Atlanta — RELEX Solutions, a unified, AI-native platform for retail and supply chain planning, is partnering with Dollar General Corporation, a mass merchandising discount retailer, to implement forecasting, replenishment and allocation capabilities across its North American operations. Dollar General operates more than 21,000 stores and 34 distribution centers, managing approximately 18,000 SKUs, and continues to expand its store footprint each year. To coordinate planning across this growing network, the company selected RELEX for a single system that handles forecasting, replenishment and allocation. The AI-driven platform will manage store replenishment, ordering …
vendors
EVgo, Regency Expand Partnership to Bring Fast-Charging to More Retail Centers Across the U.S.
Los Angeles — EVgo Inc., one of the nation’s largest providers of public fast-charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs), and Regency Centers Corporation are expanding their partnership to bring fast charging to shopping centers, with plans to add more than 400 charging stalls at Regency locations across the U.S. Once complete, these new EVgo stalls are expected to help increase Regency’s EV infrastructure footprint by more than 20%. EVgo installed its first charger at a Regency center in 2020 and today operates over 150 stalls at Regency locations. Located in …
— Interview With Kristen Nowak — R&R: Where are you based? Kristen Nowak: “Unlimited Service Group is headquartered in Addison, Illinois, just outside of Chicago; we operate through 40 locally operated service companies and more than 140 branch locations across the U.S. and Canada.” R&R: What services do you offer? Nowak: “We provide commercial kitchen food equipment repair, installation and maintenance. We service hot, cold, beverage and, in most of our branches, HVAC equipment. We acquire companies with great teams and great leaders, and when they come on board, they …
Los Angeles — Cartwheel, an AI-powered delivery platform for restaurants, has teamed up with Hungry Howie’s Pizza to modernize delivery operations. The top 10 U.S. pizza chain is adopting Cartwheel’s Hybrid Delivery technology, following a successful pilot, that will implement a phased rollout across its nearly 500-location system, with all locations targeted to be live by second quarter 2027. Cartwheel’s Hybrid Delivery gives franchisees a single view of in-house and third-party delivery, with fulfillment powered by DoorDash Drive. Hybrid Delivery prioritizes in-house fleets based on configurable factors such as proximity …
— Interview with Sean Gillespie — R&R: Where are you based? How long have you been in business? Sean Gillespie: We are headquartered in Villa Rica, Georgia, approximately 30 miles west of Atlanta. We have divisional offices in Destin/Ft. Walton, Florida; Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas; Orlando, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; and Tampa, Florida, and have been in business since 1995. R&R: What is your title, and how long have you been with HCC? Gillespie: Director | Strategic Alliances/Marketing and I’ve been with HCC for 8 years. R&R: What trades/services do you offer …
Parts Town Unlimited Opens Global Fulfillment Center to Serve the Southeast
Chicago — Parts Town Unlimited, a global leader in the high-tech distribution of genuine OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts for commercial foodservice, residential appliances and HVAC equipment, has signed a full building lease in Pendergrass, Ga. Parts Town Unlimited will occupy the 538,450-square-foot facility by the end of this year. The new facility will expand the company’s global fulfillment network to the Southeast, joining existing global fulfillment centers in Chicago, Phoenix and Munich (Germany). Additionally, this facility is the company’s first LEED-certified global fulfillment center. LEED is a globally recognized …
Boston — Toast has released its 2026 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey. Each year, Toast polls hundreds of restaurant operators to get a pulse check on the industry. How are restaurants faring in 2026? What are the biggest pain points? Where do they see opportunity, and how has that changed since last year? What was clear from its 2026 survey — which took place from April 3, 2026, to April 20, 2026 — of 676 restaurant operators and decision-makers is that restaurants are durable, and they’re doubling down on …
Chicago Faucets: Signature Vendor Spotlight
— Interview with Nathan Klein — R&R: Where are you based, and how long has the company been in business? Nathan Klein: Chicago Faucets is based in Des Plaines, Illinois, and my home office is Columbus, Ohio. We have been in business since 1901; we have built a reputation for manufacturing durable, high-performance commercial faucets designed for demanding commercial environments. R&R: What is your title? How long have you been with the company? Klein: I am the business development manager for Chicago Faucets. I am responsible for driving new partnerships …
Los Angeles — Coco Robotics, a leader in autonomous delivery, has collaborated with Little Caesars, the third-largest pizza chain in the world, to bring autonomous robot deliveries to locations throughout Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami, with Little Caesars deliveries coming soon to Coco’s recently expanded operations in downtown San Jose, Calif. Coco’s robots are currently serving participating Little Caesars locations, marking the beginning of a broader rollout to bring autonomous delivery to more Little Caesars guests. Orders placed through participating Little Caesars locations on DoorDash and Uber Eats may be …
Costa Mesa, Calif., and Coral Gables, Fla. — California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) has teamed up with T-ROC Global, a leading provider of technology-enabled retail solutions, to dramatically expand access to CPK through a new generation of automated retail experiences. Through the partnership, T-ROC will implement and operate up to 1,000 CPK automated retail machines nationwide over the next 3 years, bringing the brand to high-traffic locations where a traditional restaurant may be impractical, but consumers are often underserved with elevated food options. From airports and universities to hospitals, hotels, office …