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Katie Lee

Newsretailers

IT’SUGAR to Open Soon on the Magnificent Mile

by Katie Lee

Chicago — IT’SUGAR, the largest specialty and experiential candy retailer in the United States with 100 stores nationwide, will open on April 7 in Chicago. The new 11,400-square-foot candy department store will open in the former Disney Store location on North Michigan Avenue, bringing a much-needed experience-based retail attraction to the famous Magnificent Mile. Chicago is the candy capital of the world with many confectionery companies based in the area. The store will showcase notable brands from Chicago, including Nerds, Tootsie Roll, Wrigley’s Gum and Charms Blow Pops, along with …

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franchise developmentNewsrestaurants

WaBa Grill Continues California Expansion with 13-Store Deal

by Katie Lee

Anaheim Hills, Calif. — WaBa Grill, one of the nation’s leading healthy rice bowl chains, is continuing to grow the brand’s California presence after inking a 13-store development deal. The deal was signed by franchisees Harsimran “Sim” Nagra and Jerry Bajwa with the Bajwa Group of Companies, which currently owns and operates 19 other WaBa Grill locations throughout Southern California. The Bajwa Group now has exclusive territory rights to develop WaBa Grill locations north of Bakersfield through Fresno, introducing WaBa Grill to many new markets including Visalia, Tulare and more. …

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Newspeopleretailers

Express Appoints New Senior Vice President and CFO

by Katie Lee

Columbus, Ohio — Fashion apparel retailer Express, Inc. has appointed Jason Judd as the company’s senior vice president and chief financial officer, effective April 4th. He joins Express from Big Lots and will report to CEO Tim Baxter. “I am pleased to welcome Jason to Express, Inc.,” says Baxter. “He is a seasoned, well rounded and accomplished financial executive with a proven track record of delivering results. His experience across industries and companies, combined with his passion for retail makes him a terrific complement to our extraordinary leadership team, and …

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construction and designNewsremodelsrestaurants

Restaurant Suntory to Reopen at Royal Hawaiian Center Following Extensive Renovation

by Katie Lee

Waikīkī, Oahu, Hawaii — Royal Hawaiian Center is celebrating the reopening of Restaurant Suntory on March 27 following an extensive renovation that began in fall 2021. The enhanced restaurant presents a captivating new design, inspired by the Japanese art of minimalism as well as Honolulu’s magnificent scenery, complemented by a refreshed menu to elevate the authentic Japanese dining experience guests have enjoyed for 42 years. Most notable of the transformation is the Sushi Tokiwa, the new sushi counter that provides a luxury omakase-style indulgence. The transformation is aimed at creating …

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franchise developmentNewsretailers

Pet Supplies Plus Signs Deal for 20 Additional Franchises

by Katie Lee

Livonia, Mich. — Entrepreneurial business partners Aaron Young, Chad Bush and Doug DeLozier, who collectively own and operate 49 Pet Supplies Plus stores across Alabama, Michigan, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin and Texas, recently signed on to add 20 Pet Supplies Plus stores to their portfolio over the next 5 years. Operating as US Retail Holdings, DeLozier, Young and Bush will open the majority of new stores across Tennessee and Texas with store #50 opening this summer. Collectively, the group’s stores employ nearly 800 team members, including local and district managers who …

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kitchen equipmentNewspeoplerestaurantsvendors

Vulcan Promotes Meghan Hurst to VP of Sales and Marketing

by Katie Lee

Baltimore — Vulcan, a leading provider of commercial cooking equipment, has promoted Meghan Hurst to vice president of sales and marketing for Vulcan. Hurst has been with Vulcan for almost 8 years, having most recently served as marketing director. “Meghan’s analytical nature combined with her creative expertise and strong understanding of the foodservice industry and its customers made our choice easy when deciding to promote her to this important position,” says Chris Stern, vice president and general manager, North America Cooking. “We focus on promoting strong performers within our company …

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facilities managementIndustry Voiceskitchen equipmentrestaurantsvendors

Flipping the Script

by Katie Lee

— By Danny Koontz —   Advantages of having worked on both sides of the same coin: on the facilities management side and the vendor side.   Ever wondered when ordering something, buying something or taking a sales call, why did the person on the other side choose that particular job? Maybe they didn’t choose it; maybe circumstances did — or maybe they enjoy that job as their passion. After almost 4 decades in the restaurant facilities management side of the business, I now find myself on the vendor side, …

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energy managementHVAC/RIndustry Voicesrestaurantsvendors

Clean Power

by Katie Lee

— By David Sansenbach — Protecting power quality is key to restaurant and retail revenue.   One of the most critical elements of running a successful restaurant or retail location is being fully operational whenever you are open to diners or shoppers. In order to do that, electrical equipment like a POS system, a WiFi modem, kitchen printers, security cameras, computing platforms and automation tools need to reliably operate exactly as expected. Given that this equipment is likely quite expensive to purchase (and to fix) and its timely and accurate …

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franchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Mountain Mike’s Pizza Opens 250th Restaurant

by Katie Lee

Newport Beach, Calif. — Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a leading California-based family-style pizza chain for more than 40 years, has opened first Woodland, Calif., location — marking the brand’s 250th location nationwide. The new 3,900-square-foot restaurant, the brand’s third in Yolo County, is owned by franchisees Gurjit Mann and Sumeet Benipal. Mann also owns and operates nine other Mountain Mike’s Pizza locations throughout Northern California. “I have been a proud Mountain Mike’s franchisee for more than 20 years, and I am excited to work with my business partner and Woodland resident …

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green newsNewsretailers

Foot Locker, Inc. Aims to Achieve Net Zero GHC Emissions by 2050

by Katie Lee

New York City — Foot Locker, Inc., the New York-based specialty athletic retailer, aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 or sooner, in alignment with climate scientists’ recommendations to transition toward a net zero state and avoid the worst impacts of climate change. This ambition marks an important milestone in the company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) journey. Answering the call to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C, as well as feedback from stakeholders, the company commits to setting a science-based target in line with …

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