Jacksonville, Fla. — Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. has acquired Maple Street Biscuit Co. for $36 million in an all-cash deal. Maple Street’s portfolio comprised 28 company-owned and five franchise-owned restaurants in seven states at the time of sale. The company plans to convert its Holler & Dash Biscuit House into Maple Street Biscuit locations. Scott Moore and Gus Johnson founded Maple Street in Jacksonville in 2012. Moore will stay on as CEO and will report to Sandra Cochran, president and CEO of Cracker Barrel.
Atlanta — Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a leading national fast-casual cafe concept, has awarded 64 franchise agreements in the third quarter. The brand plans to sign 200 franchise agreements, open 130 cafes and grow same-store sales by 5 percent in 2019. Year-to-date, Tropical Smoothie Cafe has opened 90 cafes and awarded 179 franchise agreements. Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchisees have signed multi-unit agreements for a number of markets across the country, including Chicago; Tampa, Fla.; Orlando, Fla.; Cleveland, Ohio; and New Haven, Conn. “Our focus on operational execution and delivering a remarkable …
Minneapolis — Target Corporation has named Michael Fiddelke as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective November 1, 2019. He will be responsible for financial planning and analysis, financial operations, internal audit, accounting, investor relations, treasury, tax and risk. He will also oversee Target’s Financial and Retail Services, which includes guest relations and management of its financial products, including Target RedCard. In more than 15 years at Target, Fiddelke has served in a variety of roles across finance, merchandising, human resources and operations. Most recently he served as senior …
Union, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has appointed Mark J. Tritton as president and chief executive officer and as a member of its board of directors, effective November 4, 2019. He succeeds Mary A. Winston, interim CEO. Tritton has over 30 years of experience in the retail industry, including most recently as executive vice president and chief merchandising officer at Target Corporation, where he was instrumental in transforming the omnichannel shopping experience. He has end-to-end retail industry experience in merchandising, design, manufacturing, marketing and distribution at some of …
Chicago — Potbelly Sandwich Shop, the iconic neighborhood sandwich shop, has signed a multi-unit franchise agreement to open shops in Macy’s department stores, adding to the fast-casual brand’s significant multi-unit franchise growth in 2019. “This franchise agreement marks a major milestone in our multi-unit franchise growth,” says Peter Ortiz, vice president of franchise development at Potbelly. “A development deal with one of the nation’s premier retailers is a testament to our focus and prioritization of our franchising initiative. We’re thrilled for what’s in store for the future with Macy’s.” The …
Canton, Mass. — Destination XL Group, Inc., the world’s leading omni-channel specialty retailer of big-and-tall clothing and shoes, has just converted and rebranded its Casual Male XL store at Keystone Place in Erie, Pa., into a DXL Men’s Big + Tall store. This new conversion from Casual Male XL to DXL Big + Tall offers customers a brand new shopping experience that includes a more spacious environment, elevated visual merchandising, easy-to-shop departments, superior service, expanded brands and styles and more. Destination XL Group, Inc. is the largest retailer of men’s …
Miami — As the redevelopment of CocoWalk continues to advance, a new confectionery concept with a celebrity following has signed a lease in anticipation of the lifestyle center’s phased reopening, slated to begin in spring 2020. Salt & Straw, the West Coast’s most flavor-provoking ice cream brand, has chosen Coconut Grove and Wynwood for its East Coast debut. The redevelopment of CocoWalk taking place in the heart of the Grove’s commercial district is being led by Federal Realty Investment Trust and partners The Comras Company and Grass River Property, who …
Eatontown, N.J. — Total Comfort Group has hired Cesar Joao as the vice president of national account services and Cary Hudson as the area manager for the South Division. Both team members are part of the company’s recent expansion and will be responsible for overseeing new and existing commercial and retail accounts. Joao and Hudson were handpicked to join the Total Comfort Group team due to their extensive backgrounds in sales and leadership in the HVAC/R industry. Previously, Joao was a territory manager for York International Corporation for 10 years …
Atlanta — On September 9, 2019, Velvet Taco opened its first Atlanta restaurant in Buckhead. The 2,500-square-foot establishment is situated at 77 W. Paces Ferry Rd. within a Whole Foods Market-anchored shopping center. The late-night joint (most locations stay open until 2 a.m.) offers a variety of chicken, beef, pork, fish and vegetarian tacos as well as brunch options. Velvet Taco expects to open a second Atlanta location next year at the Interlock development in West Midtown, according to local media. Based in Dallas, the brand also operates restaurants in …
Gilbert, Ariz. — Evergreen Devco has commenced construction for The Post at Cooley Station, a grocery-anchored shopping center located at the southeast corner of Recker and Williams Field roads in Gilbert, Ariz. Situated on 23 acres, the retail center will feature 23,000 square feet of multi-tenant shop space in three buildings. Anchored by Fry’s Marketplace, the project will also include AutoZone, Taco Bell and Burger King. Currently, the center is 65% preleased, with one junior-anchor pad available. Butler Design Group, Optimus Civil Design Group, Kraemer Engineers and Laskin & Associates …