Features

Chicago Faucets: Signature Vendor Spotlight

by Katie Lee August 27, 2026

— Interview with Nathan Klein — R&R: Where are you based, and how long has the company been in business? Nathan Klein: Chicago Faucets is based in Des Plaines, Illinois, and my home office is Columbus, Ohio. We have been in business since 1901; we have built a reputation for manufacturing durable, high-performance commercial faucets designed for demanding commercial environments. R&R: What is your title? How long have you been with the company? Klein: I am the business development manager for Chicago Faucets. I am responsible for driving new partnerships …

August 27, 2026

construction and design Cover Story From The Magazine remodels retailers

A Nobler Pursuit

by Katie Lee August 19, 2026

— By Katie Lee — Barnes & Noble’s turnaround is being driven by three core strengths: sound bookselling fundamentals, local control over book curation and a refreshed store design. The year was 2019; no one knew a worldwide pandemic was on the way. At Barnes & Noble, what they did know was a new CEO had just been announced. His name was James Daunt and, from the unforeseen challenges of 2020 to the record-breaking growth of 2025, the iconic bookseller has managed to turn adversity into opportunity every step of …

August 19, 2026

Industry Voices kitchen equipment restaurants vendors

Rising Operational Costs

by Katie Lee August 12, 2026

— Interview with Jon Jacobs — The biggest challenges when starting a restaurant. Jon Jacobs is a longtime foodservice operator and the president of SilverChef. Since 1986, SilverChef has helped more than 85,000 hospitality businesses get started and grow via flexible restaurant equipment financing. In 2026, Silverchef brought its business operation to the U.S. Jacobs opened Polliwogs Eatery & Pub in Mississippi in the late 1990s, building a highly profitable business from Day 1. But like many first-time operators, he encountered costly lessons around equipment — from upfront capital constraints …

August 12, 2026

ADA compliance exterior services/landscaping Industry Voices parking lots property management vendors

Beyond the Empty Lot

by Katie Lee August 6, 2026

— By Amanda Anderson — Why parking lot maintenance matters. An empty lot is full of potential. It is a blank slate that, with the right planning, becomes an investment in the community. Before a business ever opens its doors, countless hours go into permits, site plans, city approvals and construction. But once the dirt and gravel are transformed into pavement and plant beds, the work isn’t over. All that effort can be undermined if the property isn’t maintained. A well‑built establishment deserves the same level of care long after …

August 6, 2026

energy management facilities management HVAC/R Industry Voices Product Spotlight restaurants retailers vendors

Stop Flying Insects at the Door

by Katie Lee July 29, 2026

— By Natalie Clarke — How air curtains deliver proactive, chemical-free pest control for retail and restaurant facilities. For facility managers in retail stores and restaurants, flying insect control is a constant operational challenge. A single open door can invite flies into food prep areas, dining spaces and checkout lines — creating sanitation risks, failed inspections, and negative customer experiences. The challenge is compounded by increasing pressure to reduce chemical use and adopt more environmentally responsible pest management strategies. Traditional tools like insect light traps and sprays still play a …

July 29, 2026

Industry Voices restaurants retailers software/technology vendors

Strategy First

by Katie Lee July 22, 2026

— By Tara Buchler — Why strategy — not software — determines whether technology investments actually deliver value. Technology buying failures rarely happen because a team chose the “wrong” software. They happen earlier when facilities or restaurant operations enter the RFP process without the strategy, clarity or alignment required to make a good decision. Most technology buyers in retail and restaurant facilities only see a handful of locations, kitchens or service workflows over the course of their careers — often within the same company, sometimes within the same operational model. …

July 22, 2026

construction and design Industry Voices restaurants

Laying the Groundwork

by Katie Lee July 17, 2026

— By David Shove-Brown — As brands prepare for national expansion, they should partner with architects and interior designers to facilitate a more seamless, successful approach. Growing a brand into a nationally-franchised chain begins from the bottom up. Everyone has to start somewhere, and for many of the top fast-casual restaurant concepts in America, that means starting small. Every move a restaurateur makes when developing a concept has to be intentional and aligned with their goals for scaling the business. While branding is a foundational element of successful business practice, …

July 17, 2026

construction and design energy management facilities management HVAC/R Industry Voices property management restaurants

The Hidden Cost of Comfort

by Katie Lee July 8, 2026

— By Julia Burman Tziolis — Resolving a restaurant’s HVAC breakdown through partnership. Operational performance and energy efficiency are closely connected in commercial real estate. Each supports the other, and both are critical to tenant satisfaction and long term business success. My firm, a net-lease real estate company named Essential Properties Realty Trust (EPRT), recently demonstrated how aligning the right expertise with strategic partnerships can resolve persistent facility issues and deliver measurable results. When one of its restaurant tenants, a Zaxbys location in Florida, struggled with longstanding HVAC problems that …

July 8, 2026

construction and design Cover Story facilities management franchise development From The Magazine kitchen equipment restaurants software/technology

The Best Kind of Delicious

by Katie Lee July 2, 2026

— By Katie Lee — Smoothie King unveils its next chapter with a new brand campaign and in-store transformation, celebrating over 50 years of balancing nutrients and flavor. In 1973, Smoothie King introduced a bold new F&B category to the world, literally coining the term “smoothie.” Since then, the king of smoothies has grown to more than 1,200 U.S. locations — and more than 200 new store commitments — with over 1,500 available trade areas in its development pipeline. Now underway on a new brand evolution, Smoothie King is setting …

July 2, 2026

construction and design disaster recovery facilities management HVAC/R Industry Voices jan/san remodels vendors

From Disaster to Renewal

by Katie Lee June 24, 2026

— By Pam Johnson — The complete journey through mold, restoration and rebuilding. Disasters rarely arrive gently. They strike fast, often without warning, and even when we see them coming, the impact can be more devastating than anticipated. Hurricanes, floods, burst pipes, fires and structural failures leave behind more than broken materials and waterlogged rooms. They create hidden dangers that are silent, are invasive and create unseen damage until it’s too late. Behind soaked drywall, beneath buckled flooring and deep within air ducts, mold begins its quiet takeover. It grows …

June 24, 2026

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