Boston — Wayfair, a Boston-based e-commerce firm specializing in furniture, will open three brick-and-mortar stores in the Boston area in 2022. The first two stores will be located within open-air centers in Lynnfield and Dedham that are owned by WS Development and will carry the company’s AllModern brands. The third store will be located within Simon Property Group’s Burlington Mall and will carry the Joss & Main brand. Wayfair plans to open more stores to support other brands over the next 2 years. SOURCE: www.REBusinessOnline.com
Denver — Denver is now home to Bar Louie’s first-ever new prototype. Located in The Shops at Northfield, Bar Louie closed for several weeks during renovations and officially reopened on Dec. 10. From the menu and flatware to the interior and exterior design, everything about the look is new. The enhanced gastrobar design features new colors, lighting, booths, tables, chairs and barstools. Also included are renovated bathrooms, a takeout and delivery station and upgraded high-efficiency kitchen equipment. In addition, Bar Louie enlisted the famous Denver muralist, Randy Segura, to paint …
— By Greg Houck — How emerging mixed-use trends can translate to long term success. Mixed-use projects have a retail problem. Too often, incorporating retail spaces into a mixed-use project is straightforward and static: a single complimentary demand driver, such as a high-rise multifamily with convenient ground-floor grocer. With this approach, the residential component may subsidize a portion of revenues for the tenant, but most often it isn’t sufficient enough and local demand has not been fully understood. Over the past several years there has been many exciting innovations …
— By Chris Marasco — Improving IAQ to better protect your customers. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a catalyst of disruption for more than a year. In 2020, the virus quickly shut down many restaurant locations while forcing retail businesses to enforce strict guidelines that instructed customers to wear masks and stand 6 feet apart. In many situations, consumers shifted toward online stores to make their purchases as opposed to gathering in person at a brick-and-mortar location. While the pandemic turned many lives upside down, one positive outcome was …
Livonia, Mich. — Pet Supplies Plus recently celebrated its 600th grand opening in Gresham, Ore. Additionally, the independent pet supplies retailer signed 107 new store commitments for this year alone. Out of those signings, 62 are new franchise owners who are joining the experienced retailer, and 45 existing owners will be opening additional locations. The local entrepreneurs of the 600th store are new franchisees Tom and Julie Meehan. “Pet Supplies Plus’ tremendous new store growth is not only from new owners joining our pack but also from owners who have …
Waltham, Mass. — On December 7, 2021, Jewel-Osco unveiled the company’s first micro fulfillment center (MFC) at the Westmont store in Chicago. The 20,000-square-foot MFC facility allows for a seamless shopping experience for customers by pairing a brick-and-mortar store with home delivery through artificial intelligence. The micro fulfillment center is an automated rack and tote system that prepares orders for delivery through a partnership with Waltham, Mass.-based grocery technology company Takeoff Technologies. More than 6,000 totes of product are shuttled from their allotted space inside Takeoff and elevators move the …
Chicago and Miami — REEF Technology Inc., the largest operator of delivery kitchens, logistics and proximity hubs in North America, has acquired 2ndKitchen, a leader in virtual kitchens for hotels, offices, buildings, venues and other hospitality companies. REEF and 2ndKitchen’s existing businesses will be combined under the REEF brand, and will operate under REEF’s Hospitality division. Together, REEF and 2ndKitchen will expand their customer base and enable any business to be able to turn on foodservice without physical infrastructure and the associated expenses. The transaction strengthens REEF’s position in the …
South Beach, Fla. – Mohari Hospitality, the global investment company founded by entrepreneurial investor Mark Scheinberg, has taken a significant minority stake in luxury restaurant business Riviera Dining Group (RDG) to support the development of new concepts and to fund its ambitious expansion plans. This investment marks the first time Mohari has invested directly in the food & beverage (F&B) space. Envisioned by Gregory and Marine Galy through their travels, experiences and thirst for discovery and adventures, the first MILA restaurant (part of RDG) opened in South Beach, Fla., in …
Hudson, Ohio — JOANN, the nation’s category leader in fabrics and sewing and one of the fastest-growing players in the craft space, has added two industry leaders to its executive team: Joe Thibault (senior vice president, store operations) and Lisa Wittman-Smith, senior vice president, inventory management & business insights. An experienced retail leader, Thibault was promoted to senior vice president, store operations in November 2021 after more than 19 years with the company. In his current role, Thibault oversees all field operations, including more than 850 stores. This includes responsibility …
Houston — Shipley Do-Nuts, a leading do-nut restaurant franchisor and manufacturer of specialty food products, has hired Bob McGahan as its new chief financial officer. McGahan adds over 30 years of experience to Shipley’s already strong leadership team as the brand continues its robust growth. Most recently, McGahan served as CFO at private equity-owned Friedrich Air Conditioning Inc. and AirBorn Inc., and has also held management positions at Dell Inc. and Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. McGahan started at Shipley in November. “Bob knows how to aggressively grow a brand in a …