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Atlanta — Batteries Plus, the nation’s largest and fastest-growing battery, light bulb, key fob and repair franchise, has signed an eight-unit deal in the Atlanta area. The deal consists of four brand new and four resale locations, in and around Atlanta and Athens, Ga. Behind the purchase is Equicorp Partners, LLC, an Atlanta-based, multi-unit franchise developer and private investment and advisement office. The partnership boasts 30 years of experience in the management space for both startups and legacy brands, including Arby’s, City Barbeque and Café Rio. Equicorp Partners, LLC was …

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New York City — Time Out Market, the world’s first food and cultural market rooted in editorial curation, has hired Jay Coldren as chief operating officer of the Americas. In this newly created role, he will report to CEO Didier Souillat and will be instrumental in expanding the footprint, driving efficiency and increasing profitability of the Time Out Market brand across the Americas. Coldren brings more than 30 years of hospitality experience spanning the restaurant, boutique hotel and gourmet retail segments. Most recently, he served as the executive director of …

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Madison Heights, Mich. — Walmart-owned Moosejaw, a leading retailer specializing in outdoor gear and apparel, is opening its first physical store in Arkansas on October 21. The store is located in Walmart’s hometown of Bentonville, just blocks from where Sam Walton opened Walton’s 5 & 10 in 1950. Moosejaw, which was acquired by Walmart in 2017, carries top outdoors brands for bike and snow enthusiasts, as well as well-known apparel and footwear labels. The Bentonville location is 6,000 square feet, making it the second largest Moosejaw store in the country. …

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Alexandria, Va. — Fransmart, a global franchise development company, is expanding its leadership team with the appointment of seasoned food industry executive Don Baruch as vice president of franchise support operations. Baruch brings more than 25 years of franchise development and operations experience to the position. Most recently, he was vice president of development for BurgerBusters, a more than 150-unit franchisee of Yum! Brands with Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants, as well as several other national brands. “An experienced franchisee, franchisor and franchise owner, Don brings a unique …

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New York, N.Y. — McAlpine Contracting, a general contracting and construction management firm active in New York, New Jersey, Vermont and Puerto Rico, has promoted Mark Montalvo to director of construction. Montalvo previously served as senior project manager. The firm specializes in retail and commercial projects. “Since joining the company in 2005, Mark has successfully managed some of McAlpine’s most challenging projects, including numerous retail developments and fit-outs. We are excited to promote Mark and look forward to his continued contributions to the growth of our firm,” says Troy Caruso, …

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San Diego — Jack in the Box, Inc. has named Doug Cook as senior vice president and chief technology officer after an interim stint in the same position. Cook brings more than 20 years of industry experience to Jack in the Box. Before joining Jack in the Box, he was with Pizza Hut and Sonic. Cook most recently served as interim chief technology officer of Jack in the Box, effectively leading the technology team and strategy during his interim period. Prior to that, Cook served as chief information officer at …

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Pasadena, Calif. — MINISO, the joyful lifestyle brand of affordable, quality products, plans new stores in the U.S. and Canada — doubling its retail locations and adding a flagship store in Flushing, N.Y. With 53 locations in the U.S. and 55 in Canada by the end of 2021, MINISO is the only major chain focused on the $10 price point in North America. This is the first time the brand has opened stores on the U.S. East Coast. Within all of their retail stores, Miniso will be introducing a new …

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Atlanta — Papa John’s International, Inc. has promoted Max Wetzel to executive vice president, chief commercial officer. Wetzel joined Papa John’s in November 2019 as its chief commercial and marketing officer; in his new, expanded role, he will add North America restaurant operations, technology and insights to his responsibilities. “Over the past 2 years, Papa John’s has fully transformed itself from a turnaround story to an innovation-driven growth business with enormous development whitespace,” says Papa John’s president and CEO, Rob Lynch. “Over the same period, the pandemic also accelerated changes …

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Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. — Belgard, which manufactures commercial pavers, has been leading the way on the final phase of construction of Alton Town Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The 350,000-square-foot mixed-use retail project, which welcomed its first stores and restaurants in 2018, complements an adjacent housing development by providing residents with a variety of stores, restaurants and other amenities within walking or biking distance from home. Located within a high-traffic area and intended to be a pedestrian-friendly plaza, the design of the roads and walkways within Alton Town …

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San Francisco — Volta Inc., an industry leader in commerce-centric electric vehicle (EV) charging networks, is partnering with Floor & Decor, a leading specialty retailer of hard-surface flooring, to make EV charging accessible to its customers at Floor & Decor’s warehouse stores across the United States. The charging stations are slated to be in place for customers at eight Floor & Decor locations by the end of 2021, with more stations nationwide in 2022. “Floor & Decor strives to make a positive impact in the communities where we live and …

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