From The Magazine

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 designCover Storyfranchise developmentFrom The Magazineremodelsrestaurants

Zaxbys Charts a Bold Course

by Katie Lee

— By Katie Lee — Nearing 1,000 locations nationwide, Zaxbys is evolving from a regional Southern favorite to a national QSR staple. As it celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, Zaxbys® has ushered in a new era with a comprehensive refresh. This includes the introduction of its ‘Modern Farmhouse’ restaurant design, as well as an updated visual identity, branding and packaging. Together, these updates reflect a modernized, cohesive look and feel, signaling the next chapter in Zaxbys’ evolution while maintaining the bold flavors and Southern hospitality that guests love.  And …

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construction and designCover StoryFrom The Magazineretailers

Showing the Love

by Katie Lee

— 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 …

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construction and designCover Storyfranchise developmentFrom The Magazineremodelsrestaurantssoftware/technology

Inside Bojangles’ Design Strategy

by Katie Lee

— 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 …

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construction and designCover StoryFrom The Magazinegreen building/LEEDretailerssoftware/technologysupply chainvendors

Print the Wall

by Katie Lee

— Interview with Darin Ross — Building a wall for Walmart has never been faster, cheaper or safer — thanks to 3D concrete printing. When Walmart makes waves, it can create a tsunami. The mega-retailer, which has more than 10,000 stores around the globe, continues to be a leader in sustainability, productivity and innovation. Recently, Walmart teamed up with Alquist 3D, in partnership with Atlanta-based FMGI as general contractor, to complete their second 3DCP (3D Concrete Printing) build. The new 5,000-square-foot expansion at Walmart Supercenter #5197 outside Huntsville, Alabama, set …

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construction and designCover Storyfranchise developmentFrom The Magazineremodelsrestaurants

Owning Its Success

by Katie Lee

— By Katie Lee — Founder Peter Cancro looks back on 50 years of Jersey Mike’s ownership — and what the next 50 could bring. When he was 17, it was a very good year for Peter Cancro. The high school senior was president of his class. He was on track to study law and political science at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; he might even play football there. He’d worked part-time at the local sandwich shop since he was 14. Summers were a blast because the sub shop, …

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construction and designCover Storyfranchise developmentFrom The Magazinerestaurants

Southern Hospitality

by Katie Lee

— By Katie Lee — Krystal sets the stage for new growth by focusing on fundamentals: people, processes and prototypes. Atlanta-based Krystal, the second-oldest fast-food chain in the U.S. — and the original home of the slider in the South — is forging a comeback. As it modernizes with new store layouts, technologies and processes, the heritage QSR brand also honors its 92-year history by embracing its roots and prioritizing “good old-fashioned hospitality” and people-first strategies. Leading this brand reinvention is Amanda Hyde, who was promoted to senior vice president …

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construction and designCover StoryFrom The Magazinegreen building/LEEDretailers

The Little Store That Could

by Katie Lee

— By Katie Lee — How Half Price Books has grown into the largest family-owned new and used bookstore chain in the U.S. by rehoming books into the hands of more people — and not into landfills. Book lovers often joke that they could “start their own bookstore” from the stacks of books tucked into every corner of their own home, but imagine actually doing it. Over 50 years ago, a pair of bibliophiles named Ken Gjemre and Pat Anderson did just that. In the summer of 1972, they drew …

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Cover Storyfranchise developmentFrom The Magazinerestaurants

Sweetening the Deal

by Katie Lee

— Interview with Flynn Dekker — With a fresh new development team in place, Shipley Do-Nuts leans into growing digital sales and new product innovation as it enters new states and markets. Shipley Do-Nuts has been a sweet, savory mainstay for many generations, first opening in 1936 and now operating more than 360 units in 12 states — and growing. This year, the Houston-based brand added significant new members to its executive team, as well as more than 100 units to its development pipeline. To support this dynamic growth, Shipley …

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construction and designCover StoryFrom The Magazinemanagementproperty managementremodelsrestaurantsretailers

The Placemaker

by Katie Lee

— By Katie Lee — PREIT is redefining the role of malls by transforming them into vibrant community hubs. As a premier developer and operator of retail and entertainment destinations all over the country, in some of the most sought-after, high barrier-to-entry MSAs, PREIT has long understood the importance of creating a “sense of place.” But with more than 6 decades of experience and a foresight to see beyond the traditional malls or power centers of its early years, today PREIT and its 17 premier properties offer so much more …

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