Monday, November 17, 2025
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Katie Lee

flooring/floor careNewspeopleretailers

Floor & Decor Shares Leadership Transition Plan

by Katie Lee

Atlanta — The board of directors of Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc., a leading specialty retailer of hard surface flooring, has appointed Bradley Paulsen, currently serving as president, as its new chief executive officer and a member of the board, effective Dec. 26, 2025. At that time, Thomas Taylor, the company’s current CEO, will transition to the role of executive chair of the board. In this capacity, he will remain actively involved in shaping Floor & Decor’s long term vision for strategic growth and supporting its continued expansion toward 500 …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewspeoplerestaurants

Church’s Texas Chicken® Appoints New Chief Development Officer

by Katie Lee

Atlanta — Church’s Texas Chicken®, one of the largest quick-service chicken restaurant chains in the world, has appointed Bobby Morena as chief development officer, effective Nov. 3, 2025. He joins the company from GoTo Foods. In his new role, Morena will lead all aspects of Church’s domestic development strategy, including franchise sales, real estate, design and construction, with a focus on accelerating the expansion of the brand across the U.S. Morena will report to Roland Gonzalez, CEO and president. Morena has more than 25 years of experience in franchise development …

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Newspeopleretailers

Murphy USA Inc. Promotes COO to President/CEO & COO

by Katie Lee

El Dorado, Ark. — The Murphy USA Inc. board of directors has appointed its chief operating officer, Mindy K. West, to also serve as president. She will succeed Andrew Clyde as the company’s president and chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1, 2026. West will also become a member of the board of directors on that date. Clyde will retire from the board on Dec. 31, 2025. “On behalf of the board, I am delighted to welcome Mindy as Murphy USA’s next president and CEO and as a member of our …

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Industry Voicesretailerssecurity/loss preventionsoftware/technologyvendors

AI in Retail Security

by Katie Lee

— By Scott Thomas — Improving security and the customer experience. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been discussed in the physical security industry for years and offers strong potential for retail security automation and management. It may be surprising to discover that many retailers already use some form of AI in their security technologies. Analytics engines process massive amounts of data, such as images, text or numbers — using AI algorithms to produce actionable insights. For example, analytics can automatically flag vehicles linked to previous incidents upon arrival and streamline the …

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Newspeopleretailerssoftware/technology

Bed Bath & Beyond Appoints EVP and Chief Digital, Product & Technology Officer

by Katie Lee

Murray, Utah — Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc., owner of Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock, buybuy BABY and a blockchain asset portfolio, has appointed Rick Lockton as executive vice president and chief digital, product and technology officer. In his new role, Lockton will lead all digital, AI, product and technology functions, advancing Bed Bath & Beyond’s position as a leader in retail innovation and home technology. Effective Nov. 3, 2025, Lockton will join the executive leadership team to lead the company’s digital transformation and product innovation strategy. He will oversee …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Taco John’s Signs 5-Unit Deal in North Dakota

by Katie Lee

  St. Louis Park, Minn. — Taco John’s®, a leading Mexican quick-service restaurant, is bolstering its Midwest presence with a multi-unit signed area development agreement in North Dakota, a key development state for the brand. The agreement will bring five new units to Fargo, with the first slated to open by the end of the year and the second following in early 2026.  Behind the deal is seasoned Taco John’s franchisee Brett Itterman.  Taco John’s is doubling down on its footprint in the Midwest, and North Dakota is positioned as …

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Total Wine & More Partners with Rackspace Technology

by Katie Lee

San Antonio — Rackspace Technology®, a leading end-to-end hybrid cloud and AI solutions company, has teamed up with Total Wine & More, America’s Wine Superstore® to advance its digital transformation through a strategic, multi-cloud approach. The retailer adopted two public cloud platforms, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, selecting the best cloud for each of its major technology initiatives. It chose Rackspace to provide flexible, managed support and gained valuable cloud optimization expertise. “We needed a partner who could support our multi-cloud strategy and provide consistent, expert guidance across both Azure …

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franchise developmentNewspeoplerestaurants

Ascent Hospitality Management Names New CEO

by Katie Lee

Atlanta — Ascent Hospitality Management, franchisor to Huddle House and Perkins American Food Co., has appointed Paul Damico as chief executive officer, effective immediately. As CEO, Damico will lead Ascent’s next chapter of growth and modernization, building on the company’s long history of bringing people together around great food and supporting franchisees’ success. He will also explore opportunities to expand Ascent’s portfolio through the acquisition of additional brands that align with the company’s growth strategy, vision and values. Damico brings over four decades of extensive food and beverage experience within …

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NewsProduct Spotlightretailerssoftware/technologyvendors

Gap Inc. Partners with Google Cloud in Retail Operations

by Katie Lee

San Francisco and Sunnyvale, Calif. — Gap Inc. has formed a multi-year partnership with Google Cloud to accelerate its human-centered digitally-enabled technology strategy, with AI powering the company’s plans to reimagine retail across its portfolio of brands, including Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta. “AI is redefining what’s possible in retail, and we’re building our future technology roadmap around it,” says Sven Gerjets, chief technology officer at Gap Inc. “We believe this partnership gives us the expertise and speed to bring AI to life across our business, empowering teams, …

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franchise developmentNewsrestaurantsstore closings

Jack in the Box Inc. to Sell Del Taco Holdings Inc. for $115 Million

by Katie Lee

San Diego — Jack in the Box Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Del Taco Holdings Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the company which operates and franchises more than 550 Del Taco restaurants, to Yadav Enterprises Inc. for $115 million in cash, subject to certain adjustments. The transaction is expected to close by January 2026. The company expects to use the net cash proceeds after taxes and transaction costs to retire debt within its securitization structure. In line with the company’s “Jack on Track” plan announced …

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