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Fiesta Restaurant Group Appoints President and CEO

by Katie Lee

Dallas — Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., parent company of the Pollo Tropical® brand, has appointed Dirk Montgomery as its permanent president and chief executive officer, effective April 13, 2023. He has served as interim CEO since December 8, 2022 and previously served as chief financial officer since September 9, 2019. “The board and I are confident that Dirk is ideally suited to serve as our president and CEO,” says Stacey Rauch, who chairs the company’s board of directors. “We believe that his deep knowledge of the Pollo Tropical brand and …

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Tilly’s, Inc. Appoints EVP, Chief Merchandising Officer

by Katie Lee

Irvine, Calif. — Tilly’s, Inc. has appointed Laura Janney as its executive vice president, chief merchandising officer, effective May 8, 2023. She will oversee all aspects of the company’s merchandising operations, including buying, sourcing and product development, along with coordinating consistency in merchandising experiences both in-store and online. Previously, Janney served Hudson’s Bay from July 2019 to January 2023, most recently as its chief merchandising officer. Prior to that, she served Nordstrom, Inc. for 32 years from June 1987 to March 2019 in a variety of retail store and merchandise …

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Wetzel’s Pretzels to Debut New Street Concept, Twisted by Wetzel’s

by Katie Lee

Pasadena, Calif. — Wetzel’s Pretzels is introducing Twisted by Wetzel’s, a never-before-seen street concept that amplifies the iconic brand’s classic pretzels to satisfy today’s millennial and Gen Z generations. From savory to sweet, the menu features new creations that are stuffed, topped and drizzled to ultimate pretzel perfection. The new concept will debut in California this spring. “Twisted by Wetzel’s embraces the magic or our core brand and elevates it to a whole new level, providing a bigger, bolder, more imaginative expression of Wetzel’s,” says Kim Freer, chief marketing officer. …

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WHP Global and EXPR to Acquire Bonobos from Walmart for $75 Million

by Katie Lee

Columbus, Ohio, and New York City — Parent company of fashion apparel retailer Express, Inc., EXPR, and global brand management firm, WHP Global have entered a definitive agreement to acquire menswear brand Bonobos, Inc. from Walmart Inc., for a combined $75 million. This is the first acquisition to be made jointly by WHP Global and EXPR since finalizing their strategic partnership earlier this year. Bonobos, founded in 2007 and acquired by Walmart in 2017, distinguished itself in the menswear category based on product fit, customer experience and the innovative Guideshop …

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Starbucks Appoints Executive Vice President and General Counsel

by Katie Lee

Seattle — Starbucks Coffee Company has appointed Brad Lerman as executive vice president and general counsel following an extensive internal and external search. Lerman will serve on the executive leadership team, reporting directly to CEO Laxman Narasimhan, effective May 8, 2023. Lerman joins the company with over three decades of legal and regulatory experience in both the public and private sector. Most recently, Lerman was senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Medtronic, a healthcare technology provider. He has also served in similar leadership roles at the Federal …

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Nordstrom Rack to Open 5 New California Stores

by Katie Lee

Seattle — Seattle-based fashion retailer Nordstrom, Inc. plans to open four new Nordstrom Rack stores in 2024 and one in 2025, all in California. The new stores will be located in the California cities of Davis, Elk Grove, Gilroy, Oceanside and San Mateo. “We look forward to opening these new Nordstrom Rack locations, strengthening our network of stores and introducing new customers to Nordstrom Rack’s unique product offering,” says Carl Jenkins, senior vice president of Nordstrom Rack Stores. “In addition to shopping great brands at great prices, our customers in …

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Playa Bowls Names New Chief Executive Officer

by Katie Lee

Belmar, N.J. — Playa Bowls, a leading superfruit bowl shop, has appointed Dan Harmon as its new chief executive officer. As CEO, Harmon will leverage his extensive industry experience to accelerate the company’s overall growth strategies and performance. He succeeds Playa Bowls’ co-founder Rob Giuliani, who will remain engaged in the business as chief innovation officer and continue to play a critical role in Playa Bowls’ strategic development. “Harmon has an exceptional reputation for exceeding business objectives and franchisee relationships in the restaurant industry and will be a valuable asset …

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Leslie’s Opens 1,000th Store to Mark 60th Anniversary

by Katie Lee

Phoenix — Leslie’s, Inc., the largest direct-to-consumer brand in the U.S. pool and spa care industry, is turning 60. The company also has opened its 1,000th store. Leslie’s was founded in 1963 by Phil Leslie Jr. as a single location in Los Angeles. The retailer has grown to a 1,000-store chain across 37 states, providing pool owners and professionals with everything they need to keep pools and spas clean, safe and beautiful. The company opened its 1,000th store in early April in North Port, Fla. Leslie’s is well known for …

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Energy Efficiency Leader Joins Budderfly as Chief Operating Officer

by Katie Lee

Shelton, Conn. — Budderfly, a premier sustainability partner for businesses with repeatable footprints, has added energy services leader Scott Avirett as its new chief operating officer (COO). Avirett will lead the development and implementation of an integrated customer experience and delivery strategy to ensure operational excellence and meet rapidly growing demand for Budderfly’s sustainability services across North America. Avirett brings two decades of global experience in sustainable energy & infrastructure operations and general management to Budderfly. He previously built and led high-performance teams at Johnson Controls and Energy Systems Group …

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Chipotle Pilots New Responsible Restaurant Design Alongside Sustainability Campaign

by Katie Lee

Newport Beach, Calif. — Chipotle Mexican Grill has unveiled a new all-electric restaurant design that works to maximize energy efficiency in its equipment and systems and utilizes 100% renewable energy from wind power and solar through the purchase of certified renewable energy credits. The company recently opened restaurants with the new features in Gloucester, Va., and Jacksonville, Fla., with a third location opening later this summer in Castle Rock, Colo. The new restaurant design pilot will help Chipotle progress toward its science-based targets, established in alignment with Science Based Targets …

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