News

East Rutherford, N.J. — Hudson, a Dufry company and travel experience leader with more than 1,000 stores in airports, commuter hubs, landmarks and tourist destinations across North America, has shared the vision for its next-generation Brookstone airport stores, reflecting Hudson’s commitment to reinvigorating the powerhouse brand after becoming its exclusive airport retailer in 2019. Now with a sleek, ultra-modern store design and expanded product assortment, Brookstone celebrates a differentiated shopping experience for the traveler — driven by robust industry insights, built on brand accessibility, and positioned as an innovative, one-stop-shop. …

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Louisville, Ky. — Biscuit Belly, a chef-driven fast-casual breakfast and brunch concept, has signed development agreements for 10 franchised units, five of which will be located in the Atlanta metropolitan area, with an additional five units to be built in the Nashville DMA. These two agreements are in addition to the 10 units signed earlier this spring, resulting in commitments for a total of 20 units in the first 9 months of 2021. The brand also plans to expand with additional company-owned restaurants in the Louisville and Southern Indiana markets. …

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Marshall, Mich. — Discount retailer Kmart is closing its final store in the state of Michigan, according to local media reports. The last remaining store is in Marshall, which is located about 45 miles south of Lansing. The store is expected to close in November. Kmart opened its first location in Garden City, Mich., in 1962. In its prime in the 1990s, Kmart operated more than 2,300 locations in the United States. The current parent company of Kmart, Transformco, also owns Sears, which recently unveiled plans to shutter its final …

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Fort Worth, Texas — Westwood Contractors has added Michael Roop as director of operations, effective October 4. From its headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, Roop will be directly responsible for supervising the company’s project management team and the general field superintendent. His key accountabilities include developing and monitoring operations, project management, field, administrative processes and procedures, and ensuring compliance. Roop has 27 years of experience in the construction industry, including positions with Trademark Property Company and Bridgestone Retail Operations. Throughout his professional career he has successfully led a variety of …

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Pasadena, Calif. — Wetzel’s Pretzels is offering a unique franchise opportunity with the Phillips 66 family of brands. Operators will now have the opportunity to open a hot, fresh Wetzel’s experience at Phillips 66®, Conoco® and 76® branded convenience stores. “We’ve been incredibly impressed with the early success of Wetzel’s Pretzels locations at the 76® convenience stores and the benefit this initiative will provide for both brands’ growth,” says Frank Gonzales, director of non-traditional development at Wetzel’s Pretzels. “Our team is excited to provide the convenience and ease of operations …

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Kerrville, Texas — James Avery Artisan Jewelry, a Texas-based and family-owned jewelry retailer, opened its second of three stores in H-E-B. The new store is a 352-square-foot space at the H-E-B in Portland, Texas. The H-E-B location will offer customers many of their favorite classic designs as well as new releases and services, including charm soldering and jewelry cleaning. “Like many Texans, we love H-E-B and are excited to partner with this iconic brand to make shopping even more convenient for our customers,” says Lindsey Avery Tognietti, James Avery’s director …

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Las Vegas — Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop and Wing Zone have signed 16 area development agreements in the third quarter, which will bring an additional 39 new stores to communities across the U.S. The 39 units sold — 25 Capriotti’s shops and 14 Wing Zone locations — follow the signing of 89 units in the first two quarters of the year, bringing the total new shop count to 128 for the year. Third quarter signings for Capriotti’s include: Austin/Houston, Texas N. Dallas, Texas Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Fresno, Calif. Louisville, Ky. Maryland …

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Grand Rapids, Mich. — Meijer has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency’s GreenChill Program for having the lowest corporate-wide refrigerant emissions rate out of all GreenChill Partners over the past year. The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based grocer has focused on reducing its refrigerant leak rate for at least 12 years and is now 18.2% below the industry average. “Refrigeration plays a vital role in ensuring foods are stored at the proper temperature before they’re purchased by our customers, but many people don’t realize it makes an impact on the environment,” …

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New York City — Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, the nation’s fastest growing dumpling automat concept, has a signed multi-unit franchise deal to make the brand’s first appearance in Florida. Florida-based franchisee Marc Silverstone closed on a deal with Brooklyn Dumpling Shop to bring at least five units to Orlando, Miami and surrounding areas. “From the moment I entered the East Village location, I knew this was the right fit for me and for Florida. I’m so excited to be part of the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop family and make this amazing concept …

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Earth City, Mo. — Interface Security Systems, a leading managed service provider delivering business security, managed network, UCaaS and business intelligence solutions to distributed enterprises, has partnered with WKS Restaurant Group, one of the fastest-growing multi-brand restaurant franchisees in the U.S. WKS is relying on Interface’s managed video verified intrusion alarm monitoring to eliminate false alarm costs and standardize security operations across over 380 restaurants. WKS  is a licensed franchisee of El Pollo Loco, Wendy’s, Denny’s, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Blaze Pizza and Corner Bakery Cafe. Before Interface, WKS was incurring about …

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