Denver — Snooze Eatery has named Amy Hom chief operating officer, effective Sept. 28. With more than two decades of restaurant and hospitality experience, Hom has led operations for some of the industry’s most recognized brands. At Snooze, Hom will lead restaurant operations and work closely with field leaders and teams across the organization to elevate hospitality, strengthen operational accountability and ensure restaurants have the tools and support to deliver an exceptional guest experience. Her appointment represents an intentional investment in experienced operational leadership. “Amy understands that great restaurant operations …
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Atlanta — On Oct. 21, Barnes & Noble will open its newest Atlanta bookstore in the neighborhood of Toco Hills. The new Atlanta store will be located in the Toco Hills Shopping Center in a space formerly occupied by Westside Market. Barnes & Noble has had its share of drama in Atlanta recently. In August, it was forced to close its historic and much-loved bookstore in Cumberland. More happily, it reopened in Edgewood in July, bringing back a bookstore to the neighborhood in which it closed in 2022, and the …
St. Louis — Integrate Construction Partners has hired Shane Miller as director of construction operations. He will be responsible for the daily management, coordination and completion of all active construction projects. Miller will work with all project teams to ensure that projects are completed on schedule in accordance with Integrate’s quality standards and goals. “Shane will play a proactive role in shaping Integrate’s direction, policies and strategic planning as a member of our management team,” says Scott Zola, president of Integrate. “He will also aid in the development, refinement and …
Florida — Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, a fast-growing, island-inspired restaurant concept, has signed a 52-unit development agreement with Southern Rock Restaurants, LLC/Southern Rock Hawaii, LLC. The deal marks the brand’s entry into Florida, with Southern Rock planning to develop the 52 restaurants across Jacksonville, Gainesville, Tampa and Orlando during the next 6 years, including 24 restaurants planned in the next 3 years. Leading the development is Southern Rock CEO Max Piet, a restaurant industry veteran with more than 35 years of experience and extensive knowledge of building and running multi-unit …
Egg Harbor Township, N.J. — Spirit Christmas is back for its third season, bringing holiday magic to 44 locations across 15 states, from New England to Florida and west to the Great Lakes. “The holidays are so much more than what’s under the tree. They’re about the traditions families return to year after year and the magic of creating new ones,” says Kym Sarkos, executive vice president of Spirit. “Spirit Christmas was created to celebrate that feeling. From decorating your home and trimming the tree to family game nights and …
Amsterdam — Subway® has unveiled Blueprint, a reimagined restaurant and brand experience that modernizes how guests order and eat to support growth across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Beginning on Jan. 1, 2027, every new Subway restaurant and remodel in the region will be built to Blueprint, the centerpiece of the company’s multi-year business strategy. The concept began with listening to guests and franchisees. The result is a blueprint for how Subway and its restaurants will look, work and feel as the brand continues to grow. Blueprint covers …
Westchester, Ill. — Follett Higher Education, a leading educational service provider and the largest campus retailer in North America, has named Roger Francis as its new chief of stores. He brings more than 25 years of executive experience leading transformation across retail, healthcare, foodservice and distribution. In his new role, Francis will lead the teams that operate Follett’s 1,000+ retail locations, focusing on creating exceptional customer experiences for the students, faculty, fans and alumni Follett serves through its partnerships with campuses across the U.S. and Canada. Francis succeeds Stephen Bone, …
Pasadena, Calif. — Dave’s Hot Chicken opened its 500th restaurant, in Phoenix, on Oct. 8. The growing brand had reached its 400th restaurant earlier in 2026; shortly after, the brand opened a record eight restaurants in a single day in April across markets from Connecticut to Utah. In total, Dave’s has added approximately 100 restaurants since April. What started in 2017 as a late-night pop-up, Dave’s made the leap to brick-and-mortar within months, eventually catching the attention of Wetzel’s Pretzels co-founder Bill Phelps, who partnered with the founders to begin …
Woonsocket, R.I. — CVS Health® has unveiled its first pharmacy-focused CVS Pharmacy®, located in the Boston area. The new pharmacy, situated in Roxbury, will help bridge gaps in pharmacy care and make it easier for community members to access medications, immunizations and other healthcare services provided by pharmacists. Nearly 20 pharmacy-focused pharmacy locations, with footprints averaging around 3,000 square feet, will open in select communities across the country in 2026. Each site will feature a full-service pharmacy with a customized selection of over-the-counter products available for purchase. Patients who would like to purchase items that are not offered at the pharmacy-focused …
Atlanta — Zaxbys®, an Atlanta-based QSR franchise, is entering the travel hospitality sector through a multi-unit agreement with Areas USA, the nation’s largest privately held travel hospitality company. The deal will develop five restaurants at Florida Turnpike service plazas, and the team recently opened the first unit on Sept. 29 at the Turkey Lake Service Plaza in Orlando, Fla. The deal marks Zaxbys’ largest non-traditional development agreement to date. As consumers increasingly seek recognizable restaurant brands wherever they travel, Zaxbys is expanding beyond traditional freestanding restaurants into heavily frequented destinations …