Thursday, April 3, 2025
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Katie Lee

construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Sweetgreen Opens 250th Location, First in Richmond, VA

by Katie Lee

Richmond, Va. — On March 18, Sweetgreen opened its first Richmond, Va., location in Carytown. The 2,162-square-foot location marks another milestone as Sweetgreen’s 250th restaurant. “Sweetgreen was founded just a couple of hours from Richmond with the goal of bringing communities together through fresh, high-quality food,” says Jonathan Neman, co-founder and CEO of Sweetgreen. “We’re honored to carry that mission forward in Carytown, partnering with local businesses and serving delicious meals made with real ingredients. Opening our 250th location here makes this moment even more special, and we couldn’t be …

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Newsretailersstore closings

Forever 21 Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Will Close All U.S. Stores

by Katie Lee

Los Angeles — Forever 21 has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will begin the process of closing all its U.S. stores. According to Reuters, the U.S. store count is about 350. The Los Angeles-based apparel retailer filed over the weekend in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Forever 21 has entered into a plan support agreement with its lenders to begin the voluntary closure process while continuing to look for sales opportunities of existing U.S. assets. Forever 21 was founded in 1984 and had a footprint …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Dine Brands International Unveils 2025 Development Plans

by Katie Lee

Pasadena, Calif. — Dine Brands International is set to expand its dual-branded Applebee’s and IHOP concept in 2025. This expansion includes entering the Costa Rican market with franchisee BLT UK Holdings Limited, and opening the first non-traditional restaurants in Mexico with franchisees Grupo Shogua and ATH Group. The dual-branded format, combining Applebee’s and IHOP under one roof, has been a key part of Dine Brands’ international growth strategy. Currently, there are 18 dual-branded locations across seven markets: Mexico, Canada, UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Honduras and Peru. In 2025, the company …

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Newspeopleretailers

The Children’s Place Appoints CFO

by Katie Lee

Secaucus, N.J. — The Children’s Place, Inc., the largest pure-play children’s specialty retailer in North America with an omnichannel portfolio of brands, has appointed John Szczepanski as chief financial officer, effective March 31, 2025. He will report to Muhammad Umair, president and interim chief executive officer. As CFO, Szczepanski will oversee finance, accounting, financial planning & analysis, tax, treasury, procurement, investor relations, internal audit and real estate.  “Today marks an exciting new chapter for our company as we welcome John to be our chief financial officer,” says Umair. “During this …

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franchise developmentNewspeoplerestaurants

16 Handles Names New VP of Franchise Development

by Katie Lee

New York City — National frozen dessert brand 16 Handles has named Fred Frey, an accomplished restaurant franchise development leader with an extensive background in finance and business growth, as its new vice president of franchise development. He joins the company from Shipley Do-Nuts. Most recently, Frey served as director of franchise development at Shipley Do-Nuts, where he played a key role in the company’s largest expansion to date, securing 117 franchise agreements in 2024 alone. Prior to that, he was franchise development manager for iced tea brand HTeaO, leading …

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Sycamore Partners Agrees to Acquire, Privatize Drugstore Giant Walgreens in Multibillion-Dollar Deal

by Katie Lee

Deerfield, Ill. and New York City — Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an entity affiliated with private equity firm Sycamore Partners. The total value of the transaction is $23.7 billion, according to WBA, including an equity value of $10 billion, as well as debt, capital leases and potential future payouts from the opioid and Everly Health Solutions COVID-19 testing settlements. Upon completion of the transaction, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, WBA common stock will be …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Jollibee Launches Franchising Program in the U.S.

by Katie Lee

West Covina, Calif. — Jollibee, a global fast-food fried chicken concept based in the Philippines, is launching its first franchising program in the U.S. The quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain is the flagship brand of Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), also known as the Jollibee Group, one of the world’s fastest-growing restaurant companies. Jollibee opened its first North American location in 1998 in Daly City, Calif., and currently operates 76 stores spanning 14 states in the U.S. and 28 stores in Canada. Jollibee’s projected expansion goal is to have 350 stores across …

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Newspeopleretailers

Beyond Names Principal Executive Officer and President & CFO

by Katie Lee

Murray, Utah — The board of directors of Beyond, Inc., owner of Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock and buybuy BABY, has appointed its executive chairman, Marcus Lemonis, to serve as its principal executive officer and appointed Adrianne Lee to serve as its president and chief financial officer. “We are committed to making money and returning this business to growth and will not let any obstacles deter that goal,” Lemonis says. “This leadership team is best suited to carry out our mandate of delivering profitable commerce.” As part of these leadership …

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Smarter Solutions

by Katie Lee

— By Bob Zaprzal — The benefits of comprehensive pavement assessments. In retail and restaurants, a customer’s experience starts long before they enter the building and continues after they leave. Parking lots, sidewalks and other pavement features create critical first and last impressions. This article will explore ways in which to redefine pavement services through innovative, systematic property assessments. A tailored pavement maintenance plan not only protects your brand reputation but also enhances customer satisfaction, increases safety and saves money over time. Why Pavement Maintenance Matters Picture pulling into a …

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Newspeoplerestaurants

Domino’s Names Executive Promotions

by Katie Lee

Ann Arbor, Mich. — Domino’s Pizza Inc., the largest pizza company in the world, has promoted three company executives into new roles. Joseph Jordan is being elevated to the position of chief operating officer and president – Domino’s U.S.; Weiking Ng is being promoted to executive vice president – international; and Ryan Mulally is being promoted to executive vice president – general counsel and corporate secretary. All three executives will report to Russell Weiner, Domino’s chief executive officer. “Joe, Weiking and Ryan are talented and respected leaders of our company, …

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