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Bojangles Opens First Michigan Restaurant

by Katie Lee

Wyoming, Mich. — Bojangles, the legendary, Carolina-born chain celebrated for its iconic chicken, biscuits and breakfast, has officially arrived in Michigan. The new restaurant, located at 1730 28th St. SW in Wyoming, Mich., opened the first week of February — marking Bojangles’ first-ever location in the Great Lakes State. This expansion into Michigan marks a significant step in Bojangles’ strategic growth plan. In the past year, the brand has successfully entered new markets, with its most recent opening in Austin, Texas, following expansions in Brooklyn, N.Y.; Piscataway, N.J.; Las Vegas; …

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construction and designNewsretailers

Small-Format Whole Foods Market Daily Shop to Open in Brooklyn

by Katie Lee

New York City — Whole Foods Market will open another location of its smaller format store concept, Whole Foods Market Daily Shop, in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood on Feb. 25, 2026. The 7,888-square-foot store will be located at 774 Grand St., Brooklyn, N.Y. The smaller format store features more than 350 local items from over 250 Northeast suppliers. Whole Foods Market Daily Shop initially launched in 2024 on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, followed by additional Manhattan locations as well as a smaller-format store in Arlington, Va., which opened in …

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construction and designCover StoryFrom The Magazineremodelsretailersstore closings

Value & Variety

by Katie Lee

— Interview with Adam Kirk — Winn-Dixie marks its centennial with new ownership, a new (old) name and a right-sized store fleet. Winn-Dixie, the iconic southern grocer, is marking a banner year in 2025: 100 years in business as of September 2025 and returning to steer its own ship, under its own name. In 2024, Winn-Dixie’s parent company, Jacksonville, Florida-based Southeastern Grocers (SEG), was acquired by the German supermarket company ALDI, which planned to convert 220 Winn-Dixie and Harveys stores to ALDI banners between 2024 and 2027. These conversions remain …

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construction and designNewsretailers

ANTA Opens First U.S. Flagship Store in Beverly Hills

by Katie Lee

Beverly Hills, Calif. — ANTA, one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing sportswear companies, will officially open its first U.S. flagship store in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 13, marking a major milestone in the brand’s global expansion and long term investment in the American market. Located in the heart of Beverly Hills, the flagship serves as ANTA’s U.S. brand hub and a physical expression of the company’s performance innovation, athlete-driven design and global vision. Situated at 330 N. Beverly Dr., the approximately 2,500- to 3,000-square-foot space features a curated …

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Starbucks Coffee
construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurantssoftware/technology

Starbucks to Open 400 Net-New U.S. Stores as Part of Overall Transformation Plan

by Katie Lee

Seattle — At its recent 2026 Investor Day, Starbucks Coffee Company highlighted progress in its “Back to Starbucks” transformation plan, showcasing new coffeehouse and menu innovation, and detailing a financial framework for delivering long term, sustainable growth. By fiscal 2028, the company expects to open 2,000 net new stores across its portfolio, including approximately 400 net new U.S. company-operated stores. “Starbucks is back,” says Brian Niccol, chairman and chief executive officer. “We’re putting the customer at the center of everything we do and setting our partners up for success. We …

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construction and designNewsretailers

The Vitamin Shoppe Opens ‘Innovation Store’ on New York City’s Upper East Side

by Katie Lee

Secaucus, N.J. —The Vitamin Shoppe®, an omnichannel specialty retailer of nutritional products, has opened a new Innovation Store on the Upper East Side of New York City, located at 157 East 86th St. between Lexington and Third avenues. The new store brings The Vitamin Shoppe’s innovation-forward design format to one of the city’s most vibrant retail corridors. This location is the first to introduce Shoppe Advisor, The Vitamin Shoppe’s AI-powered, interactive discovery tool designed to enhance in-store education, engagement and personalization. Via a digital touchscreen, Shoppe Advisor provides instant access …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsretailers

Bricks & Minifigs Surpasses 300th Store, Doubling Growth in Just 2 Years

by Katie Lee

Orem, Utah — Bricks & Minifigs, an authorized LEGO® reseller specializing in buying, trading and selling LEGO® products, surpassed 300 stores in 2025. Through its buy, sell and trade model, each location gives unused LEGO items a second life with new builders, demonstrating the company’s continued success as a franchise-driven, in-person retailer. Since 2023, Bricks & Minifigs has opened 150 stores, marking one of the most accelerated periods of growth in its history. “When I first joined Bricks & Minifigs as CEO in 2018, we had just 35 franchisees operating, …

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construction and designIndustry Voicesremodels

Great Adaptations

by Katie Lee

— By Gary Cohn — Is your retail or restaurant facility a candidate for adaptive reuse? With shifting consumer habits and an oversupply of traditional retail space in many markets, adaptive reuse has become a strategic solution for owners and operators in the retail and restaurant sectors. Repurposing an existing facility — whether it’s a former big box store, strip mall or standalone restaurant — can be faster, more cost-effective and more sustainable than ground-up development. But not every building is ready for a second act. A Property Condition Assessment …

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construction and designfacilities managementfranchise developmentkitchen equipmentNewsremodelsrestaurantssoftware/technology

Gong Cha 2.0: Bubble-Tea Leader Rolls Out New, Innovative, Efficient Store Model

by Katie Lee

Boston — Gong cha, a leading worldwide bubble tea brand, has unveiled its global Gong cha 2.0 initiative: a comprehensive digital, operational and design refresh to optimize profitability, efficiency and scalability for franchisees — as well as improve the guest experience. This global rollout combines two key technologies — Super Wu beverage automation and self-order kiosks — with a modernized store design to streamline operations, reduce labor demands and improve throughput without compromising quality or hospitality. “Gong cha 2.0 is engineered for today’s operators,” says Geoff Henry, president of Gong …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Krystal to Debut in Northeast with First-Ever New Jersey Location

by Katie Lee

Atlanta — After more than nine decades rooted in the South, Krystal is officially expanding north. The brand, known for its small, square Krystals served hot off the grill, will open its first-ever New Jersey restaurant at 2200 Route 22 East in Union. This marks Krystal’s debut in the Northeast and a major milestone in the brand’s 93-year history. The Union restaurant will open on March 2, 2026 and is led by brand partner Victor Cruz, a former New York Giants wide receiver, Super Bowl XLVI champion and sportscaster, who …

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