Irvine, Calif. — KTGY Architecture + Planning recently received a “special award of excellence” from the judges of the 2019 Gold Nugget Awards for its rebuilding and restoration of Anaheim White House Restaurant in Anaheim, Calif. The builder was Placa Construction Inc. Following a devastating fire, the KTGY team worked with historic restoration consultants and property owner to rebuild and restore the 1909 Colonial-style mansion and side house. A second architectural team rebuilt the kitchen and interior dining room. Careful consideration had to be made during the process as the …
restaurants
Ankeny, Iowa — The board of directors of Casey’s General Stores, Inc. has appointed Darren Rebelez, president of IHOP®, as Casey’s next president and chief executive officer (CEO), effective June 24, 2019. Rebelez will also join Casey’s board of directors. He will succeed Casey’s president and CEO, Terry Handley, who will retire from the company and board, after a 38-year career with Casey’s. Rebelez joins Casey’s with over 25 years of business leadership experience focused on operations, marketing and merchandising for large corporations in each of the convenience store, fuel …
Ocala, Fla. — Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Celebrity’s Soul Food has selected Southlake, Texas-based N3 Real Estate and affiliates as its exclusive national developer and master broker for the United States. N3 will be responsible for all aspects of Celebrity’s real estate selection and development process across the country. With 200 units planned within the next 24 months, founders Dr. Fredrick Jacobs (a.k.a. Dr. J, The Counselor) and Taja Jacobs, along with their franchisee partners, will bring soul food cuisine to the nation in a classy and elegant atmosphere that treats …
Houston — Russo’s New York Pizzeria, the nation’s only chef-driven New York-style, Italian restaurant and pizzeria franchise concept, announces its latest franchise opportunity: an authentic Italian microbrewery. Conceptualized by Chef Anthony Russo, Russo’s New York Italia Pizza Kitchen & Brewery will open its first location in 2019. The innovative Pizza Kitchen & Brewery will feature Russo’s infamous Italian menu with pizza and pasta-focused dishes, as well as unique craft beers, brewed in-house. The brewery will range from 3,500 to 5,000 square feet; the new design features a full view pizza …
— By Jennifer Morris — Fast-casual concepts breathing new life into historic buildings. In the competitive restaurant industry, it’s often a challenge for concepts to break away from the pack. The dining experience and brand identity aren’t solely limited to the cuisine and culinary approach, but rather also developed through the site, decor and ambiance. Looking to differentiate themselves, many fast-casual concepts are taking the approach of choosing older, historical buildings to invest in, as opposed to commercial space that is new, modern or sleek. In the process, …
Lake Forest, Calif. — Del Taco Restaurants, Inc., the second largest Mexican-American quick-service restaurant chain by units in the United States, recently commenced the marketing of certain company-operated restaurants across four non-core Western markets. The refranchising of these restaurants is expected to be completed by summer 2020 and is planned to help shift company ownership to approximately 45% of the Del Taco system while stimulating growth in new restaurants and existing restaurant AUVs. Del Taco first announced its Restaurant Portfolio Optimization plan in January 2019 and subsequently retained The Cypress …
Miami — One of Wynwood’s most-loved wine bars, Bunbury, has made its way to Downtown Miami’s Arts & Entertainment district. After more than 5 years in the Miami arts district of Wynwood, co-owners Paula Costa and Fernanda Orellano thought it was time to expand and bring a hint of Argentine flair to the downtown neighborhood. Now open in Square Station, a newly-built apartment complex by fellow Argentinian developers the Melo Group, Bunbury took 7,500 square feet of ground-floor space with ample indoor and outdoor seating at the base of the …
Baltimore — Construction is underway on the new restaurant fit-out of Wayward Smokehouse and Curious Oyster located at The Avenue at White Marsh in Baltimore. The project, a contemporary dual-concept restaurant and bar is a renovation of an existing building. The renovation of the former Don Pablo’s Mexican Restaurant includes extensive modifications to the exterior and interior of the building, creating a unique brand identity for each restaurant. Both restaurants blur the line between outdoor and indoor with garage doors and accordion windows that lead to outdoor dining areas. According …
Chicago — Cornerstone Restaurant Group (CRG), a national leader in the restaurant space, looks beyond traditional borders in restaurant dining to where the customer is consuming today. Widely considered a trailblazer in the delivery space in Chicago, CRG is embracing new opportunities and new technologies in the months ahead. Led by freshly minted President Josh Zadikoff, CRG is pleased to announce exciting initiatives this summer, from a virtual restaurant space to retail dining to food halls. CRG has partnered with global home furnishings retailer, Crate & Barrel, to open its …
Jericho, N.Y. — Nathan’s Famous has hired James Walker, CFE, as the company’s senior vice president, restaurants. He joins the company from Subway where he was vice president, North America, overseeing all franchised restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. “We are excited to have James on board to lead our all-important restaurant division,” says Eric Gatoff, CEO of Nathan’s Famous. “While our success over the last decade has largely come from our product licensing and foodservice businesses, Nathan’s started as a restaurant company in 1916. James’ skill set includes extensive …