New York City — Macy’s, Inc. has reported financial results for the second quarter 2026. Overall, the company delivered 2.7% comparable sales growth, exceeding expectations across all key metrics; Macy’s comparable sales rose for the fifth consecutive quarter, led by Reimagine 200 stores; and Bloomingdale’s delivered second consecutive quarter of double-digit comparable sales growth and its highest second-quarter sales volume. “Our second-quarter performance builds on the progress our colleagues have consistently delivered through our Bold New Chapter strategy,” says Tony Spring, chairman and chief executive officer of Macy’s, Inc. “The …
Katie Lee
Newport Beach, Calif. — Chipotle Mexican Grill has opened of its first restaurant in Asia in Seoul, South Korea, in partnership with Sangmidang Holdings (formerly SPC Group). Along with Sangmidang Holdings, Chipotle plans to continue its expansion with two additional locations in South Korea by the end of 2026, followed by its first restaurant in Singapore in 2027. South Korea will serve as a reference market for Chipotle’s expansion across Asia, establishing a model for how the brand can enter new markets while maintaining its culinary and operational standards. The …
Phoenix — Vestar, one of the leading privately held shopping center owners and operators in the western United States, has named Bill Williams as vice president of technology and systems. Williams joined the company in June 2026 and serves as Vestar’s technology leader, reimagining the firm’s approach to IT and operations. In this new role, Williams is based in Vestar’s Phoenix headquarters and leads the execution of Vestar’s technology strategy. He will develop systems, strengthen security and advance technology-enabled operations to enhance performance across the organization. In his role, Williams …
San Diego — QDOBA Mexican Eats has signed a new development agreement for 17 restaurants across San Diego County in California. The agreement is led by Hyperion Brands, LLC, a San Diego based multi-unit operator. “California is a priority growth market for QDOBA,” says Jeremy Vitaro, chief development officer at QDOBA. “We’re excited to grow the brand with the Hyperion Brands team, a proven, operations-first organization that also brings a strong development track record and a hometown advantage.” QDOBA and its franchise partners currently operate approximately 875 restaurants, with plans …
EVgo, Regency Expand Partnership to Bring Fast-Charging to More Retail Centers Across the U.S.
Los Angeles — EVgo Inc., one of the nation’s largest providers of public fast-charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs), and Regency Centers Corporation are expanding their partnership to bring fast charging to shopping centers, with plans to add more than 400 charging stalls at Regency locations across the U.S. Once complete, these new EVgo stalls are expected to help increase Regency’s EV infrastructure footprint by more than 20%. EVgo installed its first charger at a Regency center in 2020 and today operates over 150 stalls at Regency locations. Located in …
— Interview With Kristen Nowak — R&R: Where are you based? Kristen Nowak: “Unlimited Service Group is headquartered in Addison, Illinois, just outside of Chicago; we operate through 40 locally operated service companies and more than 140 branch locations across the U.S. and Canada.” R&R: What services do you offer? Nowak: “We provide commercial kitchen food equipment repair, installation and maintenance. We service hot, cold, beverage and, in most of our branches, HVAC equipment. We acquire companies with great teams and great leaders, and when they come on board, they …
Englewood, Colo. — Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. has completed most of its refranchising transactions as previously announced on May 28 and June 15, 2026. Across three separate transactions, the company sold 108 company-owned units for approximately $89.4 million in gross proceeds. The sale of eight additional restaurants under one of the transactions is expected to close by the end of Red Robin’s 2026 fiscal year and generate approximately $6.6 million, bringing the total proceeds across all three transactions to approximately $96 million from the sale of 116 restaurants, consistent …
Houston — Eyemart Express, one of the nation’s largest optical retailers, is entering the Greater Houston market for the first time, with a store opening in Conroe, Texas, on Sept. 8. This is the first of four stores the company will open in the area by year’s end. The Houston openings build on Eyemart Express’ established presence across Texas, where the company already operates 42 stores. Each new location will hire a team of opticians, lab technicians and retail associates. Eyemart Express operates a lens lab inside every store, along …
Los Angeles — Cartwheel, an AI-powered delivery platform for restaurants, has teamed up with Hungry Howie’s Pizza to modernize delivery operations. The top 10 U.S. pizza chain is adopting Cartwheel’s Hybrid Delivery technology, following a successful pilot, that will implement a phased rollout across its nearly 500-location system, with all locations targeted to be live by second quarter 2027. Cartwheel’s Hybrid Delivery gives franchisees a single view of in-house and third-party delivery, with fulfillment powered by DoorDash Drive. Hybrid Delivery prioritizes in-house fleets based on configurable factors such as proximity …
Katy, Texas — Academy Sports + Outdoors has appointed Matthew (Matt) M. Pasch to the role of executive vice president and chief people officer. In this position, he will oversee Academy’s talent strategy, human resources and communications functions supporting the company’s corporate, distribution centers and retail initiatives. Most recently, Pasch served as executive vice president, chief human resources officer at Burlington. He also held the roles of senior vice president of human resources, merchandising, marketing and strategy as well as senior vice president of human resources, corporate support, distribution and …