Hospitality

New York -- Simons, Canada’s eclectic and fashion-forward department store retailer, received top honors in Chain Store Age’s 31st annual Retail Store of the Year design competition. The company’s 118,000-sq.-ft. store in West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton, Canada, was named Store of the Year. Designed by figure3, Toronto, Simons also was the winning entry in the department store category.

Salt Lake City -- The world’s highest-resolution LED screen is on display in Las Vegas. The enormous screen, approximately 310 ft. wide by 60 ft. tall and populated with close to 11 million pixels, is the feature attraction of the Harmon Corner Retail Center, on the northeast corner of the Las Vegas Boulevard. The three-level center is anchored by Walgreens.

Encino, Calif. -- Yogurt chain Menchie’s said Friday it has launched a new mobile app, Yumm Finder, for iPhones, featuring location finder capabilities and featured promotions.

Menchie's partnered with RAZUR, based in Atlanta, to develop and release the app.

Dallas -- Corner Bakery Cafe announced plans to open 16 restaurants in six counties in the greater New York City area as part of a recent multi-unit agreement with CBCWSNY. The group of restaurant operators plans to open its first restaurant in 2013 and the remaining sites over the next six years.

Corner Bakery Cafe opened 20 new cafes and signed another 125 cafes in 2012, raising the total to 147 open cafes and 288 cafes under development, as the company moves forward on its goal to double its U.S. footprint by the end of 2015.

Oak Brook, Ill. -- McDonald's Corp. reported Friday that global same-store sales decreased 1.9% in January, hurt by weakened performance outside the U.S.

By segment, comps in the U.S. rose 0.9%, but decreased 2.1% in Europe and dropped 9.5% in the Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa.
 
Systemwide sales for the month increased 0.3%, or 0.7% in constant currencies.

New York -- Tata Starbucks Limited, the 50/50 joint venture between Starbucks Coffee Company and India’s Tata Global Beverages Limited, opened Starbucks’ first location in New Delhi. The store is designed to celebrate the heritage and history of the city.

New York -- Winick Realty Group said Tuesday it has been appointed the exclusive broker for Desi Shack, a fast-casual South Asian restaurant concept with one current location in Midtown East.

Desi Shack plans to open two more locations within the next 12 months, seeking sites measuring 600 sq. ft. to 1,500 sq. ft. in the Financial District, Midtown East, Midtown West, Flatiron, Union Square, the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Toronto -- Mood Media announced that it is consolidating its portfolio companies — Muzak, DMX and Mood Media — into a single global brand under the Mood banner. Mood acquired Muzak, which was founded in 1934, in 2011.  

“It’s the end of an iconic American brand,” said Lorne Abony, chairman and CEO Mood Media, in a New York Times report.