Hospitality

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Office Depot has announced the two small business finalists in its annual “Official Small Business of NASCAR, Courtesy of Office Depot” sweepstakes.

Syosset, N.Y. -- Win-Holt Equipment Group said Tuesday that it has acquired Commercial Stainless Fabricators located in Marietta, Ga.

The 60,000-sq.-ft. facility will join Win-Holt’s Custom Stainless Steel Fabrication operation and will be supported by existing national manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania, Texas and California.

Dallas -- Cypress Equities said that Freebirds World Burrito has signed a lease to occupy a portion of a new development in Fort Worth, Texas, adjacent to the company’s West 7th development.

The 2,370-sq.-ft. restaurant will mark the third Freebirds in Fort Worth, with other locations near Hulen Mall and at Alliance Town Center. Freebirds World Burrito is owned by Tavistock Restaurants and has more than 50 locations throughout Texas, California and Oklahoma.
 

On Thursday, Sept. 8, The Shoppes at The Palazzo and The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, in partnership with The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas, will host an only-in-Vegas Fashion’s Night Out event.

Celebrity power couple Giuliana and Bill Rancic will guide guests through the season’s most talked-about fashion tips and trends; the festivities kick-off at 6 p.m. on level two of The Shoppes at The Palazzo near Chloè and Piazza Sempione.

As Hurricane Irene raged up the East Coast over the weekend of Aug. 26-28, Apple -- like many retailers strategically positioned in the storm’s path -- turned out the lights on its New York-area stores, including all three Manhattan locations, New Jersey and Connecticut, to shield itself from Irene’s wrath.

But on the same day it temporarily shuttered its East Coast stores, Apple officially opened locations in North Carolina, Arkansas and, yes, France.

America is on sale for foreign tourists thanks to the weak U.S. dollar, and it has been a boon for retailers who operate stores in key destinations. Nowhere was this phenomenon more evident than last week when Tiffany & Co. reported spectacular second quarter results that were aided by a 41% sales increase at its flagship New York store. That location is frequented by tourists, and so is the Saks flagship New York location, which reported a second quarter comp increase in the neighborhood of 15%.

RIDGELAND, Miss. — Viking Culinary Group announced that it has introduced a new line of branded outdoor grills from celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse.

Products in the Emeril grill line include:

New York City -- Subway is testing a cafe concept with an expanded menu and more sophisticated décor in about 15 locations, the Associated Press said.

The new format includes modern lighting, flat-screen TVs, comfortable chairs, and such menu items as muffins, pastries, espresso beverages and salads.