— By John Goetz — Establishing a food safety culture with chemical dispensers. In a 2017 study published by Kline & Company, food safety compliance in commercial kitchens and food preparation areas was rated as the Number 1 emerging trend by the 750+ end users surveyed.1 Compliance with food safety standards is so important because it can make or break the success of a restaurant. Take Chipotle’s food safety crisis as an example. In 2015, E. coli and norovirus outbreaks forced some locations to close temporarily after 55 customers …
— By Jay Black — LEDs are the secret to success when it comes to reducing facility costs. Facility maintenance and management can no doubt be expensive, hence why many managers are left to find options that can help them cut costs and be more efficient with their budgets. Of these everyday expenses, one which offers the most potential for reducing costs is energy — more specifically, lighting. According to Energy Star, approximately 657,000 retail buildings in the U.S. consume more than $20 billion in energy each year. While lighting …
Blue Ash, Ohio — LSI Industries Inc. has hired Steven Moeglin as its new director of national accounts, one of LSI’s strategic market verticals. He will be responsible for leading the commercial sales team focused on large national lighting, graphics and digital solution retail customers. “Steve has been very successful in launching new businesses and technologies throughout his career,” says Jeff Croskey, LSI’s chief commercial officer. “That experience will be very valuable to the commercial advancement of LSI’s core product lines, including lighting, controls, branded graphics and digital solutions. Likewise, …
Washington, D.C. — BoConcept franchise owner Tim Machenaud opened his second store in the Washington, D.C., area at Tysons Galleria on April 19, 2019. With nearly 300 locations across 60 countries, BoConcept’s latest location is a push to increase brand visibility and promote luxury, urban-chic furniture in the U.S. Already well established across Europe, Asia and Latin America, BoConcept is now looking to dominate the premium furniture retail business across North America. With 15 locations in key metropolitan areas of the U.S., BoConcept aims to double its presence in 2019 …
Frederick, Md. — Roy Rogers® Restaurants has named Frank Cleveland senior manager of information technology. Based in the company’s Frederick, Md., headquarters, he reports to Jeremy Biser, executive vice president, and is responsible for directing all IT operations to meet internal and external customer requirements and developing new technical solutions to meet current and future needs for the brand. Cleveland previously worked at Marriott International as a senior infrastructure analyst overseeing maintenance and evolution of systems. He also has provided IT support to small to mid-sized companies through PB Networking …
Beverly Hills, Calif. — Kennedy Wilson Brokerage, a division of Kennedy Wilson, a global real estate investment and services firm, has hired Scott Gordon as a senior vice president of property services in its Los Angeles office. Gordon will provide full-service consultation and brokerage services to investors, landlords, tenants, and emerging retail and food-and-beverage concepts. Gordon brings more than 30 years of national retail experience in development, leasing and management of specialized retail, entertainment and food and beverage projects of scale. Throughout his career, Gordon has overseen the creation of …
New York City — Catch Hospitality Group, known for its successful seafood-centric CATCH restaurants with locations in New York City; Los Angeles; Playa del Carmen, Mexico; and Las Vegas, will open its first-ever sister restaurant, CATCH STEAK. Michael Vignola, former corporate executive chef at BR Guest Hospitality overseeing Strip House & Bills Bar and Burger, will serve as executive chef. The new concept steak house created by Eugene Remm and Mark Birnbaum and Tilman J. Fertitta, the power players behind Catch Hospitality Group, will combine the authority of a classic steakhouse with the fun, sexy vibe …
Plano, Texas — J. C. Penney Company, Inc. has appointed several senior executives to its team of retail experts. Among those joining the organization is Steve Whaley, who has been named senior vice president, principal accounting officer and controller, reporting to Bill Wafford, executive vice president, chief financial officer, effective April 29. Whaley joins JCPenney with over 35 years of accounting and audit leadership experience. He will lead the company’s accounting operations and financial reporting functions, and will have oversight over the JCPenney finance and support services teams in Salt …
Hackensack, N.J. — Academy Service Group has welcomed the newest addition to its team, Mark Junkin. He joins the team at Heritage Fire Security in the role of regional business development manager. Junkin’s knowledge and more than 20 years of experience in the industry is expected to help continue to provide world-class, on-time services to clients. Hackensack, N.J.-based Academy Service Group provides floor-to-ceiling support for your facility, including pest control, cleaning and janitorial services, landscaping and facility maintenance. The company can provide one, some, or all of these services for …
Riverside, Calif. — Farmer Boys®, a farm-fresh fast-casual concept, has hired restaurant industry and human resources veteran Arlene Estrada Petokas to serve as its new vice president and chief people officer. Petokas brings with her more than 20 years of human resources experience, with over a decade spent at quick-service restaurant companies. Her previous positions include human resources director at Del Taco, LLC and vice president of human resources at both BLD Brands, LLC and CKE Restaurant Holdings Inc., which owns Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s Green Burrito and Red Burrito. “We …