Author

Katie Lee

Newsretailers

Spirit Halloween Opening More Than 1,500 Stores for its 40th Anniversary Season

by Katie Lee

Egg Harbor Township, N.J. — Halloween, the leading Halloween retailer, is marking its 40th anniversary season and opening more retail locations than ever. With more than 1,500 seasonal locations, the Halloween retailer will bring over 40,000 jobs and seasonal excitement to local communities throughout North America by mid-September. This year, the brand brings back a fresh new twist on its beloved “Spirit Hallows” in-store theme, with cemetery-inspired store design details. The design spotlights Spirit Halloween’s exclusive animatronics as the residents of Spirit Hallows. “We’ve seen Halloween grow from a single …

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franchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Zaxby’s Continues to Expand in Western U.S. with First Locations in Arizona

by Katie Lee

Athens, Ga. — Zaxby’s, a rapidly growing Athens, Ga.-based QSR franchise, now with over 930 locations, has recently signed a franchise development deal that will lead the company to enter its 21st state: Arizona. “This is such an exciting time for us,” says Bert Lane, Zaxby’s vice president of development. “Not only are we seeing growth in our tried-and-true Mid-Atlantic states and Southeast, but we’re thrilled to expand our footprint in the western part of the United States.” This year alone, Zaxby’s has sold 51 new locations and is on …

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Newsretailers

JCPenney Builds Upon $1 Billion Reinvestment Plan

by Katie Lee

Plano, Texas — JCPenney is building upon a self-funded reinvestment plan and customer value proposition aimed at fueling long term growth and increasing customer loyalty and frequency. JCPenney plans to reinvest more than $1 billion into the business by fiscal year 2025 to further improve customer experience and operational efficiencies. This reinvestment builds on significant progress in fiscal year ‘22, including the launch of JCPenney Beauty, completed store refreshes and improved digital shopping. Building on key transformations already completed across key areas of the business, the planned reinvestments will strengthen …

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Industry Voiceswaste management/recycling

Separate & Sustainable

by Katie Lee

— Interview with Cameron Funk — How separating your waste streams can maximize sustainability. Following is a Q&A with Cameron Funk, chief sustainability officer of CheckSammy, an on-demand nationwide waste removal and sustainability services company headquartered in Dallas. We were interested to learn what options facilities managers may have to divert materials from the waste stream, and what challenges they may run up against in their quest to achieve maximum profitability through sustainability. R&R: What are the biggest challenges for retail and restaurant facility managers who are looking to divert …

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Industry Voicesrestaurantssoftware/technologyvendors

A Delicate Balance

by Katie Lee

— By Savneet Singh — Balancing automation and workforce: navigating the future of restaurants. In an era of shrinking workforces and rising costs, the restaurant industry faces significant challenges in maintaining operational efficiency and profitability while delivering exceptional customer experiences. Many establishments have implemented automation — including robots and artificial intelligence (AI) — to address these pain points and supplement their human workforce. While automation enhances productivity and streamlines operations, restaurants must balance relying on technology and prioritizing the hiring/retention of employees. A Growing Need for Automation In a labor-driven, …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Del Taco Opens First Drive-Thru Only Location Utilizing New Fresh Flex Store Design

by Katie Lee

Lake Forest, Calif. — Del Taco® has debuted its new “Fresh Flex” Drive-Thru Only location. Opening in Albuquerque, N.M., the location’s small footprint spans just 1,200 square feet. “Our Fresh Flex design offers a modern, sleek look that is aligned with our Del Taco® Better Mex® brand promise — better quality, better value,” says Tim Linderman, chief development officer. “This design allows us to reduce the overall footprint of the building which creates more real estate flexibility and the potential to reduce total buildout costs which will allow us to …

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Newspeopleretailers

Giant Eagle, Inc. Appoints CEO; Promotes Several Executive Team Members

by Katie Lee

Pittsburgh — Giant Eagle, Inc., one of the nation’s leading regional food, fuel and pharmacy retailers, has appointed Bill Artman as chief executive officer after having been named interim CEO in March. During his nearly 40-year tenure with the company, Artman has served in various executive leadership roles, including president of supermarkets, executive vice president and senior vice president, retail operations. “Bill already has made a tremendous impact in his interim role, giving the board confidence that he is the right leader to take Giant Eagle to new heights. We …

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Newspeoplerestaurants

Little Caesars® Promotes Key Leaders

by Katie Lee

Detroit — Little Caesars, the world’s largest privately owned pizza chain, has experienced explosive sales and new unit growth over the last several years, in existing and new countries around the globe. To support this and ongoing growth, Little Caesars’ 18-year CEO Dave Scrivano is promoting Paula Vissing and Ed Gleich to more expansive posts. Vissing, formerly chief operating officer, will now serve as president of Little Caesars global retail. Gleich, formerly chief innovation officer, will serve as president of global services for the brand. They will continue to report …

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Newsretailers

Rally House Opens 5 New Stores Across 5 States

by Katie Lee

Lenexa, Kan. — A leading sports and merchandise retailer, Rally House, has opened five new stores in five states. One store joins the Omaha, Neb., roster (L Street Marketplace), while the others arrive in fresh markets like Central Pennsylvania (Chambersburg Crossing); Lexington, Ky., (Hamburg Pavilion); Tyler, Texas (Cumberland Park); and Tempe, Ariz. (Tempe Marketplace). August has been a month of outstanding growth for Rally House, with seven stores in one weekend to start the month and five stores in one weekend to end the month, bringing the month’s total to …

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franchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Krystal Launches Strategic Refranchising Program on the Path to 500 U.S. Locations

by Katie Lee

Atlanta — Krystal, the original quick-service restaurant chain in the South, is unveiling a strategic refranchising initiative aimed at propelling the expansion of its brand presence. The program involves offering existing company-owned locations in markets previously unavailable for franchising, with a targeted focus on attracting established multi-unit operators who possess a proven track record and a desire to acquire a successful portfolio of existing restaurants and continue to build the market with new locations. This strategic move aligns with Krystal’s ambition to amplify its footprint across the United States, transitioning …

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