Fast Casual Restaurant

Restaurant giant in $1.8 billion acquisition
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is about to get a new owner. Restaurant Brands International Inc., owner of Burger King and Tim Hortons, announced it would acquire Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen for $1.8 billion in cash.
Restaurants at retail: What’s the recipe for success?
Restaurants are the current darlings of the shopping center developers. It was reported last year that Americans spent more money at bars and restaurants (a total of nearly $55 billion) than they did on groceries. In case you were wondering how big a deal that is, consider this: It was the first time in recorded history that that was the case. But that’s not the only reason that shopping center owners are mad for restaurants. They are also hubs of social activity that contribute to that all-important and often elusive experiential energy.

Richmond-area center to be sold at auction

The Shops at Stonehenge in Chesterfield County, Virginia, south of Richmond, will be sold in a foreclosure auction this week, according to a report in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
2017 Breakout Retailer Award Winners Announced

Chain Store Age is proud to announce the 2017 Breakout Retailer Award winners. In its second year, the award honors emerging retail/restaurant concepts that are innovative in their segment and show strong potential for growth.
Quick-service chain sees big expansion push

The Wendy’s Co. is bullish on expansion. The chain wants to add approximately 1,000 locations by 2020, reported Nation’s Restaurant News.
PizzaRev expansion continues in Tennessee

PizzaRev, a build-your-own fast-casual pizza concept, began its expansion into Tennessee this week with the opening of a Memphis location. The grand opening at 6450 Poplar Avenue was celebrated with an all-day fundraiser for Le Bonheur Children’s Research Hospital. Two additional locations are under construction in Memphis, and another is underway in Nashville. PizzaRev currently franchises and operates 47 stores and has more than 200 others under development in 17 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico.
These retail brands are tops in brand engagement

Soaring customer expectations are creating an increasingly challenging environment for brands seeking engagement. That’s according to the 22nd annual Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, which recognizes the brands that receive the highest loyalty and engagement assessments and surpass competitors for "delighting" customers.
New center set to rise in Richmond

A site near the entrance to Innsbrook Office Park in Glen Allen, Virginia, north of Richmond, has been slated as the home of Dominion Shoppes at Innsbrook, a project of Dominion GA, LLC. In a deal brokered by Cushman & Wakefield/Thalhimer, Dominion acquired the 2.4-acre tract from Doswell Properties for $2.9 million. The planned center is 100% pre-leased to tenants including Starbucks, Blaze Pizza, American Family Care, and Noodles & Company.
Expanding North

DLC Management Corp.’s grocery-anchored shopping centers can be found in places such as Dallas; Milwaukee; Columbus, Ohio; and Birmingham, Ala.; but the company has a special stake in the Northeast. In October, DLC closed the biggest deal in its history, acquiring a passel of 16 centers, all but one of them in New York state. Chain Store Age Real Estate Editor Al Urbanski talked with DLC CEO Adam Ifshin and asked him what retailers need to know about the Northeast market.
Fazoli’s Tackles Overtime Head On

With some 2,975 team members in its 123 company-owned restaurants and support center, Fazoli’s, the nation’s largest fast-casual Italian restaurant chain, estimates 210 employees are directly impacted by the Department of Labor’s new overtime rules. CSA spoke with company president and CEO Carl Howard about the chain’s strategy regarding the regulations, which take effect on Dec. 1.
How do you think the new overtime rule will impact your workplace?
New Orleans Saints champion, partner, to expand Dunkin’ Donuts in Louisiana

A new partnership plans to open dozens of Dunkin’ Donuts locations in Louisiana. The company announced that New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees, in partnership with existing franchisee Vik Patel, has signed an agreement to develop up to 69 new Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Monroe and Alexandria, Louisiana over the coming years. Brees is a New Orleans Saints Super Bowl champion and MVP and former New York Giants offensive lineman.
Shake Shack app goes national

The ordering app that Shake Shack has been testing in key urban markets like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles is now rolling out nationally. Users pick their food items and extras on the app, pre-pay, designate a pick-up time from a selection of 15-minute increments, then retrieve their orders at a pick-up window. A list of past transactions allows them to re-order favorites.