Hospitality

Indianapolis – Simon is expanding the Sawgrass Mills value, outlet and entertainment center in Sunrise, Florida by adding a full-price component, Town Center at Sawgrass. Town Center at Sawgrass will be accessible from both Flamingo and Sunrise boulevards and will be flanked by four new sit-down restaurants and a new parking deck able to accommodate 2,000 vehicles.

New York – Fast-casual sandwich chain Which Wich is partnering with Olo, a provider of online and mobile ordering solutions for the restaurant industry, to debut a new mobile app and digital ordering program.

Cincinnati -- Consumers take online reviews seriously — particularly when it comes to reviews about the cleanliness of a business, according to a new Harris Poll conducted by Cintas Corp. The survey revealed that 85% of respondents would not patronize businesses with negative online reviews about the cleanliness of its facilities. Restaurants (75%) ranked at the top of the list of businesses where cleanliness most greatly impacted buying habits.

Orlando, Fla. – “Breaking bread” is the tradition of mixing socialization with eating, and Olive Garden is taking the concept to a new, virtual level. To promote its new breadstick sandwiches, Olive Garden is launching the “Breadsticks Nation” sweepstakes, powered by social engagement technology from HelloWorld.

Torrance, Calif. -- Sanrio, the global lifestyle brand best known for pop icon Hello Kitty, and Universal Parks & Resorts have announced their partnership to develop Hello Kitty interactive retail experience shops scheduled to open later this year at Universal Orlando Resort and in the future at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Dallas -- 7-Eleven’s first-ever U.S. airport terminal location has opened at Los Angeles' International Airport. The 950-sq.-ft. store is in the pre-security arrivals level of the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

The store carries a mix of fresh and hot foods, beverages, snacks, travel-size personal care products and nonfood items.

Gloucester City, N.J. — The board of directors of Nest announced that Robert Almond, Jr. will take over as CEO of Nest, a 20-year-old multi-facility business advisor specializing in consulting, technology and financial solutions.

Gainesville, Fla. - The developer of Celebration Pointe, a 225-acre mixed-used regional development located in Gainesville, Florida, has secured a $125 million construction loan for Phase I of the project.  Celebration Pointe partner Ralph Conti made the announcement.

“We are very pleased to have secured this key piece of our capital stack,” said Celebration Pointe partner Ralph Conti.