Vero Beach, Fla. — Boston Retail Solutions (formerly known as Boston Barricade) has hired Randy Ahlm as its new chief operating officer (COO). He will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations to help the company navigate what it expects
…
Los Angeles — FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc., parent company of Great American Cookies and 16 other restaurant concepts, has opened the first converted Great American Cookies from Nestlé® Toll House® Café by Chip® in Las Vegas. The opening
…
Tampa, Fla. — api(+) is providing branding, design and architecture services for a new Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar flagship, a freestanding, 300-seat fine dining concept to be located near Bloomin’ Brands’ headquarters in Tampa, Fla. api(+) was selected
…
Dallas — Au Bon Pain, the bakery-cafe brand known for its gourmet convenience, has revealed a bold new store design. Planned to roll out companywide in 2023, the new design continues Au Bon Pain’s forward momentum started in July 2021,
…
Grand Rapids, Mich. — On Sept. 1, 2022, Meijer introduced a new brick-and-mortar store concept — Meijer Grocery — that will provide convenience for customers who are looking for a simplified shopping experience, while providing communities easier access to fresher
…
St. Louis — On Aug. 29, 2022, Panera Bread began testing AI technology in drive-thru lanes with an aim to improve and enhance the guest experience. With support from OpenCity, select Panera bakery-cafes in the greater Rochester, N.Y., area have
…
Denver — As part of its brands’ continued transformations, REGO Restaurant Group — parent company of fast-casual sandwich chain Quiznos and regional Mexican chain Taco Del Mar, among other brands — has inked a strategic partnership and development deal with
…
Suwanee, Ga. — On August 19, Macy’s will open its third “off-mall” store format, Market by Macy’s, in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The new store will open at Johns Creek Town Center in Suwanee, Ga., a northern suburb of Atlanta.
…
New Albany, Ohio — Abercrombie & Fitch, a division of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., is launching a refreshing new store experience inspired by the brand’s intention of making every day feel as exceptional as the start of a long weekend.
…
Corbin, Ky. — Located in North Corbin, Ky., the Sanders Cafe is a historic restaurant and museum widely recognized by enthusiasts throughout the globe as the birthplace of the now-famous fast food restaurant chain, Kentucky Fried Chicken. Operated by Harland
…
Oroville, Calif. — On July 15, Arby’s opened a new location with the company’s latest double drive-thru design in Oroville, Calif. The opening marks the second Arby’s in Butte County and sixth location owned and operated by Fremont, Calif.-based franchise
…
Washington, D.C. — Cracked Eggery’s newest location in Washington D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood is now open. Designed by local architecture and design firm //3877, the 1,609-square-foot space marks the second flagship location for the Cracked Eggery brand, beloved for its iconic food
…
Louisville, Ky. — Skilken Gold has broken ground on Terra Crossing, a shopping center located on 10 acres at 2500 Terra Crossing Blvd. in Louisville. The grocery anchor, a 55,071-square-foot Publix, represents the first Publix location in Kentucky, the Lakeland, Fla.-based
…
— By Rodney Jarboe — How modular trash enclosures keep dumpsters out of sight, but not out of mind. In the not-so-distant past, almost nobody was paying attention to the design or materials used for dumpster enclosure construction. A
…
— By Kristin Hiller — As the nation emerges on the other side of the pandemic, the retail and restaurant industries are tasked with adapting their store designs and business models to match consumer behavioral shifts. Shoppers and diners
…
Boston — Pizzeria Uno, the neighborhood pizzeria franchise known all over the world as the birthplace of Chicago-style deep dish, is launching a new restaurant conversion franchise opportunity for hotel owners. Prospective franchisees now have the chance to leverage the
…
Sunnyvale, Calif. — Matterport, Inc., the leading spatial data company driving the digital transformation of the built world, has partnered with GUESS?, Inc., the global fashion brand and retailer, to adopt Matterport digital twins to ensure brand consistency across its
…
— By Bruno Hanelt — Unlocking hidden value and difference-making savings in restaurant (re)construction projects. Restaurant owners and operators looking to expand to new spaces are facing some structural market headwinds right now that makes completing reconstruction and
…
Indianapolis — Simon has the following new developments in major growing U.S. markets — Carson, Calif.; Nashville, Tenn.; and Tulsa, Okla. — as well as the expansion of Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in New York. “We are thrilled to bring these
…
St. Louis — Panera Bread has opened the first “Panera To Go,” a new Panera Bread restaurant format offering digitally-enabled convenience for Rapid Pick-Up® and Delivery orders. The Chicago-based restaurant is the first of three Panera To Go test locations
…
Brooklyn Park, Minn. — Taco Bell has opened its new and innovative drive-thru prototype in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park. Coined Taco Bell Defy, the two-story restaurant features four drive-thru lanes. A proprietary vertical lift transports food items straight
…
Hartland, Wis. — Batteries Plus, the nation’s largest and fastest-growing battery, light bulb, key fob and phone repair franchise, is evolving its customer experience across multiple touchpoints. The rebranding — called “Project VOLT” — was a result of comprehensive merchandising
…
New York City — Tim Hortons® is launching two new next generation restaurant designs in the U.S.: a 900-square-foot drive-thru only model and a 1,600-square-foot restaurant with a 24-seat dining room. The first drive-thru only model will open this summer
…
New York City — Alameda, Calif.-based design firm MBH Architects has completed Waterworks’ newly renovated showroom in midtown Manhattan, in the heart of New York City. Following the successful transformation of the Flatiron location in 2017, MBH Architects was tasked with transforming the
…
Irving, Texas — 7-Eleven, Inc. has opened its fifth Evolution Store in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and ninth in the country. Located at the corner of Preston and Alpha roads in Dallas, this new location offers customizable beverage options, a
…
Scottsdale, Ariz. — On May 29, P.F. Chang’s reopened its Atlantic City, N.J., location as an upgraded flagship restaurant. After 3 months of extensive renovations, the long-established Atlantic City location reopens as P.F. Chang’s first flagship restaurant on the East
…
— By John Gajewski, MRICS — Retail strategies for leveraging historic assets to build a competitive edge. In a highly competitive, complex and dynamically shifting retail market, all eyes are on innovative solutions, and the conditions created by the
…