Hospitality

New York -- Xcel Brands Inc., a brand management and development company, has appointed a veteran marketing executive of Target to the Xcel board of directors.

Francis is currently the chief global brand officer for DreamWorks Animation SKG. Prior to joining DreamWorks he was the founder and CEO of Farview Associates, a brand development agency focused on the creation of new brands and the support of established global brands.

Wayne, N.J. -- Toys "R" Us on Tuesday named David A. Brandon, 63, the former chief executive of Domino’s Pizza, as its new chairman and CEO, effective July 1, 2015. He will succeed company veteran Antonio Urcelay, who was named CEO in November 2013, who is retiring from the retailer.

The architect of the reinvention of Domino's Pizza will become the next CEO of Toys"R"Us in July.

David A. Brandon will succeed Antonio Urcelay, as he is retiring from the company.

Brandon, 63, has deep experience in growing businesses, developing talent and building high-performance cultures that enable organizations to create and capture value.

Kohl’s is backing up its commitment to families by sponsoring a museum promotion called Thank You Thursday in Milwaukee.

The retailer will be offering free general admission to the Museum Public Museum on the first Thursday of every month. Kohl’s Thank You Thursday marks the first time ever free general admission has been regularly provided to the public and will kick off on June 4.

Des Moines, Iowa - Two leases have been signed for ground-floor retail space at The Foundry in Ames, Iowa, including Starbucks. Committed tenants for the luxury student housing complex near Iowa State University also include Barefoot Campus Outfitter.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- CBL & Associates Properties announced the opening of the redevelopment at CoolSprings Galleria in Nashville (Franklin), Tenn. Designed to significantly enhance the offerings at the shopping center, the redevelopment of the former Sears location includes adding a mix of new fashion stores and fine dining options as well as a new mall entrance to improve mall circulation.

Atlanta -- Arby’s Restaurant Group, franchisor of the Arby’s brand, announced that it has reached an 11%  total energy reduction per company-owned restaurant since 2011, paving the way to a goal of 15% energy reduction by the end of 2015. This follows a 2014 reported reduction of 3.3% in average year-over-year energy consumption per company-owned restaurant.