Asheville, N.C. — Earth Fare, a privately held grocery chain that sells natural and organic products, says it will shutter all of its stores and launch a liquidation inventory sale. The grocer lists 46 stores on its website, the bulk of which are in Florida and its home state of North Carolina. Earth Fare also has five stores in the Midwest and a few others in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and South Carolina. Earth Fare is also shuttering its corporate office in Asheville, N.C. The Wall Street Journal reported that …
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Glenview, Ill. — ITW Food Equipment Group, a worldwide family of industry leading commercial food equipment brands, has promoted Axel Beck to lead the organization as executive vice president. Beck succeeds Lei Schlitz, who will now lead ITW’s automotive OEM segment. As head of ITW Food Equipment Group, Beck will oversee global management of the premier family of brands, including Hobart, Baxter, Vulcan, Traulsen, Bonnet, Foster and many others that support the needs of foodservice and food retail operations, from food preparation, refrigeration and cooking to ventilation, weighing, wrapping, dishwashing …
Broomfield, Colo. — Noodles & Company, known for serving classic noodle, Zoodle and Caulifloodle dishes from around the world, has refranchised nine Noodles & Company restaurants in Charlotte, N.C., and Orlando, Fla., to existing franchisee River City Restaurant Group (RCRG). In the deal that closed on January 29, 2020, RCRG laid out plans to also develop 22 new Noodles & Company units between 2021 and 2032. This year, it plans to open 10 to 15 new restaurants systemwide. RCRG, a franchise partner with Noodles & Company since 2004, led by …
Gloucester, N.J. — NEST, a leader in integrated facilities management and technology solutions serving enterprises in the United States and Canada, has added Shannon Puckett to its executive suite as chief operating officer. In her new role, Puckett will oversee NEST’s network of over 26,000 independent service providers (ISPs), ensure their compliance to local and national requirements and manage quality assurance, product sourcing and service execution. “We’re thrilled to have a veteran leader like Shannon joining the NEST family,” says Rob Almond, CEO at NEST. “After a year of continued …
New York City — Macy’s, Inc. plans to optimize its portfolio by continuing to grow stores in the best malls, but close approximately 125 stores in lower tier malls within 3 years. The department store also plans to explore new smaller, off-mall formats. Macy’s will also establish a single corporate headquarters and relocate its digital business to New York City. This updated strategy and 3-year plan is designed to stabilize profitability and position the company for growth. “We have a clear vision of where Macy’s, Inc. and our brands, Macy’s, …
Atlanta — Mamoun’s Falafel, the fastest growing Middle Eastern fast-casual restaurant in North America and oldest falafel restaurant in New York City, opened its first Atlanta location on February 1, 2020. Located in the West Midtown Center, it is the first of six Mamoun’s Falafel franchise locations coming to the area. “We’re so happy to bring New York’s best falafels to Atlanta,” says franchisee Kalki Patel. “Mamoun’s serves authentic Middle Eastern food, and that’s something we’ve been missing here. The support team from Mamoun’s Falafel has given us all the …
New York City — Centric Brands Inc., a leading lifestyle brands collective, has appointed Laura Ritchey as chief operating officer, reporting to CEO Jason Rabin. Ritchey will be responsible for developing the global operating platform and have direct oversight for strategic sourcing, warehousing, logistics and information technology. “Laura has successfully led all aspects of operations including business transformation, strategy and day-to-day execution and will be an important addition to our leadership team,” says Rabin. “As we look to drive greater efficiency in operations and develop faster and more agile business …
Longmont, Colo. — Ziggi’s Coffee, with 21 café/drive-thrus across Colorado, Oklahoma and Arizona, plans to open in Pennsylvania, Iowa, Oregon and California — with 16 expected to open in 2020 — as it continues its expansion into new markets. “We’ve experienced exponential growth since we began franchising,” says the company’s co-founder, Brandon Knudsen. “My wife Camrin and I started this business as a small coffee shop on the corner of Main Street in downtown Longmont, Colo., and now we have 43 signed franchise agreements in seven states.” With 21 locations …
Plano, Texas — JCPenney has appointed six new vice presidents. Wendy Santana joins the company as vice president of business development. She has built an impressive career by developing private brands and creating business opportunities for leading retailers. She joins the company after 20 years at Li & Fung – LF Americas/Oxford Collections, where she most recently served as executive vice president. Santana reports to Truett Horne, senior vice president and chief transformation officer. Rounding out the senior marketing team under Shawn Gensch, executive vice president and chief customer officer, …
Frederick, Md. — Roy Rogers® Restaurants has charged into 2020 with a new strategic growth plan aimed at improving performance at existing locations, attracting more high-caliber franchisees, and opening new restaurants in both traditional and non-traditional locations. The company also plans to debut a new corporately owned and operated restaurant this year but will focus on expanding its franchise network as a primary means of system growth. Its aggressive 5-year plan calls for signing three to five new multi-unit development agreements per year. Initial recruiting efforts will target development in …