Dallas — Centennial, a fully integrated real estate investment firm with a national portfolio of shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations, has broken ground on a transformative redevelopment of Hawthorn Mall, a super-regional shopping center in Vernon Hills, Ill. Since it opened in 1973, Hawthorn Mall has operated as an enclosed structure without the outdoor shopping and entertainment elements incorporated into today’s more modern and vibrant lifestyle centers. Through a significant redevelopment of the center’s former Sears and Carson’s sites, the development of additional outparcels, and updates to the existing …
Atlanta and Champaign, Ill. — Inspire Brands Inc., the parent company of Arby’s, has agreed to acquire Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches. Terms of the transaction, expected to close by the end of October, were not disclosed. The Jimmy John’s board of directors, including founder and chairman Jimmy John Liautaud, unanimously approved the agreement. Jimmy John’s had $2.15 billion in U.S. sales last year across 2,803 stores, a roughly 50% increase in both sales and locations since 2013, according to The Wall Street Journal. Jimmy John’s, based in Champaign, Ill., opened …
San Francisco — Gap Inc. has appointed Mary Beth Laughton as president and chief executive officer of Athleta. Laughton will begin her new role in late October and will serve on Gap Inc.’s senior leadership team reporting to president and chief executive officer Art Peck. She joins Gap from Sephora. “Mary Beth brings a strong background in digital operations, a keen understanding of customers and an ability to deliver innovative experiences,” says Peck. “She is the right leader for Athleta, with a proven track record in driving consistent results in …
Tampa, Fla. — States along the Atlantic coast experienced Hurricane Dorian’s force in early September after the storm lingered over the Bahamas and skirted along the east coast of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. While the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season is barely more than halfway through, there have already been two hurricanes and seven named storms. The MaintenX Disaster Recovery and Rapid Response Team knows that storms of all sizes can cause major damage to facilities, and it is very willing to share hurricane preparedness best practices with …
Evansville, Ind. — Shoe Carnival, Inc., a leading retailer of moderately priced footwear and accessories, has made several executive appointments to support its ongoing customer-centric business transformation. Cliff Sifford, in addition to continuing to serve as CEO, also assumed the role of vice chairman of the board of directors. He has relinquished the president title. Sifford has been employed by the company for 22 years and has been president, CEO and a director since October 2012. Mark Worden, previously Shoe Carnival’s executive vice president – chief strategy and marketing officer, …
Louisville, Ky. — Yum! Brands, Inc. has hired Clay Johnson as the company’s chief digital and technology officer, and has promoted Gavin Felder to chief strategy officer. These newly created positions will partner with the global brand divisions to elevate the customer experience and accelerate global growth. Both Johnson and Felder will report to Yum! CFO Chris Turner. Johnson will join the Yum! Brands Global Leadership Team and oversee the company’s global technology strategy, partnering with the KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell divisions to ensure the company provides a …
Hayward, Calif. — The Montague Company, manufacturer of some of the world’s finest commercial cooking equipment, has hired Dede Kramer as regional sales manager for the Central U.S. An industry veteran, Kramer comes to Montague with an impressive 30-year history at Doyon & NU-VU, a leader in on-premise baking, where she developed a well-earned reputation for sales performance. When Doyon was purchased by Middleby, Kramer was promoted to regional sales manager/chain accounts, and succeeded in boosting revenue with their dealers and chain accounts 25% to 45% annually in her territory. …
Denver — Alex Tappé, vice president of sales and marketing at Ice-O-Matic, has announced strategic organizational changes to the company’s sales team that are effective immediately. Scott Meyer will no longer be the regional manager for Colorado. Meyer is moving to the position of director of sales. Meyer will continue to manage national accounts development, manage Ice-O-Matic’s global business with Starbucks, and will also be responsible for running Ice-O-Matic’s business in Asia and certain other international markets. Prior to Ice-O-Matic, Meyer served in a key strategic role with the global …
Chester, N.J. — Levin Management Corporation (LMC) of North Plainfield, N.J., has added another quality Garden State assignment to its retail portfolio. The commercial real estate services firm has been named exclusive managing agent for Chester Springs, an approximately 226,000-square-foot, grocery-anchored shopping center in Chester. Anchored by a 62,000-square-foot ShopRite supermarket, the center’s co-tenancy includes CVS Pharmacy, Marshalls, Panera Bread and independently owned/operated gym NitroFlex. Chester Springs soon will welcome off-price home decor and furniture brand HomeGoods to its lineup, which also features a complementary mix of retailers, restaurants and …
— By Katie Lee — Pasadena, California-based Dog Haus is entering new markets through franchising and partnerships with Kitchen United and Live Nation. Dog Haus is an emerging new restaurant concept that, frankly, isn’t that new. But it is new to much of the country. Next year, the Pasadena, California-based eatery will mark its 10th anniversary as a creatively crafted hotdog joint that also offers burgers, sausages and brews. While many of its 30+ brick-and-mortar locations are 2,500-square-foot Biergartens with 24 beers on tap, a large sit-up bar, expansive …