— By Mike Welsh — Retail curbside pickup and mobile apps are here to stay — what that reliance on a digital platform means for the industry moving forward in a post-COVID world. In an effort to understand how retail curbside pickup, mobile apps and other digital-first retail strategies will change shopping habits even post-COVID, Retail & Restaurant Facility Business interviewed Mike Welsh of the Waltham, Massachusetts-based digital consulting firm Mobiquity. R&R: In this new era of the COVID-19 pandemic, retailers must offer a digital-first option in order …
— By Jill Woodside — Facilities management during crises: Best practices to succeed. Numerous risks surround facilities management and those problems swell during major facilities management crises. The COVID-19 crisis is the most obvious, but its impact on facilities management is a true Black Swan event. According to James M. Berklan of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, the costs of PPE have increased over 1,000% amid the crisis, and while it’s easy to only associate that cost with direct care workers, what about the PPE that facilities management custodial professionals …
— By Ahmed Abouelenein — Today, ghost kitchens are more important than ever. Early on, The Halal Guys embraced the possibilities inherent in ghost kitchens as a tool to expand the reach of our business and grow revenue. We now have become one of their leading proponents for several reasons. In essence, ghost kitchens are 100% delivery-only facilities, alleviating our brick-and-mortar and cart locations, especially during peak times. They help take the pressure off our retail businesses. As a result, our brick-and-mortar locations have been able to wholly focus …
Plano, Texas — J. C. Penney Company, Inc. has begun implementing its store optimization strategy by identifying the first 154 stores to close. Following entry of an order at the June 11, 2020, hearing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, in Corpus Christi, Texas, store closing sales will begin at 154 locations. The company expects additional phases of store closing sales will begin in the coming weeks. Additionally, the company intends to reduce its store footprint and focus resources on its strongest stores and e-commerce …
Salt Lake City — Mercato Partners has launched its inaugural food and beverage fund, Savory. This new fund of $90 million will make investments into compelling, up-and-coming restaurant concepts by providing access to capital together with a team of experienced industry professionals to fuel growth and operations. To create this unique investment practice, Mercato Partners founder Greg Warnock partnered with restaurant industry veteran Andrew K. Smith to lead the newly formed fund along with several members of his leadership team. Savory combines the experience of Smith and his team in …
Las Vegas — Online retailer Barbell Apparel, in conjunction with International Retail Group (IRG), is set to open its first brick-and-mortar store in Las Vegas on June 8. The new store will be in the heart of Downtown Summerlin, a large outdoor shopping center owned by the Howard Hughes Corporation. Barbell Apparel was founded by a team of life-long friends and athletes who started their story by launching their Athletic Fit Jeans on Kickstarter. “A store is the next step in our plans to grow the Barbell Apparel brand,” says …
Greenwood Village, Colo. — Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., a full-service restaurant chain, expects to have reopened approximately 270 dining rooms with limited capacity by June 7, 2020, representing approximately 65% of currently open company-operated restaurants. “With our relentless focus on health and safety for our team members and guests, we are continuing to make progress reopening our dining rooms across the country,” says Paul J.B. Murphy III, Red Robin’s president and chief executive officer. “To build on the momentum we are experiencing in off-premise and dine-in sales, we are …
Cincinnati — Pet Wants®, the Cincinnati-based high-quality pet food and supplies franchise, has hit a major milestone: reaching 100 franchise locations. The 100 franchise units — 25 retail stores and 75 mobile operations — all offer free delivery, making the company uniquely positioned to thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Less than 20% of franchise brands reach the 100-location milestone and Pet Wants has been able to do it in just 5 years. That success was achieved not only because of the company’s great story and fantastic products, but also because …
Redwood City, Calif. — Presto, known for its in-house ordering tablets, has pivoted its business to help out the restaurant industry and is now offering a free Contactless Dining kit. The new kit enables restaurants to provide an end-to-end contactless in-house dining experience to guests. Guests can view the complete menu, place orders and pay at the table — without the need for any human contact. Free to order, the kit is easy to implement and use. Guests can use their personal mobile devices to scan NFC tags and QR …
Louisville, Ky. — May 2020 sales at Papa John’s restaurants were up 33.5% in the U.S. and Canada on a year-over-year basis, marking the second month in a row that the pizza chain recorded its highest sales on record, according to Papa John’s Inc. president and CEO Rob Lynch. The May sales period was recorded from April 27 to May 24, and the company said it will continue to provide monthly updates through the end of the second quarter. In April, the Louisville, Ky.-based chain reported a 26.9% increase in …