Irving, Texas — The Michaels Companies, Inc. has named Ashley Buchanan, an experienced retail executive from Walmart, as its new president and chief executive officer designate and appointed to the company’s board of directors, effective January 6, 2020. He will succeed Mark Cosby as CEO upon completion of a transition period ending April 1, 2020. Cosby will continue to serve as CEO until April 1 and will remain a member of the board of directors following the CEO transition. As part of the leadership transition, after more than 5 years …
Carlsbad, Calif. — The Crack Shack, a San Diego-based casual restaurant chain that offers organic, locally-sourced chicken and egg dishes, recently opened its first location beyond California, taking its place amongst the fierce competition on the Las Vegas strip. With the intention to dazzle Las Vegas-style, The Crack Shack invested in audio/video solutions controlled by Xantech’s Video over IP Platform and ELAN. “Being located at the Park MGM, Las Vegas’s newest hotel and casino, The Crack Shack’s owners knew they needed to go big to attract attention and fit the city’s over-the-top …
New York City — Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, a long-time New York City staple and famed pizza concept known nationwide for its authentic New York pizzas, will open later in December at 1410 Broadway on 39th Street, just a few blocks from Times Square. The new outpost will mark the first Midtown Manhattan restaurant for Artichoke Basille’s Pizza and the 12th location in New York City and its boroughs. “After nearly 12 years since we’ve been founded, we’re excited to finally bring Artichoke Basille’s Pizza to Midtown Manhattan, and just in …
Chattanooga, Tenn. — CBL Properties has made significant year-end progress on its strategy to transform its properties through redevelopment and the addition of new uses. In 2019, CBL completed a dozen projects totaling approximately 650,000 square feet, with an additional five projects totaling approximately 490,000 square feet currently under construction. Each redevelopment plan is unique and customized based on market demand. Strategies range from repurposing expansive parking fields to add new uses such as hotels, restaurants and self‑storage facilities to backfilling anchor vacancies with exciting concepts that resonate with today’s …
Tampa, Fla. — BTI Partners, a real estate development firm, has closed on the sale of a 1.6-acre site slated to become a waterfront restaurant in Tampa Bay’s Westshore Marina District. The deal adds a boat-up restaurant to the District’s roster of specialty retail tenants to serve the Tampa Bay area. The parcel was sold to D&G WMD, LLC. The restaurant, named Paloma, will be located at the grand entrance of Westshore Marina District and will become a landmark for boaters and residents of Tampa/St. Pete as a destination waterfront …
Union, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. is undergoing an extensive restructure of its leadership team, including the departure of six senior members. The moves reflect the priorities of Bed Bath & Beyond’s new president and CEO, Mark Tritton, who will launch his new vision for the company in early 2020. The new team will be charged with streamlining decision-making, accelerating the pace of transformation and reestablishing Bed Bath & Beyond’s authority in the home space through a more customer focused, omnichannel retail operation, a redefined product assortment and …
Atlanta — Tropical Smoothie Cafe®, a leading national fast-casual cafe concept, has signed two multi-unit franchise agreements to develop 38 new cafes across the state of Colorado, including a 27-unit deal and an 11-unit deal. As part of these agreements, Tropical Smoothie Cafe restaurants will be developed in key markets throughout the state over the next 5 years. Tropical Smoothie Cafe has identified Colorado as a target state for development, with five locations currently open. Two additional cafes are under construction and slated to open in early 2020 in Highlands …
Kansas City, Mo. — Service Management Group (SMG), a global customer, patient and employee experience management partner to more than 500 brands, has launched a new customer experience management program with American fast-food restaurant chain P. Terry’s Burger Stand. By combining platform technology and best-in-class professional services, SMG is uniquely positioned to help P. Terry’s uncover and activate customer insights. Founded in 2005, P. Terry’s is a classic, Texas-based burger joint with a focus on small-town hospitality. “With SMG’s leadership in the restaurant industry and a track record of providing …
— By Ted Stouch — From service programs to vendor selection, everything you need to know about choosing a national sign service provider. An integral part of any business owner or facilities manager’s job is looking for a national sign service company to maintain their storefront signage. Your signage is a significant part of your brand identity, and it’s how customers, executives and prospects identify your location. Maintaining this signage can become a challenge with all the other tasks associated with running a business. For instance, we’ve all seen …
East Rutherford, N.J. — IT’SUGAR, known for its over-the-top sweets, giant candy and absurdly wonderful sugar creations, will open on December 14, 2019 at American Dream, a 3 million-square-foot entertainment/shopping/dining destination under development in East Rutherford, N.J. At three stories and over 22,000 square feet, IT’SUGAR American Dream will be the world’s first department store of candy. The one-of-a-kind IT’SUGAR store will greet visitors with a three-story tall Statue of Liberty replica covered in over 1.5 million Jelly Belly beans, symbolizing the freedom to treat yourself. Once inside, customers can …