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Food Lion to Open New Stores Across the Carolinas

by Katie Lee

Salisbury, N.C. — Food Lion plans to open four new stores across the Carolinas in early 2026. Locations include Pontiac, S.C. (opening Jan. 21); Statesville, N.C. (opening Jan. 28); Greensboro, N.C. (opening February 2026); and Simpsonville, S.C. (opening March 2026). “Each new store strengthens our ability to deliver an easy, fresh and affordable omnichannel grocery shopping experience while supporting the communities where our neighbors live, work and raise their families,” says Greg Finchum, president, Food Lion. Each new store is designed with an easy-to-shop layout, and offers an expanded assortment, …

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Guthrie’s Names New Chief Executive Officer

by Katie Lee

Auburn, Ala. — Guthrie’s, the original chicken finger restaurant, has appointed Tom Carr as president & chief executive officer of Guthrie’s Franchising, Inc. Following the brand’s monumental 60th anniversary celebration this past year, Carr will lead Guthrie’s into a new era of growth and expansion. With over 25 years of leadership and marketing experience, Carr joins Guthrie’s from the fast-growing fast-casual restaurant chain, Chicken Salad Chick, where he has been a key leadership executive behind the brand’s phenomenal growth over the past 10 years. In his role as chief marketing …

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Walmart Announces Leadership Changes

by Katie Lee

Bentonville, Ark. — The board of directors at Walmart Inc. has elected new leaders to its executive council. The company’s incoming president and chief executive officer, John Furner, also shared additional changes designed to help fuel innovation and drive the new era of retail. “Over my 32 years with Walmart, I’ve seen that our people are our greatest competitive advantage. These internal promotions reflect our culture of opportunity and the depth of our leadership bench,” Furner says. “These leadership changes also mark a key step in how we organize for …

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CAVA Names New Chief Operations Officer

by Katie Lee

Washington, D.C. — CAVA, a fast-casual Mediterranean brand, has appointed Doug Thompson as chief operations officer, effective March 2. In this role, Thompson will oversee CAVA’s restaurant operations and field teams as it continues its rapid expansion across the country. Thompson is a veteran in the industry; most recently he was CEO of Tumble 22 Texas Chicken Joint, a Texas-based chicken concept. Thompson also spent over two decades at Texas Roadhouse, where he served as COO and vice president of operations. While there, he oversaw widespread development of new restaurant …

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Phenix Salon Suites Opened 26 New Units in 2025, Plans 30 More in 2026

by Katie Lee

Las Vegas — Phenix Salon Suites closed 2025 with continued development across the U.S. and internationally, reinforcing the strength of its business model as it enters a new phase of growth in 2026. During 2025, the brand opened 26 new locations, including one international location in York, UK, while signing a strong number of new, strategic franchise agreements across both new and existing markets. These additions further expanded Phenix’s footprint across Texas, Florida, California, New York and New Jersey. Looking forward, Phenix plans to open more than 30 new locations …

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Olo Partners with Zipline to Bring Autonomous Drone Delivery to Restaurants

by Katie Lee

New York City — Olo Inc., a leading restaurant technology provider, has formed a strategic partnership with Zipline, the world’s most experienced and advanced autonomous delivery service, to integrate drone delivery capabilities into the Olo platform. Expected to launch in early 2026, the integration will enable restaurant brands using Olo Rails to offer Zipline’s autonomous drone delivery as a fulfillment option, streamlining operations while expanding their reach to serve more guests faster, more conveniently and more efficiently. Olo Rails consolidates orders from third-party marketplaces directly into restaurants’ point-of-sale systems and …

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Juice It Up! Reaches 100-Store Milestone with Entry Into Nevada

by Katie Lee

Irvine, Calif. — Juice It Up!, a leading açaí bowl, handcrafted smoothie and raw juice chain, has reached a major growth milestone with the Gardnerville, Nev., opening of its 100th location. The new location marks the brand’s official entry into Nevada and sixth state in operation. The new unit is owned and operated by local franchisee Sukh Toor, who expects to expand the Juice It Up! footprint throughout Douglas County and into the Carson City and Reno areas. With additional development planned, the brand is poised to establish a strong …

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Saks Global Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Secures $1.75 Billion Financing Commitment

by Katie Lee

New York City — Saks Global Holdings LLC, the owner of luxury retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, has filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. The company secured a financing commitment of approximately $1.75 billion, comprising $1.5 billion from an ad hoc group of the company’s senior secured bondholders and roughly $240 million of incremental liquidity from its asset-based lenders. Saks Global says the financing package will strengthen its balance sheet and position …

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Dave’s Hot Chicken Names VP of Franchise Development

by Katie Lee

Pasadena, Calif. — Dave’s Hot Chicken, a fast-growing Nashville-style hot chicken sensation from Los Angeles, has named Joshua Liggins as vice president of franchise development. He joins the company from Inspire Brands. Liggins joins Dave’s Hot Chicken with extensive experience leading franchise development for some of the most recognized restaurant brands in the industry. Most recently, he served as director of franchising at Inspire Brands, where he oversaw franchise development efforts for Dunkin’, Baskin-Robbins and Sonic. He brings deep experience scaling high-growth franchise systems across multiple brands, markets and development …

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Aldi to Open 180 New U.S. Grocery Stores This Year

by Katie Lee

Batavia, Ill. — Aldi, a German discount, small-format grocer, plans to open 180 new stores across 31 states this year. By the end of the year, Aldi will operate approximately 2,800 U.S. grocery stores, including its first Maine location in Portland and 10 new stores in the metro Phoenix area. The grocer has operated stores in the United States for 50 years and has gained a loyal following in recent years as the demand for discount grocery items increases in the face of inflation. The company disclosed that 17 million …

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