Kansas City, Mo. — Service Management Group (SMG), an enterprise customer and employee experience management partner to more than 500 brands, has added a new customer experience partnership with Golden Corral. America’s largest buffet and grill restaurant brand chose SMG for its dedicated professional services, restaurant industry expertise and robust technology platform. “As our brand builds upon our comeback, and creates the strategic building blocks of our future growth, it will be critical to maintain a pulse on how our guests feel about their Golden Corral dine-in and off-premise experiences,” …
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Phoenix — Hash Kitchen has partnered with architecture and design firm Harrison to revamp the creative brunchery’s design in preparation for its launch in Gilbert and Peoria, Ariz. Harrison will support Hash Kitchen through concept development, branding, architecture, interior design, permitting and contract administration phases. The next-generation design will feature Hash Kitchen’s iconic DJ booth, Bloody Mary bar, disco balls, playful wall graphics and mimosa staples for guests to eat, drink and have a great time in an all-new space designed to entice all your senses. “With Harrison’s dynamic portfolio …
New York City — Century 21 is making a New York City comeback, relaunching the beloved institution in spring 2023 at its flagship location downtown across from the World Trade Center. The iconic retailer and purveyor of off-price luxury fashion has teamed with global premium experiences company Legends to introduce a revitalized shopping experience to Century 21’s faithful local — and global — fans. For more than 60 years, Century 21 has been synonymous with value and luxury, offering an exceptional assortment of designer brands at unbeatable prices. With an …
Charlotte, N.C. — Clean Juice®, the first and only national USDA-certified organic juice bar franchise and quick-service restaurant, has hired Tripp Setliff to chief operating officer (COO). In the role, he will oversee all store operational initiatives including development, supply chain, training and field support to grow average unit sales volumes and profitability. Setliff is a veteran fast-casual, quick-serve franchise restaurant executive having worked with Jersey Mike’s Subs and Cici’s Pizza brands. Tripp’s franchise operations, development and marketing experience led him to executive leadership roles at Driven Brands, Inc. and …
Chicago — On May 17, Crate & Barrel opened a new culinary destination, CrateKitchen, to inspire cooking and entertaining for the modern kitchen and table. Located at the brand’s headquarters in Northbrook, Ill., CrateKitchen will open its doors to customers and a diverse range of influencers and chefs through virtual gatherings, styling sessions, product demos and a shoppable kitchen tour curated to support the ways people use their kitchens. “The kitchen has become the center of our homes and CrateKitchen celebrates the versatility of how our customers use their space,” …
Norwood, Mass. — Uno Pizzeria and Grill, the inventor of deep dish pizza in Chicago in 1943, has introduced a virtual brand called Detroit Pizza Works, which features Detroit-style pizza. Detroit-style pizza has grown in popularity over the last few years and has expanded outside of Detroit across the U.S. Detroit Pizza Works was launched in November 2021 on major delivery apps: Door Dash, Uber Eats and Grubhub. “Even though UNO’s is the birthplace of — and is known for — deep dish pizza, we also make a spectacular Chicago-style …
Grapevine, Texas — GameStop Corp. has appointed Nir Patel to the role of chief operating officer, effective May 31, 2022. Most recently, he was chief executive officer at Belk, a privately-owned national retailer with more than 300 stores across 16 states. Patel previously held senior roles at Kohl’s and Lands’ End after beginning his career at Target and Gap. He has approximately two decades of experience in operations, merchandising, supply chain, and retail and store operations. SOURCE: GameStop Corp.
Atlanta — GPS Hospitality, one the nation’s largest franchisees of BURGER KING®, Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen and Pizza Hut®, has promoted Mike Kovac to chief operating officer for Popeyes and Pizza Hut. “Mike has been an instrumental part of GPS Hospitality’s growth strategy, having led our team through multiple acquisitions as well as the expansion into the Popeyes and Pizza Hut Brands,” says Michael Lippert, president of GPS Hospitality. “Mike’s natural leadership skills coupled with his experience with Popeyes and Pizza Hut gives him great insight and makes his well deserving …
Buckeye, Ariz. — Vestar, in partnership with DMB Development, has unveiled plans for Verrado Marketplace, a commercial space near Verrado, an 8,800-acre master-planned community in Buckeye. Totaling more than 500,000 square feet of space, Verrado Marketplace will feature a grocery store, apparel and home décor stores, a department store, movie theater, specialty shops, restaurants and services. Additionally, the project will feature public outdoor spaces. Verrado Marketplace will be designed to complement the small-town neighborhood charm of the Verrado community. The marketplace will be located at the northeast corner of Verrado …
Toronto — Array Marketing, the market leader in end-to-end in-store merchandising solutions, has appointed Alex Bertoldo as chief operating officer. He most recently held the position of vice president of operations for SPX Corporation, a $1 billion global supplier of highly engineered products and technologies. In that global role, Bertoldo had oversight of 10 manufacturing facilities and worked across teams to drive operational efficiencies, while also engaging with client teams to enable customer satisfaction and growth. Prior to that, he was with IDEX Corporation, a manufacturer of fluidics systems and …