Mergers & Acquisitions

Vancouver, Wash. – Pizza retailer Papa Murphy's Holdings Inc. plans to strengthen and grow its presence in the Southeast.

The company, which currently has more than 1,400 locations in 38 states, recently completed acquisitions of existing Papa Murphy's franchise stores in Jacksonville, Forida, as a springboard for further expansion throughout the Southeast.

Tampa, Fla. – The Melting Pot Restaurants Inc. has opened its first restaurant outside of North America in Jakarta, Indonesia. The latest opening comes on the heels of the company announcing its plans for continued international expansion.

The Melting Pot is on track to open its first restaurants in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia later in 2015, as well as its fourth location in Mexico City, Mexico.

Alpharetta, Ga. - McAlister's Deli is targeting Phoenix for franchise growth. The fast-casual dining chain is seeking experienced multi-unit restaurant operators to help expand McAlister's presence in the market through multi-unit development agreements in areas such as Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale and Goodyear.

San Jose, Calif. -- EBay Inc. on Monday announced it has appointed two independent directors to its board as it prepares for the spinoff of its payments division, PayPal, in the second half of this year.

Ebay appointed Tony Bates, president of action camera maker GoPro, and Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross, to its board.

Houston – Mattress Firm Holding Corp. is revving up its growth in fiscal 2015, with plans to open 200 to 220 new stores.

As burgeoning food retailer Haggen charts a path of expansion across the West Coast, the company is also making some key executive moves to support its growth in the Southwest.

The grocery chain Haggen named the first five senior members of its Pacific Southwest leadership team this week:

Mattress Firm Holding Corp. is revving up its growth in fiscal 2015, with plans to open as many as 220 new stores this year.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Sears Holding Corp. expects to form a real estate investment trust (REIT) within a few months and sees nothing wrong with paying vendors early. In a public blog post, Rob Schrieshiem, executive VP and CFO of Sears, said the company expects to form an REIT to purchase between 200 and 300 stores by June 1, 2015.

Commerce Calif. -- Value-oriented food retailer Smart & Final Stores Inc. plans to accelerate its expansion after posting double-digit sales growth in the fourth quarter.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. -- Dollar General Corporation announced that Rhonda M. Taylor, currently senior VP and general counsel, has been promoted to executive VP and general counsel.

“Rhonda is a valuable member of our executive leadership team and is a trusted advisor on legal and business issues impacting Dollar General. In addition, she provides outstanding leadership and I look forward to her continued success at Dollar General,” said Rick Dreiling, chairman and CEO.