Author

Katie Lee

Clarksville, Tenn. — Rapidly expanding franchise Island Fin Poké Co. has made its debut in Clarksville, Tenn., marking its 26th location and its first in Tennessee. The new location opened on November 14. Island Fin Poké Co. is a Florida-based fast-casual concept known for its Hawaiian-style build-your-own poké bowls. “Our area has been craving something new and fresh, so we are glad to be able to provide these exciting, Island-inspired flavors to Clarksville,” says Jeff Bryant, franchise owner of the new Island Fin Poké Co. “We’re looking forward to introducing …

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New York City — Foot Locker, Inc., a New York-based specialty athletic retailer, has opened a new, state-of-the-art distribution center in Reno, Nev. The more than $40 million, 465,000-square-foot facility will enhance Foot Locker’s distribution capabilities by handling more than 20 million units and serving over 300 stores on the West Coast. The facility will also create greater cost efficiency and cut shipping times within the region by more than 50%. As part of Foot Locker’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy, the facility also integrates sustainable elements, including reclaimed …

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Minneapolis — Caribou Coffee®, a national premium coffeehouse and Panera Brands company, has opened its first-ever domestic franchise location. Located in Wooster, Ohio, the grand opening on Nov. 17 marked a significant milestone for Caribou Coffee since announcing its domestic franchise program in October 2021. Earlier this year, Caribou Coffee announced its first multi-unit agreement with franchisee Mike Mariola, who intends to develop locations in the Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati markets. “We’ve been anticipating the day when we could welcome guests to Caribou’s first U.S.-based franchise location,” says Matthew Walls, …

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Bloomfield, N.J. — The newly renovated Brookdale ShopRite in Bloomfield, N.J., has debuted an EVgo Inc. electric vehicle (EV) fast charging station in its parking lot. This EVgo charging station features charging from 100kW up to 350kW and can serve four vehicles simultaneously. The station was supported with funding through the PSE&G Electric Vehicle Charging Program, which is designed to support the deployment of EV chargers for a range of customers. This latest launch is part of a push to install and offer charging stations in communities where ShopRite stores …

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Houston — Shipley Do-Nuts, makers of gourmet, made-fresh-daily do-nuts for more than 85 years, has signed a deal with Lexington, Va.-based franchisee Jody Mask to open three Shipley locations in Virginia — a new state for the brand. Mask is currently scouting potential sites in the Virginia Tech area as well as Roanoke, Salem, Lynchburg, Harrisonburg and Williamsburg/Stanton. He expects to open the first location within the next year to 18 months. Shipley, which first opened in Houston in 1936, has experienced record-setting growth over the past year and is …

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Union, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has named Scott Lindblom as chief technology & digital officer, effective immediately. Lindblom has served as the company’s chief technology officer since September 2020, and will now be responsible for managing the company’s digital channel. He will report directly to Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.’s president and CEO, Sue Gove. “We are proud to leverage our organization’s strong talent and elevate Scott, an accomplished leader who possesses significant digital transformation and IT solutions expertise. Scott has experience modernizing technology capabilities for leading …

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Los Angeles — On November 14, sweetgreen opened its first advanced order vehicle pickup window, “sweetlane,” located in Schaumburg, Ill. The grand opening of “sweetlane” serves as the latest iteration of the company’s evolving restaurant experience, testing new formats to meet customers where they are. As the first of its fleet, the “sweetlane” provides an effortless experience for visitors in vehicles to pick up online orders through a drive-up window. To order via “sweetlane,” customers place their order through the sweetgreen website or app, and choose “sweetlane” as their desired …

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— By Shawn Morrow — Proactive practices to protect your retail/restaurant roof when severe weather strikes.   Severe weather events can be considered the Number 1 enemy to a commercial roof. Depending on where a building is located in the country, a roof can fall prey to snow and ice storms in the winter, high wind, hail and rainstorms in the spring and summer, and hurricanes in the fall. Unfortunately, severe weather events are on the rise due to global weather pattern changes. In fact, the EPA recently reported that …

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Jericho, N.Y. — Kimco Realty has appointed Josh Gelfman as vice president of development as the company continues to expand its presence in Florida. Gelfman will oversee value-creating redevelopment, expansion and mixed-use projects for Kimco’s Southern region, including South Miami shopping center, Oakwood Plaza North & South, Colonial Plaza and Cypress Creek Station, all located in Florida. “Josh’s knowledge of the Florida market, strong relationships with key stakeholders and proven track record of getting redevelopment projects over the finish line will be vital as Kimco expands its portfolio and mixed-use …

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— By Rob Reiter —   A new law in California creates insurance incentives for installation of safety barriers to protect outdoor diners and other pedestrians.     As outdoor dining and similar streetside venues became commonplace throughout the U.S. during the pandemic, so too did deaths and injuries from vehicles crashing into those diners and pedestrians. California Assemblymember Dr. Bill Quirk (D-20) saw the same trend in his state and introduced legislation that created incentives for installation of safety barriers in the context of outdoor dining and related activities …

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