Features

Redeveloping Value

by Katie Lee October 22, 2025

— By Sandeep Ahuja — Turning vacant big box stores into assets with AI. Redeveloping these stores has always been costly and slow. AI is starting to change that by giving owners and developers faster ways to rethink these large spaces and plan for their next chapter. Big box vacancies can quickly erode the value of an entire shopping center. With AI, owners no longer have to rely on guesswork about what comes next. In one Florida redevelopment, analysis showed how an empty 82,000-square-foot anchor could be repositioned to generate …

October 22, 2025

construction and design franchise development Industry Voices remodels restaurants

Reimagining Real Estate

by Katie Lee October 15, 2025

— By Lawrence Brown — How Rita’s® is turning former banks and dry cleaners into thriving dessert shops. The retail real estate market is at one of its most challenging points in recent memory. Vacancy rates are low, rents are high and construction costs continue to climb. For restaurants and retailers, those dynamics have turned traditional site development into a steep uphill climb. But for Rita’s® Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, this environment has been a catalyst for creativity and growth. At Rita’s, we’ve embraced adaptive reuse and flexible prototypes …

October 15, 2025

construction and design Cover Story From The Magazine retailers

Showing the Love

by Katie Lee October 10, 2025

— Interview by Katie Lee — How Love’s Travel Stops grows its business by listening to customers and keeping their comfort and convenience top of mind. When a company is run with love, it shows. Love’s Travel Stops is more than just the namesake of its founders, Tom and Judy Love, who opened a single filling station in 1964 in Watonga, Oklahoma. Today, this staple of the highway for over six decades remains family-owned and operated. What it has not done is remain complacent: In the modern era, Love’s is …

October 10, 2025

disaster recovery Industry Voices property management vendors

Navigating the New Reality

by Katie Lee September 17, 2025

— By Candise Shanbron, Esq.— How retailers and restaurateurs can prepare for increasing natural disasters and insurance challenges. In recent years, weather patterns across the United States have become increasingly erratic and severe. Over just the past year, nearly every region of the country has experienced some form of extreme weather event — be it hurricanes, tornadoes, hailstorms, floods, wildfires or other wind-related catastrophes. No geographical area seems immune, and all signs point toward a continued increase in the frequency and severity of these natural disasters. For those in the …

September 17, 2025

Industry Voices kitchen exhaust/grease control roofing vendors

Protection Before Inspection

by Katie Lee September 17, 2025

— By Tom Dawson — Rooftop grease should not be out of sight, out of mind. For restaurant operators, inspections are a regular part of doing business. McDonald’s owner/operators have discovered that proper rooftop grease containment is a critical factor in ensuring top scores for their Running Great Restaurant (RGR) inspections. McDonald’s owner/operators and other leading restaurant brands understand that every inspection point is important. Careful preparation across all parts of the operation is essential for achieving high scores. From general roof cleanliness to safety, McDonald’s owner/operators share how their …

September 17, 2025

construction and design Industry Voices software/technology vendors

Streamlining Retail Projects

by Katie Lee September 12, 2025

— By Andrew Brister, AIA — How as-built consulting and technology drive faster, profitable store openings. Retailers managing large property portfolios face growing complexity — tight timelines, overlapping projects and pressure to hit grand opening dates. To stay ahead, many are embracing advanced as-built consulting powered by technologies like Building Information Modeling (BIM), laser scanning, mobile mapping and virtual tours. When integrated early in the pre-design and design phases, these tools help reduce uncertainty, align stakeholders and streamline execution. The result: faster, more efficient rollouts with fewer surprises. Managing Multiple …

September 12, 2025

Thomas Navarro Single Source Service Provider

Colt Facility Maintenance Content Partner disaster recovery facilities management Features HVAC/R Industry Content plumbing restaurants retailers

Self-Performing Providers Deliver Consistent, Reliable Service

by Sarah Daniels September 8, 2025

One of the biggest challenges that retailers and restaurants face is finding a reliable, single-source facility repair and maintenance partner who has the scope, expertise and capacity to maintain and repair operationally vital systems in multiple locations. When those store and restaurant operators have locations spread across states and regions with varying building, health, fire and safety codes, the difficulty is only compounded, says Thomas Navarro, vice president of business development for Colt Facility Maintenance. The Dallas-based repair and maintenance organization, also known as a self-performing provider, specializes in servicing …

September 8, 2025

facilities management Industry Content Vendor Spotlight vendors

Vixxo Facility Solutions: Signature Vendor Spotlight

by Katie Lee September 3, 2025

— Interview with CJ Jernigan — R&R: Where are you based? How long have you been in business? CJ Jernigan: Vixxo Facility Solutions is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, and has been in the FM industry since 1980 through the merger of several companies. Vixxo brings decades of expertise in delivering proactive, scalable solutions for multi-site facilities across North America. We help our clients spend less and stress less, one work order at a time. R&R: What is your name and title? Jernigan: I’m CJ Jernigan, president of Vixxo, with over …

September 3, 2025

Industry Content kitchen exhaust/grease control restaurants Vendor Spotlight vendors

HOODZ International: Signature Vendor Spotlight

by Katie Lee August 27, 2025

— Interview with Nathan Willard — R&R: Where are you based and how long has the company been in business? Nathan Willard: HOODZ is based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. We have been in business since 1972 and have provided franchising opportunities since 2009. R&R: What is your name and title, and how long have you been with the company? Willard: My name is Nathan Willard, and I have acted as president of HOODZ International since 2015. R&R: What trades/services do you offer retailers and restaurants? Willard: As the leading …

August 27, 2025

construction and design Cover Story franchise development From The Magazine remodels restaurants software/technology

Inside Bojangles’ Design Strategy

by Katie Lee August 21, 2025

— By Jim Cannon — Location design and its impact on operations, franchisee success and guest experience. Restaurant design plays a critical role in the success of any QSR brand. From streamlining operations and supporting menu execution to shaping the guest journey, every design decision has a direct impact on restaurant performance. At Bojangles, our approach to location design evolves as we continue to grow as a brand. And, with nearly five decades of experience behind us, evolving with changing consumer, operations, menu, financial and technology trends is something Bojangles …

August 21, 2025

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