Pasadena, Calif. — Wetzel’s Pretzels is introducing Twisted by Wetzel’s, a never-before-seen street concept that amplifies the iconic brand’s classic pretzels to satisfy today’s millennial and Gen Z generations. From savory to sweet, the menu features new creations that are stuffed, topped and drizzled to ultimate pretzel perfection. The new concept will debut in California this spring. “Twisted by Wetzel’s embraces the magic or our core brand and elevates it to a whole new level, providing a bigger, bolder, more imaginative expression of Wetzel’s,” says Kim Freer, chief marketing officer. …
Katie Lee
Columbus, Ohio, and New York City — Parent company of fashion apparel retailer Express, Inc., EXPR, and global brand management firm, WHP Global have entered a definitive agreement to acquire menswear brand Bonobos, Inc. from Walmart Inc., for a combined $75 million. This is the first acquisition to be made jointly by WHP Global and EXPR since finalizing their strategic partnership earlier this year. Bonobos, founded in 2007 and acquired by Walmart in 2017, distinguished itself in the menswear category based on product fit, customer experience and the innovative Guideshop …
Seattle — Starbucks Coffee Company has appointed Brad Lerman as executive vice president and general counsel following an extensive internal and external search. Lerman will serve on the executive leadership team, reporting directly to CEO Laxman Narasimhan, effective May 8, 2023. Lerman joins the company with over three decades of legal and regulatory experience in both the public and private sector. Most recently, Lerman was senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Medtronic, a healthcare technology provider. He has also served in similar leadership roles at the Federal …
Seattle — Seattle-based fashion retailer Nordstrom, Inc. plans to open four new Nordstrom Rack stores in 2024 and one in 2025, all in California. The new stores will be located in the California cities of Davis, Elk Grove, Gilroy, Oceanside and San Mateo. “We look forward to opening these new Nordstrom Rack locations, strengthening our network of stores and introducing new customers to Nordstrom Rack’s unique product offering,” says Carl Jenkins, senior vice president of Nordstrom Rack Stores. “In addition to shopping great brands at great prices, our customers in …
— By Sarah Schanke — Designer replicates Tujague’s iconic Mardi Gras flair down to the last detail. Tujague’s, an iconic French Quarter fixture of the New Orleans cultural landscape, has been serving culinary delights to customers for more than 160 years. To stay viable, the owners of the beloved establishment made the difficult decision to relocate the restaurant four blocks upriver. The nation’s third-oldest restaurant now occupies three floors with balconies overlooking the Big Easy steamboats cruising the city’s Mississippi River harbor each day. “A favorite of …
Belmar, N.J. — Playa Bowls, a leading superfruit bowl shop, has appointed Dan Harmon as its new chief executive officer. As CEO, Harmon will leverage his extensive industry experience to accelerate the company’s overall growth strategies and performance. He succeeds Playa Bowls’ co-founder Rob Giuliani, who will remain engaged in the business as chief innovation officer and continue to play a critical role in Playa Bowls’ strategic development. “Harmon has an exceptional reputation for exceeding business objectives and franchisee relationships in the restaurant industry and will be a valuable asset …
Phoenix — Leslie’s, Inc., the largest direct-to-consumer brand in the U.S. pool and spa care industry, is turning 60. The company also has opened its 1,000th store. Leslie’s was founded in 1963 by Phil Leslie Jr. as a single location in Los Angeles. The retailer has grown to a 1,000-store chain across 37 states, providing pool owners and professionals with everything they need to keep pools and spas clean, safe and beautiful. The company opened its 1,000th store in early April in North Port, Fla. Leslie’s is well known for …
Shelton, Conn. — Budderfly, a premier sustainability partner for businesses with repeatable footprints, has added energy services leader Scott Avirett as its new chief operating officer (COO). Avirett will lead the development and implementation of an integrated customer experience and delivery strategy to ensure operational excellence and meet rapidly growing demand for Budderfly’s sustainability services across North America. Avirett brings two decades of global experience in sustainable energy & infrastructure operations and general management to Budderfly. He previously built and led high-performance teams at Johnson Controls and Energy Systems Group …
Newport Beach, Calif. — Chipotle Mexican Grill has unveiled a new all-electric restaurant design that works to maximize energy efficiency in its equipment and systems and utilizes 100% renewable energy from wind power and solar through the purchase of certified renewable energy credits. The company recently opened restaurants with the new features in Gloucester, Va., and Jacksonville, Fla., with a third location opening later this summer in Castle Rock, Colo. The new restaurant design pilot will help Chipotle progress toward its science-based targets, established in alignment with Science Based Targets …
Tampa, Fla. — Walmart Inc. kicked off its 2-day 2023 Investment Community meeting in Tampa, Fla., where leadership highlighted how the company is investing to strengthen its business through its people and an unparalleled, next generation supply chain network of stores, clubs and fulfillment centers, and driving future global growth opportunities across its omnichannel ecosystem and high value initiatives. “We are in a unique position to serve our customers and members however they want to shop, which will fuel continued growth,” says Doug McMillon, Walmart’s president and chief executive officer. …