— By Dan Diehl — Navigating the digital transformation of building products and services. The building products, services and solutions industry is being transformed. Like many industries before it, the market for commercial building products, services and solutions (BPSS) is undergoing a digital transformation. This sector has been a relative innovation laggard for several reasons, including: the long life cycles of buildings and major building systems; the fact that each building is somewhat unique, requiring engineered systems; and the win/lose legacy culture that traces its roots to the hardball construction …
Plano, Texas — At Home Group Inc., the home décor superstore, continues its expansion to the West Coast, opening its first of five California stores in Orange County’s Foothill Ranch. At Home plans to open four additional Southern California stores in San Diego and Los Angeles later this year. “We are thrilled to bring our home décor superstore concept to California and to open the first of many future stores in the state,” says Lee Bird, chairman and chief executive officer of At Home. “This is an important benchmark in …
Boca Raton, Fla. — I Heart Mac & Cheese, a fast-casual concept specializing in customizable, made-to-order macaroni and cheese bowls, grilled cheese sandwiches and specialty salads, has signed an agreement with franchise group G5 Services, LLC, to open a new location in Augusta, Ga. Slated to start construction later this year, the Augusta location will be owned and operated by Kimberly and Brian Grotz, opening in winter 2019. G5 Services, LLC is led by husband-and-wife duo and first-time entrepreneurs, Kimberly and Brian Grotz. “We are so thrilled to have Kim …
The ‘retail-tainment’ venue creates a golfing and gaming experience that makes socializing a sport. — Interview by Katie Lee — Golf is generally a quiet, solo sport. Topgolf turns that conventional wisdom upside down with a large, world-class entertainment destination that brings golf to players of all ages and skill levels — and brings those players together for a fun, rowdy time with friends, family, food and drinks. With 50+ locations open worldwide and up to 10 new venues planned in 2019, the retail/restaurant concept is a leader in the …
— By Del Williams — Streamlining reporting, monitoring and operations requires a flexible POS system and quick, supportive vendor response. In the quick-service restaurant (QSR) arena, both established and emerging franchises understand the importance of choosing the right POS system to keep operations functioning smoothly. Although there are many options on the market, most POS systems offer similar technological advantages: the commonalities include hardware such as POS terminals with touchscreen interfaces and credit card swiping mechanisms as well as the software that ties to all to back office operations. Today, …
Conshohocken, Pa. — IKEA U.S.’s first city center location in the country — the IKEA Planning Studio — will open on April 15, 2019 in Manhattan. Located at 999 Third Ave. in New York City, the new IKEA touchpoint will focus on providing inspiration and smart solutions for city living and small spaces. “We conducted extensive research about city living, and we believe New Yorkers will see their needs reflected this new concept,” says Leontyne Green Sykes, chief operating officer, IKEA Retail U.S. “We hope the Planning Studio will serve …
Greenwood Village, Colo. — Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., a full-service restaurant chain, has retained The Cypress Group, a leading restaurant and franchise investment banking firm, to manage Red Robin’s refranchising initiative. Cypress has more than 25 years of multi-unit M&A and corporate refranchising experience in the restaurant industry, including engagements with a number of major casual dining brands. “Strategically refining our real estate portfolio and pursuing development opportunities with high-quality franchisees is a key component of future growth for Red Robin. We are excited to partner with The Cypress …
Nashville, Tenn. — LifeWay, a Christian bookseller based in Nashville, Tenn., plans to close all 170 of its physical bookstores. The bulk of the company’s stores are in the Southeastern United States, with a large concentration of locations in Texas and Ohio. A full list can be found here. LifeWay expects to close all of its physical locations by the end of the year, and the timing of store closings will vary depending on local circumstances. In January, the company announced it would reduce the number of its retail locations …
Chicago — SMS Assist has hired Graham Blackwell as chief strategy and revenue officer. A deeply experienced operating executive, Blackwell will lead SMS Assist’s strategy, pricing, marketing and sales organizations and help the company continue to innovate and evolve its strategy as it rapidly grows. Blackwell, most recently an executive vice president with Bain Capital’s North American private equity team, has spent nearly two decades building businesses through the sharpening of strategy and execution. His experiences have been particularly focused on the technology, retail and business services industries. “SMS Assist …
Denver — Sage Restaurant Group, a Denver-based independent restaurant group, has made several new hires and internal promotions as the company expands its corporate leadership team and continues to grow nationally. SRG has hired Adam Titze as vice president of culinary operations, and has promoted Meaghan Goedde to senior vice president of operations and Bev McCrory to director of people resources. “We believe success starts with talented individuals,” says Brent Berkowitz, COO of SRG. “Extraordinary people are dedicated to delivering extraordinary guest experiences, and we seek to hire and retain …