Kill Devil Hills, N.C. — Wawa, Inc. has opened its first store in the state of North Carolina. Located in Kill Devil Hills, this is the first of nine Wawa stores slated to open in North Carolina before the end of summer and 10 by year’s end. “We are excited to fly into North Carolina and bring our unique combination of fresh food and beverage, convenience and service to this state for the very first time. This historic milestone kicks off our ongoing growth and expansion in North Carolina as …
Toronto — Restaurant Brands International Inc., the Toronto-based parent company of Burger King, has completed its previously announced acquisition of Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc., the largest Burger King® franchisee in the United States, for approximately $1 billion in an all-cash transaction. The company will invest a further $500 million to accelerate the reimaging of more than 600 Carrols restaurants before refranchising the majority of the acquired portfolio to new or existing smaller franchise operators over the next 7 years. Carrols is one of the largest restaurant franchisees in North America. …
Los Angeles — BH Properties, a vertically integrated, value-add real estate investment company, has named retail expert Greg Sullivan managing director of the company’s retail properties division. Sullivan comes to BH Properties from Brookfield Properties, where he was vice president of big box leasing/development with a primary focus on large format entertainment, big box, junior anchor, restaurant transactions and vacant anchor store re-development. For the past 6 months, Sullivan has been operating as a retail consultant to BH Properties, advising the firm on several mixed-use retail acquisitions, most notably the …
Atlanta — Perkins Restaurant & Bakery®, a family-dining restaurant serving homestyle comfort classics and fresh-from-the-oven pies since 1958, has signed a groundbreaking 10-unit development deal, marking Perkins’ first foray into California. “We are thrilled to embark on this exciting journey as we introduce Perkins to the vibrant state of California,” says Peter Ortiz, chief operating officer of Perkins Restaurant & Bakery. “This expansion represents a huge milestone for our brand, and we are confident that our timeless concept and exceptional dining experience will resonate deeply with Californians.” Confirmed locations for …
Boston — Gordon Brothers has begun store closing sales at select Ted Baker locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, including outlets. Store closing sales are also underway at eight Brooks Brothers and seven Lucky Brand retail locations in Canada. Ted Baker, a retailer of men’s and women’s high-end designer clothing and accessories, is closing 31 retail stores in the U.S. and nine stores in Canada. Ted Baker Canada, which conducts business operations for Ted Baker in Canada, Ted Baker Limited in the United States, Brooks Brothers in Canada and Lucky …
Albuquerque, N.M. — Wetzel’s Pretzels is now open in Coronado Center in Albuquerque. Wetzel’s joins more than 130 retail shops at the mall, which is the state’s largest shopping center. The new location also marks the first Wetzel’s Pretzels in the state of New Mexico. The debut New Mexico location is owned and operated by Tamanna Sayed and Md Abul Kalam Azad. “As existing franchise owners in California, we were ready to start a journey with Wetzel’s into a region with tons of growth potential,” says Sayed. “We’re drawn to …
Tokyo and New York City — GU, the Japanese apparel retailer and sister brand of UNIQLO, plans to open GU NY SOHO, the brand’s first overseas flagship store, in fall 2024 in the SoHo neighborhood of New York. Following a successful pop-up location, the permanent store will offer women’s and men’s clothing across two floors, as well as shoes, bags and accessories. An online store with the same product lineup as the physical store will also launch at the same time, delivering GU products nationwide. With a sales floor area …
St. Louis, Mo. — Dave’s Hot Chicken, a Los Angeles-based street food sensation turned breakthrough fast-casual brand, has signed a multi-unit agreement for seven locations across St. Louis — the brand’s first in Missouri — with established entrepreneur Raj Patel and his company, The Hari Group. The Hari Group now owns and operates over 100 franchise locations across major food brands like McAlister’s Deli, Dunkin’ and Dave’s Hot Chicken. “I’ve always believed in leading by example and ensuring that each location is effectively set up operationally to thrive,” says Patel, …
Lenexa, Kan. — Rally House, the fastest growing sports and local apparel retailer in the nation, hit a major company milestone at the end of April by surpassing 200 storefront locations throughout the United States. The family-owned company, who has been in business since 1989, has doubled its store count in just over 2 years. During the weekend of April 27-28, Rally House opened new stores in its existing markets of Philadelphia; Louisville, Ky.; West Virginia; and Chicago, as well as opening its first location in Buffalo, N.Y. The busy …
Boston — Powerhouse Dynamics, a leading Internet of Things (IoT) partner to enterprise-level restaurant, QSR, convenience store and retail brands, has installed its AI-powered DemandSmart Solution in client locations across the country. The solution automatically executes demand response at scale, empowering clients to generate new revenues by lowering their energy use when the grid is experiencing peak demand. “We are excited to bring this expanded capability to our customers. Not only will they save significant energy costs using our DemandSmart module, but they will also be able to take advantage …
