Hoover, Ala. — MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, a fast-casual, “better burger” franchise brand, has opened the brand’s first restaurant with its new remodel design. The restaurant, which opened on Feb. 10, 2020 in Hoover, Ala., marks the third MOOYAH restaurant for Jordan and Carrie Barrow. The Hoover MOOYAH location will be the first store of the new prototype that will feature new dining zones and seating arrangements, purposeful third-party and to-go shelving, a closed kitchen, digital menu boards and a new logo. “The original MOOYAH concept is like a …
Atlanta — The Home Depot® has been recognized as a global leader on corporate climate action for its efforts to reduce its environmental impact and build a more sustainable future for consumers and their homes. CDP, an environmental impact non-profit, named The Home Depot to its Climate Change “A List” for its actions to cut carbon emissions and mitigate climate risks. Every year, thousands of companies disclose data about their environmental impacts to CDP for independent assessment and receive scores ranging from A to D- for how effectively they are tackling …
Long Island, N.Y. — Greek from Greece (GFG) Bakery-Café, an authentic fast-casual concept raising the bar of Greek cuisine in America, has finalized a deal that will rapidly expand its portfolio from 10 to 41 locations. Thirty of the new locations will open in Long Island, N.Y., and one will open in Stamford, Conn. The significant expansion fuels momentum for GFG Bakery-Café, which recently acquired and rebranded its biggest New York-based competitor and opened a new location in Tampa, Fla. The new GFG Bakery-Cafés will be housed in converted Dairy …
Asheville, N.C. — Earth Fare, a privately held grocery chain that sells natural and organic products, says it will shutter all of its stores and launch a liquidation inventory sale. The grocer lists 46 stores on its website, the bulk of which are in Florida and its home state of North Carolina. Earth Fare also has five stores in the Midwest and a few others in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and South Carolina. Earth Fare is also shuttering its corporate office in Asheville, N.C. The Wall Street Journal reported that …
Glenview, Ill. — ITW Food Equipment Group, a worldwide family of industry leading commercial food equipment brands, has promoted Axel Beck to lead the organization as executive vice president. Beck succeeds Lei Schlitz, who will now lead ITW’s automotive OEM segment. As head of ITW Food Equipment Group, Beck will oversee global management of the premier family of brands, including Hobart, Baxter, Vulcan, Traulsen, Bonnet, Foster and many others that support the needs of foodservice and food retail operations, from food preparation, refrigeration and cooking to ventilation, weighing, wrapping, dishwashing …
Broomfield, Colo. — Noodles & Company, known for serving classic noodle, Zoodle and Caulifloodle dishes from around the world, has refranchised nine Noodles & Company restaurants in Charlotte, N.C., and Orlando, Fla., to existing franchisee River City Restaurant Group (RCRG). In the deal that closed on January 29, 2020, RCRG laid out plans to also develop 22 new Noodles & Company units between 2021 and 2032. This year, it plans to open 10 to 15 new restaurants systemwide. RCRG, a franchise partner with Noodles & Company since 2004, led by …
Gloucester, N.J. — NEST, a leader in integrated facilities management and technology solutions serving enterprises in the United States and Canada, has added Shannon Puckett to its executive suite as chief operating officer. In her new role, Puckett will oversee NEST’s network of over 26,000 independent service providers (ISPs), ensure their compliance to local and national requirements and manage quality assurance, product sourcing and service execution. “We’re thrilled to have a veteran leader like Shannon joining the NEST family,” says Rob Almond, CEO at NEST. “After a year of continued …
New York City — Macy’s, Inc. plans to optimize its portfolio by continuing to grow stores in the best malls, but close approximately 125 stores in lower tier malls within 3 years. The department store also plans to explore new smaller, off-mall formats. Macy’s will also establish a single corporate headquarters and relocate its digital business to New York City. This updated strategy and 3-year plan is designed to stabilize profitability and position the company for growth. “We have a clear vision of where Macy’s, Inc. and our brands, Macy’s, …
Atlanta — Mamoun’s Falafel, the fastest growing Middle Eastern fast-casual restaurant in North America and oldest falafel restaurant in New York City, opened its first Atlanta location on February 1, 2020. Located in the West Midtown Center, it is the first of six Mamoun’s Falafel franchise locations coming to the area. “We’re so happy to bring New York’s best falafels to Atlanta,” says franchisee Kalki Patel. “Mamoun’s serves authentic Middle Eastern food, and that’s something we’ve been missing here. The support team from Mamoun’s Falafel has given us all the …
New York City — Centric Brands Inc., a leading lifestyle brands collective, has appointed Laura Ritchey as chief operating officer, reporting to CEO Jason Rabin. Ritchey will be responsible for developing the global operating platform and have direct oversight for strategic sourcing, warehousing, logistics and information technology. “Laura has successfully led all aspects of operations including business transformation, strategy and day-to-day execution and will be an important addition to our leadership team,” says Rabin. “As we look to drive greater efficiency in operations and develop faster and more agile business …