Hospitality

New York -- Chainstoreage.com has launched a new case study series examining the ins and outs of building a chain. Fast-casual brand Pizza Rev – with two units and counting – will chronicle the challenges and opportunities encountered as they grow the California-based chain nationwide.

Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. -- Mid-America Asset Management Inc. said it has signed eight restaurant leases Greater Chicagoland shopping centers that the company represents. The leases total more than 42,000 sq. ft.

For Dempster Plaza in Niles, Ill., Mid-America leased 9,600 sq. ft. to Asia restaurant Niles Buffet, which will open in a former Old Country Buffet space in March 2013. The 180,000-sq.-ft. center is anchored by Home Depot, Portillo's and Jewel/Osco.

Chicago -- Survey results released Tuesday by Technomic found that restaurant goers are increasingly open to trying new technologies in the dining environment.

According to the survey, a majority of consumers expect to use technology to order food at restaurants more often in the coming year, and very few (just 3%) expect to use it less than they currently do.

Consumers expressed the most interest in tableside touchscreen devices that enable them to self-order and pay, iPad/tablet menus and digital rewards tied to loyalty programs.  

Commerce, Mich. -- Health and wellness retailer LaVida Massage said Tuesday it will have opened at least 13 new franchised units before the end of 2012. Another eight are slated to open in early 2013.

LaVida currently operates 45 centers nationwide. 

Our rapid expansion continues to yield strong results for LaVida, despite a struggling economy,” said Evan Kaltschmidt, COO.

The new centers are located in California, Georgia, Illinois (2), Michigan (3), New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.

Dallas -- Davaco, a provider of high-volume programs and implementation services for global brands, is relocating its Canadian office to a new space in Woodbridge, Ontario, effective Nov. 1.

The company’s new office is located at 525 Rowntree Dairy Road, Unit 1, Woodbridge, Ontario, L4L 7K6.

Long Beach, Calif. -- Epson America, a supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) solutions, announced that Groupon has selected Epson receipt printers for its recently launched Breadcrumb POS system, an easy-to-use, powerful and affordable solution that runs on iPads for restaurants, bars and cafes. Epson’s most popular food service receipt printers, both the TM-U220 and the TM-T88V, will be available to businesses that order Breadcrumb.
 

Hollywood, Calif. – Four new tenants have opened at Hollywood & Highland Center – the retail, dining and entertainment venue located on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Mr. Koji’s, GNC, Sweet! Hollywood candy store and Kitson fashion boutique have all recently opened and will be joined by another group of impending openings.

Chilli Beans, a Brazilian sunglasses retailer, is slated to open on Oct. 31; L'Occitane will open on Nov. 1; Zinzi jewelry will open Dec. 1; and Cho Oishi will open its Japanese restaurant in Feb. 2013.