Knoxville, Tenn. — Regal Cinemas will temporarily suspend operations at all of its 536 U.S. theaters beginning Thursday, Oct. 8. British owner-operator Cineworld owns Knoxville, Tenn.-based Regal Cinemas, which has about 7,000 screens across its U.S. portfolio of theaters. Cineworld also announced plans to close all of its theaters in the United Kingdom this week. The closures will impact about 40,000 employees, according to Cineworld. “This is not a decision we made lightly, and we did everything in our power to support a safe and sustainable reopening in the United …
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Miami — CAO Bakery & Café, a South Florida staple known for blending traditional Cuban baking with the inviting atmosphere of American-mainstay cafés, plans to expand its pastelito portfolio through franchise opportunities. This will allow Cuban American Original (CAO) to reach new markets beyond its nine Miami-Dade and three Broward locations. As the retail bakery market in the Miami metro area grew a robust 13% between 2017 to 2018, nationwide, the bakery-café industry is projected to grow at a 2.3% annual rate over the next 3 years. CAO plans to …
East Rutherford, N.J. — Triple Five Group has reopened the American Dream shopping and entertainment destination in East Rutherford, located just outside New York City. American Dream is located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex by MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Jets and Giants and features some 3 million square feet of retail and entertainment space. According to local media reports, marquee attractions such as the Nickelodeon Universe theme park, DreamWorks water park, Angry Birds mini-golf and an NHL-sized ice skating rink are now open under limited capacities. Masks …
Atlanta — The Home Depot®, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, has named Edward “Ted” P. Decker as president and chief operating officer, effective October 5, 2020. Decker, a 20-year veteran of the company, has served as executive vice president of merchandising since 2014. As the company’s chief merchant, he has been responsible for all store and online merchandising departments, merchandising strategy, services and vendor management, marketing and in-store environment. In his new role, he will assume additional responsibility for global store operations, global supply chain, and outside sales and …
San Diego — QDOBA Mexican Eats, the largest franchise opportunity in the fast-casual Mexican segment, has hired franchising industry veteran Peter Ortiz as vice president of franchise development. In his new role, Ortiz will be directing the 730-unit brand’s strategic franchise expansion across key markets in the U.S. and Canada. He joined the brand in mid-August from Potbelly. In recent years, QDOBA set the stage for continued growth by hiring over 100 corporate employees at its new San Diego headquarters, establishing a more distinctive brand identity and expanding its menu …
Brooklyn — A refreshed, renovated, historic, four-story façade greets visitors to the redesigned and reopened Macy’s department store at 422 Fulton St. in Brooklyn, N.Y. The nine-story building’s top five levels have been converted to Class A offices. Macy’s occupies approximately 300,000 square feet of retail space on the lower floors, retaining its street-level prominence, architectural heritage and community connection. The windows on the second, third and fourth floors were replaced to improve the exterior appearance of the ornate, cast-iron façade. The previous window units had aged throughout the decades. …
Save Mart Launches Contactless Robotic Grocery Delivery Service with Starship Technologies
by Katie Lee
Modesto, Calif. — The Save Mart Companies has launched an on-demand grocery delivery service to its customers at the Save Mart flagship store in Modesto, Calif., in partnership with leading robot delivery company Starship Technologies. The Save Mart Companies is the first grocer in the U.S. to partner with Starship Technologies. The debut of the advanced contactless delivery service embraces the flagship store’s role as an innovation lab and precedes the 1-year anniversary of the store’s opening in October 2019. Based in San Francisco and a leader in the field, …
Greensboro, N.C. — Biscuitville founder Maurice Neuborne Jennings passed away on September 19, having spent his last days surrounded by his family. He was 86. Jennings founded Biscuitville in 1966 first as Pizzaville, which became a community favorite pizza restaurant. In the mornings, biscuits along with a legendary jelly bar were offered at Pizzaville. Demand for biscuits was so immense that Jennings opened the first stand-alone Biscuitville in 1975, serving only biscuits. Today, there are 64 Biscuitville restaurants in North Carolina and Virginia. Jennings’ son, Burney Jennings, is the chief …
“Challenges in Restaurant Facilities Management: How are Restaurant Facilities Maintenance Teams Responding to COVID-19?”
by Katie Lee
The “Challenges in Restaurant Facilities Management: How are Restaurant Facilities Maintenance Teams Responding to COVID-19?” webinar, hosted by Retail & Restaurant Facility Business, delves into importance issues of cleanliness, technology, layout and protocols. In a new reality where restaurant operations have suddenly become a visible part of the customer experience and level of satisfaction, restaurant leaders and service providers weigh in on what the restaurant industry needs to take on the challenges of COVID-19 and keep staff and customers safe. See a list of some topics covered below: Evolving cleaning …
Arlington, Va. — Bob & Edith’s Diner, an iconic Washington, D.C., eatery beloved by celebrities and locals alike, recently opened its fifth corporate location in Arlington, Va., despite COVID-19-related delays. The new location welcomed more customers than anticipated in its first week (both on- and off-premise), highlighting the concept’s popularity and cult-like following in D.C. and surrounding areas. The new location has special significance to owner Greg Bolton. “My dad worked at this very location 65 years ago, before he opened the first Bob & Edith’s Diner,” he says. “I …