Miami — Miami, a major U.S. city that continues to experience a spike in COVID-19 cases, recently signed an emergency order limiting restaurants to outdoor dining only. To help businesses survive and keep locals safe, the City of Miami has curated a city-wide outdoor dining pilot program to allow restaurants to expand onto city streets, parking spaces and sidewalks until January 31, 2021. Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood has officially closed Fuller Street as part of the city-wide program — after receiving Miami’s only street closure approval — and has since transformed the …
Union, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has named Lynda Markoe as executive vice president, chief people & culture officer. She has extensive industry experience from over 30 years at major retailers and will join Bed Bath & Beyond in September 2020. As a key member of the leadership team, she will report to Mark Tritton, Bed Bath & Beyond’s president and CEO, and will be responsible for the company’s People growth pillar, which is focused on creating a talent engine and culture that attracts, retains and develops diverse …
Los Angeles — FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc. is resuming its “healthcare heroes initiative” by bringing its Fatburger “Fatmobile” food truck to local hospitals to cook fresh, tasty meals for healthcare workers across the L.A. region. During the pandemic in April and May, the Fatmobile made stops at dozens of area hospitals serving up a total of 25,000 meals for local healthcare heroes. Now, as cases have started to rise in L.A. and the surrounding area, Fatburger plans to dish out an additional 10,000 meals to healthcare heroes. “Since …
Lexington, Ky. — Same-store sales at A&W Restaurants’ franchised gas and convenience store locations jumped by double digits in June, although Americans were driving fewer miles and buying less gas than usual. Sales at A&W’s more than 90 C-store locations were up 10.5%, following an 8.3% increase in May. They were an average of 11% higher during the January-February period before falling off in March and April, the result of the coronavirus pandemic. The strong performance comes as the iconic brand prepares to expand its convenience store and travel center …
Mahwah, N.J. — Ascena Retail Group, the parent company of clothing brands Ann Taylor, Justice, Loft, Lane Bryant, Catherines and Lou & Grey, has filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The Mahwah, N.J.-based company has reopened 95% of its stores since the COVID-19 outbreak, though Ascena cited the pandemic as “severely” disrupting the company’s financial foundation. The exact number of store closings was not disclosed, but the company said it will close a “significant” number of Justice stores, …
Denver — Slater’s 50/50, the nationally recognized burger concept known for inventing the 50/50 burger patty made with 50% ground bacon and 50% ground beef, celebrated the grand opening of its first Denver restaurant on July 24, 2020. The new location is opening in the RiNo Arts District’s The Hub, a mixed-use building featuring office, retail and restaurant tenants, located at 3600 Blake St. “After a 30+ year career in the investment industry, I decided to do something completely different — open a restaurant,” says Charles Murray, owner of Slater’s …
— By Beverly Raphael Altman — At RCC Associates, we are not strangers to adversity or challenges facing our industry. [EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was intended to run in May 2020 but was sidelined along with many other articles due to the onset of the coronavirus epidemic. We are running it for you here now, as a break from COVID-related material.] There is no shortage of challenges when it comes to being a leading commercial general contractor specializing in restaurant and retail construction. At RCC Associates, we …
— By Garry Wicka — Giving peace of mind in uncertain times, digital signage displays help inform each and every customer and employee of store rules and government guidelines. As retailers, restaurants and public-facing businesses of all kinds prepare to reopen amid ever-changing health guidance and local restrictions, the need to clearly communicate the latest health and safety information becomes absolutely vital for smooth operations and public support. For any type of business — from restaurants to boutique stores — one of the easiest and most non-invasive way to …
Orlando, Fla. — General contractor Williams Company Southeast has completed Phases II and III of the 450,000squarefoot Vineland Pointe retail center in Orlando, Fla. The center’s final phases include a Cheesecake Factory and a new 65,000-square-foot “small-format” Target store that will open in August 2020. This multi-phased project spanned over 2 years of design and construction developed by New York-based O’Connor Capital Partners and its partner, LaSalle Investment Management. Williams Company is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary and is a 100% employee-owned company. The company’s operating units include Williams Company …
Minneapolis — Taco John’s, a popular quick-service restaurant brand based in Cheyenne, Wyo., has opened a new franchise support center in Minneapolis. This second corporate office is located at 1650 West End Blvd. Ste. #100 in St. Louis Park. With nearly half of the brand’s restaurants located within a 4-hour drive of Minneapolis, Taco John’s chose the city as its base to more easily connect with its franchisees in the upper Midwest while continuing to expand its nationwide footprint. “Bringing our franchise support center to The City of Lakes is …