Restaurant

Houston, Texas — Baker Katz has acquired four retail properties throughout the greater Houston area — in the neighboring cities of Port Arthur, Lake Jackson, Beaumont and Tomball.

The Port Arthur property is a 90,000-sq.-ft., single-tenant building purchased from the Sutherland Lumber Co. for an undisclosed amount. Baker Katz plans to renovate the building and convert it to a multi-tenant space. Hobby Lobby has signed a 58,000-sq.-ft. lease, and Party City has signed a lease for 13,000 sq. ft.

Waban, Mass. – Grocery chain H.E.B. tied with the banking business of financial services provider USAA for the top spot in consumer forgiveness. Based on a study of 10,000 U.S consumers, the two companies both came in first in the 2014 Temkin Forgiveness Ratings, which rates 268 companies across 19 industries.

Ann Arbor, Mich. - Domino's Pizza is releasing its ordering app for iPad. Domino's new app will offer users access to the full national menu, coupon search and location-based store locator, like in its current iPhone, Android, Windows Phone 8 and Kindle Fire ordering apps.

The app will also allow direct access to track an order using Domino's Tracker, the company's digital order tracker, and Pizza Profiles, which allows customers the ability to save information and reorder in as little as five clicks, or about 30 seconds.

New Albany, Ohio - Bob Evans Farms Inc. has appointed Kevin M. Sheehan, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, Kathy S. Lane, former CIO of TJX Companies Inc., and Larry S. McWilliams, co-CEO of Compass Marketing, to its board of directors. E. Gordon Gee, 70, is stepping down from the board effective immediately, following his acceptance in March of the permanent position of president of the West Virginia University.

Lakewood, Colo. – Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, parent company of the Einstein Bros. Bagels, Noah’s New York Bagels and Manhattan Bagel Company brands, has rolled out the cloud-based ServiceNow platform. Einstein retail brands are now automating and managing service relationships across the global enterprise through a single system of record.

By Amanda J. Podlucky, Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin

Space Ninety 8, a new concept from Urban Outfitters, has opened in the uber-hip Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. Big and spacious, the multi-level space is located in a renovated warehouse. It has an industrial look, complete with exposed ceilings and brick wall, with lots of boho-chic accents.  

The basement level houses a pop-up, with Adidas originals serving as the inaugural tenant. The space is colorful, with bold, crazy prints (the work of a local artist) accenting the walls and displays.

Knoxville, Tenn. — Four new retailers have signed leases with University Commons, a new retail center adjacent to the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville, Tenn. The property’s developer, CHM, made the announcement.

The newly signed retailers are Fresh To Order, a fast-fine restaurant concept; Blush Boutique, an affordable-fashion concept; Great Clips, the chain’s twentieth Knoxville-area shop; and Jersey Mike’s, the fast casual submarine sandwich franchise.