Lexington, Ky. — A&W Restaurants posted double-digit, year-over-year sales in May, with some franchise locations doubling their sales. Other burger chains, on average, managed only a 2% increase, according to Black Box Intelligence. The iconic brand’s performance comes as it reduces royalties for new franchisees. The incentive program lowers royalties in the first year of all new development agreements from the standard 5% to 3%. Second year royalties are 4%. Initial fees on multi-unit agreements also are being discounted. “The incentives give franchisees extra cushion in their first few years …
COVID-19
Indianapolis — Simon Property Group has terminated its Feb. 9 merger agreement with Taubman Centers Inc. Simon also filed an action on June 10 in Michigan’s Oakland County Circuit Court saying Taubman breached the covenants in the merger agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Simon was to acquire an 80% interest in Taubman for approximately $3.6 billion. Indianapolis-based Simon says its termination of the merger agreement is based on two separate grounds. “First, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a uniquely material and disproportionate effect on Taubman compared with other …
Woonsocket, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy has added 55 COVID-19 testing sites in North Carolina and 15 sites in South Carolina. The tests are accessible through appointments only. Patients will be required to stay in their cars and will be directed to the pharmacy drive-thru window, where they will be provided with a test kit and given instructions. A CVS team member will observe the self-swab process to ensure it is done properly. Tests will be sent to an independent, third-party lab for processing and the results will be available in approximately …
— By Mike Welsh — Retail curbside pickup and mobile apps are here to stay — what that reliance on a digital platform means for the industry moving forward in a post-COVID world. In an effort to understand how retail curbside pickup, mobile apps and other digital-first retail strategies will change shopping habits even post-COVID, Retail & Restaurant Facility Business interviewed Mike Welsh of the Waltham, Massachusetts-based digital consulting firm Mobiquity. R&R: In this new era of the COVID-19 pandemic, retailers must offer a digital-first option in order …
— By Jill Woodside — Facilities management during crises: Best practices to succeed. Numerous risks surround facilities management and those problems swell during major facilities management crises. The COVID-19 crisis is the most obvious, but its impact on facilities management is a true Black Swan event. According to James M. Berklan of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, the costs of PPE have increased over 1,000% amid the crisis, and while it’s easy to only associate that cost with direct care workers, what about the PPE that facilities management custodial professionals …
— By Ahmed Abouelenein — Today, ghost kitchens are more important than ever. Early on, The Halal Guys embraced the possibilities inherent in ghost kitchens as a tool to expand the reach of our business and grow revenue. We now have become one of their leading proponents for several reasons. In essence, ghost kitchens are 100% delivery-only facilities, alleviating our brick-and-mortar and cart locations, especially during peak times. They help take the pressure off our retail businesses. As a result, our brick-and-mortar locations have been able to wholly focus …
Plano, Texas — J. C. Penney Company, Inc. has begun implementing its store optimization strategy by identifying the first 154 stores to close. Following entry of an order at the June 11, 2020, hearing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, in Corpus Christi, Texas, store closing sales will begin at 154 locations. The company expects additional phases of store closing sales will begin in the coming weeks. Additionally, the company intends to reduce its store footprint and focus resources on its strongest stores and e-commerce …
Greenwood Village, Colo. — Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., a full-service restaurant chain, expects to have reopened approximately 270 dining rooms with limited capacity by June 7, 2020, representing approximately 65% of currently open company-operated restaurants. “With our relentless focus on health and safety for our team members and guests, we are continuing to make progress reopening our dining rooms across the country,” says Paul J.B. Murphy III, Red Robin’s president and chief executive officer. “To build on the momentum we are experiencing in off-premise and dine-in sales, we are …
Redwood City, Calif. — Presto, known for its in-house ordering tablets, has pivoted its business to help out the restaurant industry and is now offering a free Contactless Dining kit. The new kit enables restaurants to provide an end-to-end contactless in-house dining experience to guests. Guests can view the complete menu, place orders and pay at the table — without the need for any human contact. Free to order, the kit is easy to implement and use. Guests can use their personal mobile devices to scan NFC tags and QR …
— By Jude Charles — Retailers and restaurants all around the country are slowly considering the prospect of reopening their doors as federal, state and local restrictions begin to relax. While welcoming customers and employees back to your business should be met with excitement, it’s important to consider the risks associated with gradually increasing in-person operations. If your retail store or restaurant is like many others who temporarily paused operations or reduced staff, consider the following ideas for a safer, more successful return to work. Manage Onsite Visitors Due …