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Wayfair Accelerates Retail Expansion with New York Metro Location

by Katie Lee

Boston — Wayfair Inc., the destination for all things home, plans to open its next large-format retail store in Yonkers, N.Y., in early 2027. The news comes as the company celebrates the 1-year anniversary of its inaugural large-format store in Wilmette, Ill. — a milestone that underscores Wayfair’s growing success in physical retail and its evolving omnichannel strategy. The Yonkers announcement follows the previously revealed plans for Wayfair’s Atlanta store, slated to open in 2026. “Over the past year, we’ve seen firsthand how a thoughtfully designed physical store can deepen …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Sweet Paris Debuts in Arkansas and Missouri with 4-Unit Agreement

by Katie Lee

Rogers, Ark. — Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café, a restaurant brand serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and specializing in sweet and savory crêpes, hot drinks and more, is expanding its national presence by entering two new states: Arkansas and Missouri. In a four-unit signed agreement, two restaurants will be opening in Arkansas metropolitan cities, and two restaurants will be opening in Kansas City, Mo. The first restaurant is slated to open in fall 2025, at Pinnacle Hills Promenade in Rogers, Ark. Pinnacle Hills Promenade is a luxury retail lifestyle center …

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REI Co-op Becomes First National Retailer to Achieve Zero Waste

by Katie Lee

Seattle — REI Co-op has released its 2024 Impact Report and financial results, closing the year with $3.53 billion in net sales, investing over $282 million back into the co-op community and ending the year in a cash flow neutral position. Also in 2024, REI became the first major U.S. retailer to achieve the industry definition of zero waste, diverting 90% of waste from landfills across its operations. “It was an enterprise effort to achieve this zero-waste milestone for the co-op,” says Andrew Dempsey, director of climate, REI Co-op. “But …

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franchise developmentNewspeoplerestaurants

Brinker International Promotes Longtime Leader to EVP, COO and Chief People Officer

by Katie Lee

Dallas — Brinker International, Inc. has promoted longtime Brinker leader Aaron White to executive vice president, chief operating officer and chief people officer for its restaurant brands, Chili’s® Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy®. She has been with the company for 29 years. In this expanded role, White will oversee both operations strategy and personnel across the restaurant support center, Chili’s and Maggiano’s, with her leadership team focused on driving the company’s next level of operational improvements to improve the team member and guest experience. White began her Brinker …

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Barnes & Noble Education Signs New Campus Store Partnerships

by Katie Lee

Basking Ridge, N.J. — Barnes & Noble Education, Inc., a leading solutions provider for the education industry, has signed a wave of new campus store partnerships with colleges and universities across the country. These institutions, representing a mix of 2- and 4-year public and private schools, have selected Barnes & Noble College (BNC) to operate their campus stores ahead of the 2025–2026 academic year, with over 20 campus stores scheduled to open from February through August this year. This total is more than double the number added during the same …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Nothing Bundt Cakes Marks 700th Bakery Milestone

by Katie Lee

Dallas — Nothing Bundt Cakes is celebrating the opening of its 700th bakery, located in Rosenberg, Texas. The Dallas-based company has grown to the nation’s largest specialty cake company with locations throughout more than 40 states and Canada. The brand has ambitious plans to open its 1,000th location by 2027. Nothing Bundt Cakes opened 101 bakeries in 2024 and is on pace to do the same this year as this bakery opening is the 40th in 2025. The brand is on track to become one of the highest-growth companies in …

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Rite Aid Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Explores Acquisition Opportunities

by Katie Lee

Camp Hill, Pa. — Rite Aid has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey and is exploring opportunities to be acquired by outside entities. The announcement marks the second time in 24 months that the Pennsylvania-based convenience and drugstore chain has filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The previous filing in October 2023 preceded the closure of hundreds of stores across the country. The company did not explicitly say in this filing how many of its stores would be immediately …

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kitchen exhaust/grease controlNewspeopleProduct Spotlightrestaurantssoftware/technologyvendorswaste management/recycling

Restaurant Technologies Appoints Chief Financial Officer

by Katie Lee

Minneapolis — Restaurant Technologies has named Matthew Micowski as its newest chief financial officer (CFO), succeeding Bob Weil who has held the position since 2007 and has transitioned to a strategic advisor position within the organization.  Micowski brings over two decades of strategic financial leadership across the technology and healthcare industries, most recently serving as the senior vice president and CFO at NAMSA since 2021. “Matthew’s record of successfully accelerating growth, driving operational transformation and proactively setting companies up for future success made him stand out in a highly competitive …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsremodelsrestaurants

Huddle House Unveils Brand Renovation, Including New Drive-Thru Prototype

by Katie Lee

Atlanta — Huddle House, an iconic family dining brand for the last 60 years, is undergoing a transformative evolution. Under the leadership of CEO James O’Reilly and Chief Operating Officer Blain Shortreed, the brand unveils a reimagined brand identity that includes a trio of new restaurant prototypes to accelerate the brand’s geographic expansion. “As we celebrate 60 incredible years, we lay the foundation for the next 60 in a big way, stepping confidently into our evolution,” says James O’Reilly, CEO of Ascent Hospitality Management, the parent company of Huddle House. …

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3G Capital Agrees to Acquire Skechers for $9.4 Billion, Take Company Private

by Katie Lee

Manhattan Beach, Calif. & New York City — Global investment firm 3G Capital has entered into an agreement to acquire footwear retailer Skechers USA Inc. The sales price is $9.4 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. Upon completion of the transaction, Skechers will become a privately held company. New York City-based private equity firm 3G will pay $63 per share in cash, representing a premium of 30% to Skechers’ 15-day, volume-weighted average stock price. The transaction also includes the option for existing shareholders of Skechers to instead receive $57 …

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