Cleveland — Slim Chickens, a leading fast-casual franchise which features dine-in and drive-through in the “better chicken” segment, will open its first location in Cleveland in the first quarter of 2021. The forthcoming restaurant comes out of the brand’s recent six-unit franchise agreement in the Cleveland market. This will mark the brand’s first location in the Cleveland market and second location in Ohio. An experienced restaurant operator, David Giesen is bringing Slim Chickens to the area. He is a multi-unit owner of several fast food and fast-casual restaurants across Ohio …
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Plano, Texas — J.C. Penney Co. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a bid to strengthen its finances through an extensive debt restructuring. The company filed on May 15 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, located in Corpus Christi. The Plano, Texas-based retailer has secured $900 million in debtor-in-possession financing from its existing first-lien lenders that is expected to knock several billion dollars off its total debt load. J.C. Penney, a company with a 118-year operating history, said that it would disclose in …
Norcross, Ga. — Hera Lighting has promoted Dustin Carpenter to director, business development. He will lead Hera’s business development team as they work together to serve all retailers in North America. “As partnerships with large retailers continue to grow for Hera Lighting, we are excited to have Dustin leverage Hera’s business development efforts to better serve the entire retail, hospitality and commercial markets,” says Brad Stewart, executive vice president of sales for Hera Lighting. Carpenter has a successful track record in retail display lighting, in particular. He has spent the …
Union, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has appointed Cindy Davis as executive vice president and chief brand officer of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc., as well as president of Decorist, effective May 26, 2020. Davis will report directly to Mark Tritton, president and CEO. Davis will be responsible for developing and implementing the “Promise” pillar of the company’s strategic growth plan. Her responsibilities will include stewardship and execution of brand strategy, as well as marketing and communications across the company’s retail banners. She will also support the team …
Los Angeles — sweetgreen, the seasonal restaurant with the mission of connecting people to real food, has hired Starbucks veteran Chris Carr as its new chief operations officer. “Chris’ values and leadership skills will make for an exceptional addition to the sweetgreen team,” says Jonathan Neman, co-founder and CEO of sweetgreen. “With his experience in delivering sustainable growth in retail and supply chain, we’re looking forward to Chris furthering his impact on the future of real food and amplifying our growth ahead.” Carr most recently served as Starbucks’ executive vice …
Hartland, Wis. — Batteries Plus, the leading omnichannel retailer of batteries, specialty light bulbs and phone repair services, has added Joe Malmuth as director of franchise development. He joined the Batteries Plus team on May 11, 2020. In his new role, Malmuth will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of franchise development. In addition to working with new owners and franchise consultants to expand the system, he will also be managing programs focused on helping current owners develop territory and facilitate transactions. Malmuth will report directly to Jon Sica, chief …
Newport Beach, Calif. — Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a leading family-style pizza chain for over 40 years, is opening its fifth Oakland, Calif., location. The new Mountain Mike’s Pizza is located near the Oakland Coliseum and Oracle Arena. With the dining room currently closed due to shelter-in-place, Mountain Mike’s is offering its full menu of pizzas, wings, garlic sticks and local beers and wines via contactless delivery and carryout. “Although we’re not able to open our dining rooms just yet, we are proud to begin serving Mountain Mike’s signature pizzas to …
Fremont, Calif. — In observance of Governor Newsom’s new directive, Pacific Commons, a regional lifestyle center in Fremont, Calif., is now offering retail-to-go services with curbside pickup options available to shoppers. While the center itself is open, individual retailers will each determine when they will begin offering sales and curbside services, and their hours will vary. Shoppers taking advantage of retail-to-go services are asked to make their purchases from each retailer or restaurant online or over the phone; payment must be made electronically. When shoppers arrive at Pacific Commons, they …
Fairfax, Va. — As various states begin to open back up, Peterson Companies, known throughout the Washington, D.C., region as one of the largest shopping/lifestyle center owners and managers, has developed a plan to safely welcome back its tenants and their customers, once permitted to do so. Elements of this plan will be implemented at several of its signature properties throughout the DMV including National Harbor, Downtown Silver Spring, Rio in Gaithersburg, Fairfax Corner and Fair Lakes. To better understand changing consumer preferences, the company recently surveyed its customers and …
Seattle — Seattle-based Starbucks has started reopening its company-operated stores across the United States. Operating under modified operations and hours, including heightened safety protocols, the company has approximately 85% of stores open now and expects to have more than 90% of stores open by early June. The company is using its experience in China, where more than 98% of its stores are open and operating under revised protocols, as the foundation for its reopening in the United States amid the continued concerns of the global COVID-19 pandemic. “We have adapted …