— By Rick Sung — Leveraging the power of predictive analysis in facilities management. Renowned management consultant Peter Drucker once mused, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” For leaders seeking ways to advance their facilities management (FM), measuring progress is a complex and nuanced process requiring a sophisticated, data-driven approach. In this quest for improvement, however, gathering data is only half the battle. To make truly informed decisions, business leaders and facilities managers alike need analytics to better understand the staggering volume of data flowing through …
Scottsdale, Ariz. — The international development of Blimpie® is set to grow within the Southeast Asian region. Kahala Brands™, the parent company of Blimpie, has collaborated with Deelish Brands Pte Ltd to open the Blimpie brand in Singapore. Deelish Brands is a Singapore-based restaurant management company. The company operates in the fast-casual restaurant sector. Blimpie will work with Deelish Brands to introduce and expand the brand in Singapore with plans to open five stores within the next 5 years. “Continuing to build the brand’s international expansion with highly esteemed companies …
Philadelphia — Five Below Inc. plans to open 180 stores this year, which would grow the Philadelphia-based retailer’s footprint by 20%. The announcement came during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call. Specific plans for the openings were not disclosed. At the same time, Joel Anderson, president and CEO of Five Below, said the company also acquired the e-commerce platform, fulfillment operation and certain other assets of Hollar.com. SOURCE: Five Below, Inc.
Columbus, Ohio — Express, Inc., a leading fashion apparel retailer, is launching a new corporate strategy that will include the closure of 100 stores over the next 2 years. “My expectation is that we will return to a mid-single-digit operating margin through a combination of low-single-digit comp sales growth, margin expansion and cost reductions,” says Tim Baxter, chief executive officer. “This will of course take some time, but we have a clear path.” Additionally, Express aims to reinvigorate its brand. Based on customer insights, the company is unveiling its new …
Philadelphia — Architetra p.c., an architectural firm based in Paoli, Pa., has unveiled its design concept for Ventnor Burger Bar, a new restaurant and bar that shares a roof with the fully-gutted and renovated Ventnor Square Theater in Ventnor, N.J. Jersey Cape Partners has selected Architetra to design the Ventnor Square Theater restaurant because of a previous positive collaboration on Stewart’s Root Beer, an oceanfront, two-story franchise restaurant that opened on the Wildwood Boardwalk in New Jersey in 2007. Artist Julie Loren Webb has been commissioned to design the painting …
Grants Pass, Ore. — Dutch Bros Coffee, the country’s largest privately held drive-thru coffee company, has named Charley Jemley chief financial officer. He joins the Dutch Bros family with extensive experience in retail finance and restaurant development, both in the U.S. and internationally. Most recently, he served as CFO of CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., the operator of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. “Having dedicated the past 30 years to working with leading global brands in high-growth environments, I feel fortunate to have saved the best for last by joining the Dutch …
London — IKEA has purchased a West London shopping center, Kings Mall Shopping Centre in Hammersmith, where it will also debut its first UK small format store in spring 2021. The £170 million acquisition is part of IKEA’s strategy to develop mixed-use sites around urban stores. When it opens in 2021, the new Kings Mall store will mark the sixth London-area location for IKEA. Most recently, IKEA opened in the city in Greenwich last year. IKEA also launched two London planning studios in 2019 under its plan to develop new …
Philadelphia — America’s original fast-casual salad concept, Saladworks first opened in 1986 and launched its first franchised location in 2001. After opening its 100th location in Howard Park, Md., on January 6, 2020, Saladworks now plans to expand in Ohio. “The state of Ohio offers us a great opportunity for organic growth,” says Eric Lavinder, vice president of franchise development. “Not only does it provide an adjacent territory to our market in Pennsylvania, but Ohio is also an extremely business-friendly state with responsible rent, market rates and great minimum wage.” …
— Interview with Carmine J. Esposito — R&R: Where are you based, and how long has the company been in business? Carmine J. Esposito: National Waste Associates was founded in 1997 and is now headquartered in Glastonbury, Connecticut. However, it all started back in the days of my great-grandfather who was collecting trash in New York with a horse and buggy. I am the fourth generation of my family who have been in the waste disposal business. R&R: How long have you been in the industry and with the …
— Interview with Michael Di Taranto — R&R: Where are you based and how long has the company been in business? Michael DiTaranto: We are based in Long Island, New York. Solutions Management, Inc. (SMI) was founded in 2004; Disaster Recovery Services (DRS) began in 2012. Both companies work in parallel supporting our clients with program and as-needed maintenance services and large recovery services. Our consistent growth in both businesses is driven by instilling trust in and with all of our partners. R&R: What is your title? How long …