News Briefs

The former CEO of a casual dining parent company is returning to his position after criminal charges against him were dropped.

Andy Wiederhorn has returned to the helm of FAT Brands, the parent company of Fatburger, Johnny Rockets, Round Table Pizza and other restaurant concepts, after stepping aside in March 2023. Weiderhorn was under investigation by both the Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over $47 million in payments from FAT Brands to the Wiederhorn family. On July 30, the White House directly fired the career federal prosecutor who was handling the case, according to NBC News.

Effective today, FAT Brands’ co-CEOs who led the company during Wiederhorn’s absence will return to their previous roles. Ken Kuick will be exclusively focused on his roles as CFO of FAT Brands and Twin Hospitality Group Inc., and Taylor Wiederhorn, Andy’s son, will continue to serve as chief development officer.

“I am grateful to both Ken and Taylor for their time as Co-CEO’s where they were instrumental in accelerating growth across our portfolio of brands,” said Andy Wiederhorn, CEO and chairman of FAT Brands Inc. “I am thrilled to step back into the CEO role, building on our momentum and delivering on our strategic priorities – organic expansion, targeted acquisitions, increasing our manufacturing facility’s capacity and focusing on our balance sheet – to reinforce our position as a global leader in the restaurant industry.”

FAT Brands currently owns 18 restaurant brands: Round Table Pizza, Fatburger, Marble Slab Creamery, Johnny Rockets, Fazoli’s, Twin Peaks, Great American Cookies, Smokey Bones, Hot Dog on a Stick, Buffalo’s Cafe & Express, Hurricane Grill & Wings, Pretzelmaker, Elevation Burger, Native Grill & Wings, Yalla Mediterranean and Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses.

[READ MORE: Fatburger adds 40 stores to Florida pipeline]

FAT Brands franchises and owns over 2,300 units worldwide.

The OnePay app is reportedly looking to become a one-stop stop for its users.

That’s according to a report by CNBC,  which said the fintech firm, which is majority owned by Walmart, is launching its own branded wireless plan in partnership with mobile services startup Gigs. Called OnePay Wireless, the service will be available starting Sept. 4, the report said.

The plan costs $35 a month for unlimited 5G data, talk and text on the AT&T network, according to CNBC, which said OnePay confirmed the launch and declined to comment further.

In another addition to the OnePay app, the company in June said that, in partnership with financial services company Synchrony, it was teaming up with Walmart and Mastercard to launch a credit card program. The program is expected to launch in fall 2025, embedded inside the OnePay app and supported by the Mastercard global payments network. It will be made available to Walmart customers as well as to consumers across the U.S.

OnePay offers include high-yield savings accounts, buy now pay later services and a digital wallet with peer-to-peer payments.

Wrestling is once again back at America’s largest shopping and entertainment complex.

Mall of America is celebrating 30 years since the historic debut of WCW Monday Nitro, which aired live from the Huntington Bank Rotunda and featured wrestling legends including Hulk Hogan, Lex Luger, Ric Flair, and Sting. To honor that night, Minnesota’s F1RST Wrestling created the Saturday Night Nitro series. Now in its fourth year, Saturday Night Nitro returns to Mall of America.

Festivities begin on Friday, Sept. 5, with F1RST Wrestling Fan Fest from 6–9 p.m. at The Fair on 4 inside Mall of America. Fans will have the chance to meet their favorite F1RST Wrestling stars in a lively setting featuring axe throwing, indoor go-karts, delicious food, and craft cocktails.

The following day on Saturday, Sept. 6, Saturday Night Nitro will take place at 7 p.m. at the Huntington Bank Rotunda. This all-ages, ticketed event will feature international wrestling talent alongside F1RST Wrestling fan favorites in a “high-energy showcase.”

[READ MORE: 40-plus WWE wrestlers to do a SummerSlam takeover at American Dream]

For a full breakdown of the event including ticket options and prices, fans can click here.

At 5.6 million sq. ft., Mall of America, located in Bloomington, Minn., is the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America with up to 520 world-class retail stores and restaurants, and several entertainment attractions.

Kohl’s is hitting the road as it celebrates 20 years of its most popular discount promotion with special events, giveways and deals throughout the month of September. 

To mark the 20th anniversary of Kohl’s Cash, the department store retailer is debuting the “Kohl’s Cash Cruiser,” which will go on a multi-city tour. The company also is connecting to communities with surprise Kohl’s Cash celebration shopping sprees with local Boys and Girls Clubs.

The Cash Cruiser will launch on Sept. 5, with the tour starting in New York City at the Flatiron Plaza. It will bring an immersive Kohl’s Cash experience directly to shoppers in six cities throughout the month. The experience will include Kohl’s Cash giveaways, photo opportunities, exclusive branded merchandise and more, plus exclusive event perks for Kohl’s Rewards members. 

In addition, Kohl’s will offer customers the chance to earn Kohl’s Cash on qualifying purchases through the end of September and at special savings events.

Beyond rewarding shoppers, Kohl’s is also celebrating by giving back. As part of the company's ongoing support of communities, the retailer will surprise select Boys & Girls Clubs across the country with Kohl’s Cash celebration shopping sprees throughout September. The local Clubs will receive a $2,000 donation that will help Club kids shop for needed items for the year ahead.

eBay is hosting a pop-up shop in New York City and live shopping events to celebrate 30 years in business.

The online retail giant, which launched in San Jose, Calif. in 1995, is marking its 30th anniversary milestone with an immersive retail experience called the "'95 Shop" that eBay says is a tribute to the "iconic trends and items" from its founding year.

The pop-up features a "Greatest Hits" auction across eBay’s fashion, collectibles, and motors categories, a series of livestream shopping events on its eBay Live platform from leading sellers, as well as additional immersive experiences. Located at 45 Grand St. in New York City, the shop will open on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025 for one day only.

[READ MORE: eBay to observe 'Pokemon Day' with special auction]

"eBay's 30th anniversary is an important milestone we share with our global community of buyers and sellers, who've been with us every step of the way," said Jamie Iannone, CEO at eBay. "Looking ahead, we'll continue to leverage innovation and AI to make eBay simpler and more trusted, while building a stronger marketplace for the decades to come."

eBay CEO Jamie Iannone and company executives also rang the opening bell at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York on Wednesday, Sep. 3. 

According to eBay, it has enabled more than 10 million sellers to generate well over 200 million listings with AI tools. Internally, eBay leverages a variety of AI-powered services to help streamline workflows and increase data visibility.

Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay enabled $75 billion of gross merchandise volume in 2024.

Etsy continues equipping sellers on its platform with artificial intelligence features.

The online retailer is introducing two new optional AI tools designed to help sellers manage their shop and connect with shoppers at scale while maintaining personalization. 

[READ MORE: Etsy provides AI-enhanced curated product collections]

Bulk edit

If an Etsy seller has eligible listings in English that AI determines could benefit from an update, they will see the bulk edit tool in their search visibility dashboard. This solution reviews existing titles, tags, attributes, descriptions, first photos, and reviews to recommend titles that can build buyer confidence when browsing and deciding what to buy. 

Sellers can update one or many listings at once, accepting suggestions or customizing them with real-time feedback to guide edits.

Writing assistant 

This tool uses relevant information from a seller’s shop, like item descriptions and similar messages they have sent in the past, to craft responses to customers in their voice. Sellers can edit, personalize, or start responses from scratch.

The writing assistant is available to select English-speaking U.S. Etsy sellers, but the company plans on rolling it out to more sellers over time.

Behind-the-scenes tools

Etsy also uses AI tools behind the scenes that work within its search, recommendations, and shopping features:

• Search & image matching: AI-based tools help match items to the right buyers through image-based searches and enhanced ranking.
• Review feature tags: Shoppers can now see quick, AI-powered highlights from seller reviews. These highlights surface popular themes and sentiments from real reviews, like “Fast shipping,” “Gift-worthy” or “Very well made.”
• Estimated delivery dates: Etsy uses shipping history and carrier data, such as recent transit times, to calculate estimated, AI-based delivery dates.