melanee Jech — R&R: Where are you based and how long has the company been in business? Melanee Jech: We are based in the Greater Philadelphia area with additional self-perform locations throughout the Northeast and Midwest using certified partners to further support our nationwide clients. Our branch operations have been in business 40+ years and have recently added our National Service Center in 2022 to support the nationwide demand. R&R: How long have you been with the company? Jech: I have been with the company for just …
Woodcliff Lake, N.J. — Party City, a specialty retailer and leader in the party goods industry, is accelerating the introduction of its new store format from early success in pilot stores. The new store design is an evolution of the retailer’s latest format, which provides a reinvented balloon shopping experience and dedicated mini-shops — instead of a traditional aisle format — called ‘birthday worlds’ within the store. “With this introduction, we have moved away from the traditional aisle experience and have developed two birthday worlds within each store,” explains Dion …
Cincinnati — JSI Store Fixtures, an LSI Industries Inc. company, has shipped its first order of refrigerated retail displays featuring environmentally friendly R290 refrigerant this month. JSI’s standalone refrigeration systems are a mainstay in the U.S. grocery market. The new R290 is a propane-based system that provides customers with an alternative product that is a non-toxic, zero ozone-depleting refrigerant with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 3, compared to common HFC Refrigerant having a GWP rating greater than 1,400. “Interest in this product is very high and we anticipate continued …