Monday, July 14, 2025
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Katie Lee

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Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café Makes North Carolina Debut

by Katie Lee

Cary, N.C. — Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café is making its North Carolina debut. The first location in the Tar Heel State will open in Cary next year, marking a major milestone in the brand’s continued southern expansion. The new location will open in first quarter 2026 at 1 Fenton Main St. The Cary store will mark the second opening under a landmark 15-unit development agreement between Sweet Paris and Virentes Hospitality, an investment arm of the multifamily office Virentes Partners Group. Comprised of three families of seasoned operators, Virentes …

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construction and designNewsretailerssupply chain

Walmart Opens First Owned and Operated Case-Ready Beef Facility

by Katie Lee

Olathe, Kan. — On June 27, Walmart opened its first-ever owned and operated case-ready beef facility in Olathe, Kan. This milestone reinforces Walmart’s commitment to building a more resilient, transparent and efficient supply chain for Angus beef — helping Walmart provide quality beef options that meet demand and bring tremendous value to customers across the Midwest. “The opening of our new facility in Olathe, Kansas, is centered on delivering more of what our customers want — affordable food and quality they can trust,” says John Laney, executive vice president, food, …

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Budderfly Expands Virtual Power Plant Platform to Manage Energy at Commercial Facilities

by Katie Lee

Shelton, Conn. — Budderfly, a preferred sustainability partner for commercial businesses, has significantly expanded its Virtual Power Plant (VPP) platform, activating real-time demand response across four of the country’s largest energy markets: California Independent System Operator (CAISO), Independent System Operator (ISO) New England, Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland (PJM) Interconnection, and Southwest Power Pool (SPP) service territories. The milestone signifies a decisive move into active grid participation for Budderfly, which now orchestrates behind-the-meter commercial sites through real-time energy market programs. Initial deployments leverage thermostatic control of HVAC systems and will expand to include …

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construction and designIndustry Voicesremodelsrestaurants

Liquid Theater

by Katie Lee

— By Rick Marencic — The rise of the ‘mocktail’ movement and how it impacts restaurant bar design and facility operations. Consumer awareness of the benefits of low alcohol consumption has increasingly permeated the market — influencing everything from product offerings to how restaurants, bars and entertainment venues are designed. Retail surveys show that sales of non-alcoholic wines, beers and spirits grew from $8 billion in 2018 to over $11 billion in 2022, according to IWSR (International Wine and Spirits Record). This paradigm shift is largely driven by evolving health …

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Newspeoplerestaurants

Panera Bread Creates Transformation & Strategy Office and Names SVP

by Katie Lee

St. Louis — Panera Bread has created a new Office of Transformation & Strategy, with Nikka Copeland heading up the new office as senior vice president. In this role, Copeland will manage the strategic execution of Panera’s 3-year growth plan, driving business model clarity that will be instrumental as the company transforms for sustained performance and growth. Copeland joined the Panera executive team on June 24, reporting to CEO Paul Carbone. Copeland brings more than 20 years of experience across multiple industries including foodservice. She is known for leading enterprise-wide …

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Newspeopleretailers

Ulta Beauty Names Interim CFO

by Katie Lee

Bolingbrook, Ill. — Ulta Beauty, Inc. has named Chris Lialios, its senior vice president – controller, as interim chief financial officer, effective immediately. He succeeds Paula Oyibo, who has left Ulta Beauty. The company has commenced an external search for a permanent successor with the assistance of a leading executive search firm. Lialios has served as senior vice president – controller since 2018 with responsibility for the company’s financial reporting, internal controls and accounting policy. He joined Ulta Beauty in 1999 as assistant controller. “Chris has been a respected leader …

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Newspeoplerestaurants

Jack in the Box Inc. Welcomes Back Shannon McKinney as COO

by Katie Lee

San Diego — Jack in the Box Inc. is pleased to announce the return of Shannon McKinney as senior vice president, chief operating officer and new member of the executive leadership team. He was first with Jack in the Box from 2019 until 2021. McKinney brings more than 25 years of restaurant industry experience with a deep understanding of driving operational efficiency and a proven track record of developing high-performance teams and delivering best-in-class team member and guest experiences. He started out his quick-service and fast-casual restaurant operations career in …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsretailers

Stretch Zone Celebrates 400th Location

by Katie Lee

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — Stretch Zone, the nation’s leader in practitioner-assisted stretching, announced today the opening of three new locations across the country, reaching 400 studio locations — marking a major milestone in the brand’s rapid national expansion. Stretch Zone has achieved this growth without a single location failure, a rare feat in the franchise world, and a testament to the brand’s proven model, operational excellence and robust franchise support. The multi-location debut underscores Stretch Zone’s momentum and growing national footprint, with three new studios set to open in Rogers, Ark.; …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Chicken Salad Chick to Open First Restaurant in Kansas

by Katie Lee

Atlanta — Chicken Salad Chick, the nation’s only fast-casual chicken salad restaurant concept, will open its first restaurant in Kansas on July 1 — expanding the brand’s footprint to 22 states. The new restaurant will be located in Overland Park. Sisters Jo Anne Williams and Cindy Sulzman are the team behind this milestone opening for the brand. In addition to their Overland Park restaurant, the pair are slated to open two more Chicken Salad Chick restaurants in Johnson County in 2026. Sulzman will be heading up retail operations, catering and …

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Tailored Brands Appoints New Chief Executive Officer

by Katie Lee

Houston — Tailored Brands, Inc. has named John Tighe as its new chief executive officer (CEO), effective August 5, 2025. He will also join the board of directors. Peter Sachse will transition from his current role as CEO to become executive chairman of the board. Sachse was first appointed to the board in March of 2021, led the company’s transformation as co-CEO alongside Bob Hull beginning in 2021 and was named sole CEO in February 2024. Tighe joined Tailored Brands in May 2021 as executive vice president and chief customer …

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