Union, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has appointed Rick Wilkins as regional vice president for the West region, effective immediately. He will report directly to Gregg Melnick, executive vice president (EVP) and chief stores officer, and will play a key role in the planning and execution of the company’s store optimization strategy. Wilkins will oversee operations for approximately 300 of Bed Bath & Beyond’s retail stores across 20 states, and execute the previously announced store optimization plan as the company continues to enhance its digital-first, omni-always shopping experience online and in-store. He will …
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Chicago — Top Chef winner and former executive chef of Michelin-starred Spiaggia and Café Spiaggia Joe Flamm will open his debut restaurant in Chicago’s Fulton Market District in early 2021. The highly anticipated restaurant will be named Rose Mary. “Rose Mary is the culmination of everything I have done with my career,” says Flamm. “But more importantly, it’s the culmination of my personal journey thus far. It’s a marriage of who I am, what I’ve learned, and the person I’ve built a life and a family with.” Rosemary, known as …
Phoenix — Telgian Fire Safety (TFS) has appointed Larry L. Lacefield as president. In this position, Lacefield will maintain strategic and operational responsibility for all TFS business operations. Lacefield is a dynamic and proven business leader with more than 20 years of successful experience leading high-impact, operational initiatives. As an innovative and growth-focused executive, he has an extensive background in guiding cross-functional teams and in the effective delivery of program objectives and quality service. “Highly skilled in the development and implementation of strategy, operational capacity, risk management and performance metrics, …
Minneapolis — Target Corporation has named Maurice Cooper senior vice president of marketing. He will oversee Target’s marketing, creating plans that are guest-centric, culturally relevant and inclusive to fuel consumer affinity for Target’s brand and grow its business. He will lead the strategy and execution of brand, category and promotions marketing across paid, owned and shared media, while also overseeing key campaigns such as Holiday. Cooper joins the company Sept. 14 and will report to Rick Gomez, Target’s executive vice president and chief marketing, digital and strategy officer. “Maurice has …
Lexington, Ky. — Sales at franchised A&W restaurants soared 12% in July, the third straight month of double-digit same-store sales growth. July’s success follows a 15% jump in May and 16% in June. In addition to a rebound in traffic, overall system sales are being bolstered by the strong openings of five restaurants this year. Since franchisees acquired the company from YUM! Brands in 2011, average unit sales have increased by 38%. “Several factors explain why A&W is doing so well,” says CEO Kevin Bazner. “First is the brand itself. …
Bed Bath & Beyond Hires Industry Expert to Lead Store Optimization & Real Estate Strategy
by Katie Lee
Union, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has appointed Wade E. Haddad as senior vice president (SVP), real estate and construction, effective September 2. He joins with over 25 years of real estate experience and will lead the company’s recently announced store optimization strategy, a key part of its previously disclosed comprehensive restructuring plan. In this new role Haddad will be a central part of the team overseeing the comprehensive modernization of the company’s operations, unlocking value from the property portfolio while establishing the optimal network to support new omnichannel …
Milford, Ohio — Penn Station East Coast Subs is updating its 35-year-old brand with the rollout of PS 2020, which includes a restaurant redesign and certain menu changes and additions. The first restaurants with the new menu and design opened late last year, and all restaurants in the system now have the new menu. “We spent the better part of a year gathering data, interviewing guests and franchisees, and speaking with crew members about the new layout and our menu changes,” says Craig Dunaway, president. “From the data analysis, interviews …
San Francisco — Driven by a 95% surge in online sales, San Francisco-based Gap Inc. reported a 13% increase in its comparable sales for the fiscal second quarter, which ended Aug. 1. Gap’s decision to make face masks early on in the COVID-19 pandemic paid off, bringing in $130 million in sales, according to the company. Gap has produced face masks for individuals as well as the city of New York, the state of California and Kaiser Permanente. Net sales were down 18% year over year, reflecting a 48% decline …
East Rutherford, N.J. — Mamoun’s Falafel, New York City’s oldest falafel restaurant and the fastest growing Middle Eastern restaurant chain in North America, has opened a new location in East Rutherford, N.J. It is the fourth of 25 Mamoun’s Falafel franchise locations coming to New Jersey as part of a deal with Prospect Capital Restaurants. Located in a 2,000-square-foot space at Rutherford Commons at 150 Route 17 in East Rutherford, the new restaurant joins Mamoun’s corporate locations in Hoboken and Princeton and three other locations run by franchisees, Prospect Capital …
Newport Beach, Calif. — Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a leading family-style pizza chain for over 40 years, has opened its Newport Beach/Mesa, Calif., location, the first to showcase the brand’s completely updated restaurant design and refreshed guest experience. Located on the border of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, this new Mountain Mike’s is the first of two planned Orange County (OC) locations, with the second scheduled to open in Huntington Beach late summer. Newport-Mesa marks the second OC location with one currently operating in Lake Forest. The Newport-Mesa restaurant is located just a few …