Hospitality

New York -- Network with peers from leading retail and restaurant companies at SPECS, the industry’s premier store development and facilities event.

Produced by Chain Store Age, the 49th annual SPECS conference will be held March 17-20, at the Hilton Anatole Hotel, Dallas. 

Click here to register. 

Wendy's is rolling out its updated image and new store environment to some 200 locations this year. Features include lounge seating, fireplaces and digital menuboards. The re-imaged restaurants have shown an average 25% increase in sales over the prior year.  Learn more.

Design and rebranding: Tesser, San Francisco

Dallas -- Cypress Equities said Wednesday that Sleep Experts has signed a lease to occupy the remaining portion of the company’s development that currently houses Freebirds World Burrito at the northeast corner of West Seventh Street and Foch Street in Fort Worth, Texas.

The 3,035-sq.-ft. store is expected to open in May and marks the third in Fort Worth.

Boston -- Boston-based The Wilder Cos. announced Wednesday that PetSmart will grand-open its new store on March 9 at Wilder’s Rochester Crossing, N.H., shopping center.

The opening of the 12,000-sq.-ft. store will bring the shopping center to 100% occupancy.

Rochester Crossing, at 304,500 sq. ft., also feature Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft, GameStop, Tropical Smoothie and Buffalo Wild Wings.

When an 180,000-sq.-ft. Walmart Supercenter opens at Hunter Crossroads this fall, it will mark the first major retail opening in the shopping center, which is part of a larger 160-acre planned mixed-use project.

Developed by Hunter Crossroads LP, the center is being leased by Transwestern, based in Dallas.

Construction on the new Walmart is more than halfway completed; expected opening date is September 2013 and the store will feature Walmart’s smaller, more efficient prototype in lieu of its more traditional 220,000-sq.-ft. layout.

Virginia Beach, Va. -- Divaris Real Estate announced Wednesday that six new stores totaling 57,434 sq. ft. will open at the company’s Pembroke Mall property, located in Virginia Beach, Va.

Indianapolis -- Kite Realty Group said that Buffalo Wild Wings will open on a 0.92 acre outparcel at Glendale Town Center, located in Indianapolis.

In other Kite Realty news, Maurices has leased 4,751 sq. ft. at Red Bank Commons, located in Evansville, Ind., and Hair Studio Artists leased 1,241 sq. ft. at Delray Marketplace, in Delray Beach, Fla.  

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin' Brands Group, parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, announced that it has appointed three members of the company's senior management team to the role of president.
 
John Costello has been appointed president, global marketing & innovation, and he will continue to lead all global marketing, product development and channel businesses across both Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins.