Orange County, Calif. — Rodeo 39 Public Market will be Southern California’s newest culinary and community experience when it opens in mid-October. Not your typical food hall, Rodeo 39 features expansive hangar doors that open up for an inside/outside setting, original artwork and murals from five different Southern California artists and several first-to-market retail and restaurant concepts. “We wanted to do something different and we were committed to breathing new life into this stretch of Orange County, right here in Stanton,” says Dan Almquist, managing partner of Frontier Real Estate …
construction and design
Rosemont, Ill. — National real estate development and construction services provider The McShane Companies’ board of directors has appointed Molly McShane as chief executive officer, effective October 1, 2020. She previously held the position of chief operating officer. “During this time of transformation, there is no better person to lead The McShane Companies than Molly,” says Jim McShane, company founder and chairman of the board. “Molly is a proven leader with a clear business vision and the ability to bring people together. Her vision for growth and diversification is exactly …
Miami — FRONTIER Companies has completed construction on the Wawa convenience store and gas station located at 10691 Davidson Pl. in Manassas, Va. (pictured above) The site was the former home of Don Pablo’s Mexican Kitchen restaurant, which closed in 2018. FRONTIER Companies purchased the 1.65-acre lot in November 2018. The property is an outparcel to a Lowe’s Home Improvement store. FRONTIER Building, the company’s building division, began the demolition of the former restaurant in September 2019. The gas and convenience store consists of 7,860 square feet of air-conditioned space, …
— By Jon Dommisse — Six ways the pandemic is transforming restroom design. The global pandemic of COVID-19 is fast-tracking infection control technologies and products in public restrooms. While cleanliness has always been a goal in designing restrooms, coronavirus has underscored the need for hygienic, sterile and safe environments. Companies, educational institutions and municipalities are all now evaluating new procedures and products for their restroom facilities. “Businesses are looking at short term and long term fixes for operating safely,” says Michelle Kempen WRID, WELL AP, ASID, with Kahler Slater, …
Atlanta — A new food hall is coming to Colony Square, the 50-year-old mixed-use destination undergoing a massive $400 million transformation at the corner of 14th and Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta. The food hall will open this spring and is being carefully crafted to align with the way people want to dine post-pandemic. Politan Group will operate the food hall known as Politan Row at Colony Square, according to project developer North American Properties (NAP). The founder and CEO of Politan Group, Will Donaldson, launched the company in 2014 …
Irving, Texas — The Michaels Companies, Inc., North America’s largest arts and crafts retail chain, recently transformed two existing hometown retail locations as part of a larger strategy to reimagine the optimal maker shopping experience. Customers in the North Texas suburbs of McKinney and Plano can expect an entirely new look and feel when they visit their local store. “At Michaels, we are here for the Maker and the launch of our new concept stores is another way we are creating a more immersive and impactful experience for them,” says …
Portland, Ore. — Built around the concept of “Dwelling Outdoors Together,” Snow Peak has opened a new U.S. headquarters and retail flagship in Portland, Ore. The grand opening will begin on September 11. In 20 years, Snow Peak has grown its U.S. presence from a modest distributorship to a 40-person team with retail locations on both coasts and ambitious plans for growth in the next two decades. The new headquarters and flagship embody the brand’s heritage and commitment to restoring humanity through time in nature. “I first visited the U.S. …
Lexington, Ky. — Sales at franchised A&W restaurants soared 12% in July, the third straight month of double-digit same-store sales growth. July’s success follows a 15% jump in May and 16% in June. In addition to a rebound in traffic, overall system sales are being bolstered by the strong openings of five restaurants this year. Since franchisees acquired the company from YUM! Brands in 2011, average unit sales have increased by 38%. “Several factors explain why A&W is doing so well,” says CEO Kevin Bazner. “First is the brand itself. …
Milford, Ohio — Penn Station East Coast Subs is updating its 35-year-old brand with the rollout of PS 2020, which includes a restaurant redesign and certain menu changes and additions. The first restaurants with the new menu and design opened late last year, and all restaurants in the system now have the new menu. “We spent the better part of a year gathering data, interviewing guests and franchisees, and speaking with crew members about the new layout and our menu changes,” says Craig Dunaway, president. “From the data analysis, interviews …
Newport Beach, Calif. — Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a leading family-style pizza chain for over 40 years, has opened its Newport Beach/Mesa, Calif., location, the first to showcase the brand’s completely updated restaurant design and refreshed guest experience. Located on the border of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, this new Mountain Mike’s is the first of two planned Orange County (OC) locations, with the second scheduled to open in Huntington Beach late summer. Newport-Mesa marks the second OC location with one currently operating in Lake Forest. The Newport-Mesa restaurant is located just a few …