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Netflix House to Open First Texas Location at Galleria Dallas

by Katie Lee

Dallas — Galleria Dallas, a 1.9 million-square-foot shopping center managed by Trademark Property Group, will have a new anchor in fall 2025: a hotly anticipated entertainment venue called Netflix House. This will be the first Netflix House in Texas, and only one of two to be announced in the United States. Netflix House will be a permanent experiential venue featuring Netflix stories and characters beyond the screen year-round. Netflix House will offer regularly updated immersive experiences, Netflix related retail merchandise and unique, Netflix-inspired food and drink offerings. “Welcoming Netflix House …

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Newspeopleretailers

JOANN Names New Interim CEO

by Katie Lee

Hudson, Ohio — JOANN, the nation’s category leader in fabric and sewing and one of the fastest growing competitors in the arts and crafts industry, has appointed Michael Prendergast, a managing director in Alvarez & Marsal’s Consumer and Retail Group, as acting chief executive officer of JOANN. Prendergast is an experienced executive who has helped companies transform successfully and has served as an interim leader for other retailers. Chris DiTullio and Scott Sekella, who served as co-leads of the interim office of the CEO since May 2023 and led JOANN …

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Newspeoplerestaurants

CKE Restaurants Appoints First Chief Technology & Growth Officer

by Katie Lee

Franklin, Tenn. — CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (CKE), parent company of Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s®, has appointed Justin Falciola as chief technology & growth officer for both brands. He joins CKE from Papa Johns. In this new role, Falciola will align business goals with information technology, digital strategy and operations, as well as guide the implementation of new technologies and support the digital evolution of loyalty, first-party and third-party digital channels. “We are excited to welcome Justin to the organization,” says Max Wetzel, CEO of CKE. “As technology continues to …

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Newspeopleretailers

Claire’s Appoints CFO/COO as Interim CEO

by Katie Lee

Hoffman Estates, Ill. — Claire’s Holdings LLC has appointed Chris Cramer as interim chief executive officer, effective immediately. Cramer will also continue to serve in his roles as chief financial officer and chief operating officer. Cramer succeeds Ryan Vero, who will step down as CEO and from the company’s board of managers, effective immediately. “Since joining Claire’s last year, Chris has demonstrated extensive operational and financial leadership and helped drive our strategic roadmap,” says Samantha Algaze, chairman of the Claire’s board. “His impressive track record and more than 25 years of …

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Shake Shack Names New Chief Operations Officer

by Katie Lee

New York City — Shake Shack Inc. has appointed Stephanie Sentell to the role of chief operations officer, effective July 1, 2024. She is a seasoned restaurant executive and most recently served as senior vice president of company operations at Inspire Brands, where she oversaw the operations of more than 1,100 company-owned Arby’s restaurants across the United States. “I have known Stephanie for more than 10 years and she is one of the most dynamic and compassionate leaders that I have ever worked with,” says Rob Lynch, CEO of Shake …

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Dry Goods, a Von Maur Subsidiary, to Open 5 New Stores in 2024

by Katie Lee

Davenport, Iowa — Dry Goods, a boutique offering the latest in contemporary and feminine fashion, plans to open five new locations through the end of 2024, including its first stores in Delaware, New Jersey and Virginia. The first Dry Goods store opened in 2010 in Aurora, Ill. With this announcement, Dry Goods will increase its presence to 84 locations — once opened — in 24 states across the country. The five new locations will be at Cherry Hill Mall (Cherry Hill, N.J.); Christiana Mall (Newark, Del.); Hamilton Place (Chattanooga, Tenn.), …

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Sony Pictures Entertainment Acquires Theater Chain Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

by Katie Lee

Culver City, Calif., and Austin, Texas — Sony Pictures Entertainment has acquired theater chain Alamo Drafthouse Cinema from Altamont Capital Partners, Fortress Investment Group and founder Tim League for an undisclosed price. Alamo Drafthouse was founded in 1997 in Austin, Texas, and has grown from a single mom-and-pop location to 35 cinemas across 25 metropolitan areas. The company is the seventh-largest theater chain in North America and was one of the pioneers of the in-theater elevated food and drink concept. Alamo Drafthouse will maintain its headquarters in Austin and will …

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Presto Pilots Drive-Thru Voice AI at Taco John’s

by Katie Lee

San Carlos, Calif. — Presto Automation Inc., one of the largest AI and automation technology providers to the restaurant industry, has been collaborating with Taco John’s® and Qu to implement a Presto Voice™ drive-thru pilot at select Taco John’s restaurants. Presto Voice enhances the drive-thru staff’s productivity by reducing the time they devote to taking orders, allowing them to focus on more critical tasks and reducing associated labor costs. It also provides customizable upsells to increase revenue and improve the guest experience with immediate, friendly service around the clock. Qu’s …

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Leslie’s Expands National Footprint with 15 New Stores in 2024

by Katie Lee

Phoenix — Leslie’s, the nation’s leading pool and spa care retailer, is expanding its 1,000-plus store chain and will open 15 new stores in 2024, with seven of those located in various communities across Texas. Texas is the largest state market for Leslie’s with 217 stores. The seven new stores are in Addison, Casa Linda, Dallas, Plano, Southlake (Dallas-Fort Worth metro), Cibola (San Antonio metro) and Spring (Houston metro). Additionally, 8 new locations are opening in California, New York, Arizona, Nevada, Florida and Washington. “We are thrilled to announce these …

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franchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Blackstone Completes Acquisition of Tropical Smoothie Cafe

by Katie Lee

Atlanta and New York City — Private equity funds managed by Blackstone have completed the acquisition of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a leading franchisor of fast-casual restaurants, from Levine Leichtman Capital Partners. This marks the first transaction in Blackstone’s most recent vintage of its flagship private equity vehicle. “Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a nationally recognized brand with an impressive growth trajectory underpinned by a base of loyal franchisees and guests,” says Peter Wallace, a senior managing director, and Michael Staub, a managing director, in Blackstone’s private equity business. “With Blackstone’s capital …

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