Wayne, Pa. — Pet Valu, Inc., a specialty retailer of pet food and supplies in the United States, plans to commence a wind down of its operations due to severe impact from COVID-19. The company expects that all of its 358 stores and warehouses in the Northeastern and Midwestern U.S., as well as its corporate office in Wayne, Pa., will close by the end of the wind-down process. Pet Valu U.S. licenses its name and contracts for certain services from Pet Valu Canada, which is a separate company based in …
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Wilbraham, Mass. — FIC Restaurants Inc., which operates the Friendly’s brand, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and entered in an agreement to sell all of its assets to Amici Partners Group LLC. Nearly all of Friendly’s 130 corporate-owned and franchised restaurant locations, known for burgers, sandwiches and ice cream, are expected to remain open subject to COVID-19 limitations. Friendly’s stated that it has sufficient cash on hand to continue operations, meet its obligations to employees, franchisees and vendors. Upon the sale closing, Amici expects to retain most employees at …
Charlotte, N.C. — Sonic Automotive, Inc., one of the nation’s largest automotive retailers, has added two industry leaders to its growing e-commerce team. Steve Wittman has joined as the company’s first chief digital retail officer, and Stephen Conrad has joined as the new vice president of e-commerce. Additionally, Sonic has appointed Marti Eulberg as chief creative officer, previously the company’s director of brand management. Wittman most recently served as vice president of global e-commerce at Hertz. He will report to Jeff Dyke, president of Sonic Automotive and EchoPark Automotive. As …
Atlanta and Canton, Mass. — Inspire Brands has agreed to acquire fast-food breakfast chain Dunkin’ Brands in a transaction valued at $11.3 billion. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year. Atlanta-based Inspire Brands is the parent company of restaurant chains such as Arby’s, Jimmy John’s, Sonic Drive-In and Buffalo Wild Wings. In addition to its namesake coffee and breakfast chain, Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin’ Brands also owns ice cream parlor chain Baskin-Robbins, which respectively have about 12,500 and 8,000 locations worldwide. Dunkin’ has about 9,600 locations …
Dallas — MUTTS Canine Cantina®, a fast-growing pet eatertainment brand that provides a unique urban oasis for dogs and their owners, has signed a multi-unit franchise deal to bring locations to El Paso, Texas, and Tucson, Ariz. New franchisee April Mendoza of Pups and Pals, LLC, plans to open multiple MUTTS® locations, with a focus on the Southwest I-10 corridor. “It is an exciting time to join the MUTTS Canine Cantina family. While 2020 has been a year filled with unexpected challenges, one thing is certain — people have been …
Seattle — Amazon.com, Inc. plans to open its first fulfillment center in Waco, Texas, which is anticipated to launch in 2021 and will create over 1,000 new full-time jobs with industry-leading pay and comprehensive benefits. “We are proud to be bringing our newest Amazon facility to the city of Waco and we look forward to bringing in new jobs and supporting this great community,” says Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment. “We are excited for our future in Central Texas, and for what this means for …
Dallas and San Francisco — PICKUP, a leading last-mile delivery service and logistics platform, has partnered with Postmates to provide retailers and brands with the ability to elegantly scale local delivery capability to meet surging demand for store-to-door delivery. PICKUP Enterprise manages the end-to-end customer experience including access to the top-rated PICKUP Good Guy network, which specializes in delivery and assembly of big and heavy goods. The partnership between PICKUP and Postmates will further expand retailer’s fulfillment capabilities for all items — from holiday décor and gifts, to furniture. “Our …
Chicago — Dickey’s Barbecue Pit unveiled its first virtual kitchen on Oct. 30 in Chicago. This model, which services guests solely through online ordering and third-party delivery, is the first of its kind to open for the Texas-based, family-owned franchise. Barbecue fans in the surrounding 10-mile area can get their Dickey’s fix by ordering delivery directly to their doorstep through www.dickeys.com or the Dickey’s app. “As an industry leader we are continually adapting our restaurant models to fit the needs of both the economic climate and the fluctuations of guest …
Austin, Texas — Quality men’s apparel brand Texas Standard has opened its first-ever retail store, located in the Hyde Park area of Austin, Texas, which also contains its corporate offices. Texas Standard is a men’s premium clothing brand designed and developed in Texas, known as the “Outfitters of the Texas Gentleman.” It offers a wide range of menswear products, including button- down shirts, polos, tees, gameday gear, accessories and its newest additions: the Tejas Guayabera and Modern Western Shirts. While the brand is offered through dozens of retail partners throughout …
Chadds Ford, Pa. — RWS Facility Services (RWS), a provider of recycling, waste and managed facilities solutions for commercial and residential businesses, has appointed Danica Sierra to the role of business development manager. Sierra brings to RWS more than 20 years in the environmental services industry and is an expert in recycling and waste, environmental compliance and disposal for commercial, healthcare and residential facilities. In her new role, Sierra will work with RWS clients on selecting and implementing cost-effective recycling, waste and facilities services. Sierra launched her career with Waste …