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Chipotle Opens its 1,500th Chipotlane

by Katie Lee

Newport Beach, Calif. — On Sept. 29, Chipotle Mexican Grill opened its 1,500th Chipotlane, located in Bradenton, Fla., advancing the company’s North American growth strategy. Chipotle has added 500 Chipotlanes in less than 2 years as the format remains central to its development goals. The milestone comes amid continued growth across Florida, where Chipotle expects to grow its restaurant footprint by approximately 17% in 2026 and create approximately 1,500 restaurant jobs. Since introducing the Chipotlane in 2018, the format has consistently delivered higher volumes and returns than traditional Chipotle restaurants, …

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facilities managementNewsretailersvendors

National Facilities Direct Adds lululemon to Growing Portfolio of National Brands

by Katie Lee

New York City — National Facilities Direct (NFD), a leading provider of integrated facility infrastructure and management solutions for complex, multi-location organizations, has been selected to support lululemon’s U.S. retail portfolio. The national partnership brings one of the world’s most recognized athletic apparel brands into NFD’s growing client portfolio and expands the company’s presence across high-expectation, experience-led environments. “lululemon has built a category-defining brand by holding every part of the experience to a high standard,” says Vince Kiel, founder and CEO of National Facilities Direct. “We’re excited to help protect …

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franchise developmentNewspeoplerestaurants

Rock N Roll Sushi Names Next CEO

by Katie Lee

Destin, Fla. — Rock N Roll Sushi has appointed restaurant and franchise executive Rick Gestring as its next chief executive officer. Gestring will lead the 80-unit concept into its next phase of growth, with a focus on strengthening the brand, supporting franchisee success and positioning Rock N Roll Sushi for continued expansion. Most recently, Gestring served as brand officer for Tasty Restaurant Group, where he led the KFC and Taco Bell restaurant portfolio. Previously, he was senior vice president of franchise operations for Honey Baked Ham and chief restaurant officer …

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President of Kroger Health to Retire After 31 Years

by Katie Lee

Cincinnati — The Kroger Co. has announced that Colleen Lindholz, president of Kroger Health, will retire after more than three decades with the company. Lindholz joined Kroger as a pharmacist in the Cincinnati-Dayton division in 1995. From there, she held several pharmacy roles in the division, including manager, coordinator, sales promoter, recruiter and merchandiser. She was promoted to director of pharmacy sales and marketing in 2013 and president and CEO of the Little Clinic in 2015. Lindholz was named president of Kroger Health in 2017. Lindholz received Kroger’s Chairman’s Award, …

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facilities managementkitchen equipmentNewsrestaurantsvendors

Study: Rising Costs Force U.S. Restaurants to Raise Menu Prices, Delay Equipment Upgrades

by Katie Lee

SilverChef’s 2026 Hospitality Operator Report found that while many operators have a positive outlook for the next 12 months, one in four still can’t afford equipment upgrades due to costs Dallas — Rising costs and supply chain disruptions are forcing U.S. hospitality operators to reshape everything, from what they charge diners to the equipment they invest in, according to a new study from SilverChef USA, which provides flexible equipment financing for the hospitality industry. Over two-thirds (68%) of U.S. operators raised menu prices in the past 12 months, and nearly …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

85°C Bakery Cafe Reaches 100 U.S. Locations, Plans to Have 150 By 2030

by Katie Lee

Brea, Calif. — 85°C Bakery Cafe, a Taiwanese bakery-café brand, opened its 100th U.S. location this month at Parker Commons in Aurora, Colo. The opening also introduces the brand to Colorado for the first time. 85°C entered the U.S. market in 2008 and has grown through a differentiated bakery-café model spanning four core categories: breads and pastries, cakes, handcrafted coffee, and tea beverages. As 85°C reaches triple-digit locations and enters Colorado, the brand begins a new stage of growth and works toward 150 U.S. locations by 2030. Cheng-Hsueh Wu founded …

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Lowe’s Becomes First Home Improvement Retailer to Offer Drone Delivery

by Katie Lee

Mooresville, N.C. — Lowe’s has launched drone delivery, the newest fulfillment method for the retailer that delivers select home improvement items directly to DIY and Pro customers in as fast as 20 minutes. This pilot is now live at Lowe’s store in Matthews, N.C., and adds to same-day fulfillment options for customers, including buy online, pick up in store; curbside pickup and same-day delivery. The launch builds on Wing and DoorDash’s existing drone delivery operations in the Charlotte area, adding Lowe’s to the growing list of brands now available for …

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facilities managementNewspeoplesoftware/technologyvendors

Fexa Names Chief Technology & Product Officer

by Katie Lee

Jersey City, N.J. — Fexa, a leading facilities orchestration platform for multi-site operators, welcomes Josh Jabs as chief technology and product officer. Jabs will lead the product and engineering organization and report to CEO Kurt Smith. The role is new to Fexa. “When we looked at our recent growth, the size and pace of our business, and our incredible ambition to lead this industry in the AI era, adding a world-class CTPO was an obvious decision,” says Smith. “Josh was distinctive from my first call. He thinks about problems from …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Starbird Chicken to Expand into Washington with 17 New Restaurants

by Katie Lee

San Francisco — Starbird Chicken is expanding its footprint into Washington through a new franchise partnership with Mehta Investment Group. The agreement includes plans to develop 17 locations across Washington state. The expansion marks a significant step in Starbird’s continued growth throughout the Pacific Northwest. The new franchise venture will be led by Vin Mehta and his son Rohit through Mehta Investment Group, a family-owned enterprise with experience across multiple industries and a strong track record of building successful operations. Vin Mehta, president of Mehta Investment Group, will guide the …

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construction and designNewsretailers

Ollie’s Celebrates 700th Store Opening

by Katie Lee

Harrisburg, Pa. — Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc., a fast-growing retailer of brand name closeout merchandise and excess inventory, has opened its 700th store, a major milestone in the company’s continued growth and expansion in the Midwest. The new store is located in Maplewood, Minn. “We are thrilled to celebrate the opening of our 700th store in Maplewood, Minn.,” says Eric van der Valk, president and chief executive officer of Ollie’s. “Ollie’s offers real bargains on real brands in a thrilling, fun and quirky environment that is like no other …

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