Restaurant

Houston -- Baker Katz announced the sale of a 2.12-acre property with an existing 13,000 sq. ft. office building located in Houston, near the cross streets of U.S. Highway 59 N and West Little York Road.

Baker Katz principal Kenneth Katz made the announcement.

Executives from retail and restaurant chains grabbed some of the top spots in an annual ranking of the nation’s top CEOs.

Rite Aid chairman and CEO John Standley was rated the number one executive on ExecRank’s 2015 Top Mid Cap CEOs list. Taking the number two spot: Sally J. Smith, CEO and president of Buffalo Wild Wings. Gary Friedman, chairman and CEO of Restoration Hardware Holdings, took the third spot.

Fresh, real and hot (as in spicy) are among the top trends food retailers can look to capitalize on in the new year, according to one of the nation’s foremost food authorit

The retail comeback of the New York City borough of Staten Island continues.

BFC Partners, which is developing Staten Island’s 340,000-sq.-ft. Empire Oulets center, announced it will develop an artisanal food market showcasing the best local and international purveyors for the center.

BFC is partnering with the creative team behind Gansevoort Market on the project.

Seattle -- Madison Marquette announced that Din Tai Fung will open at Pacific Place located in downtown Seattle, in the summer of 2016. With only six U.S. restaurants, Din Tai Fung will be located in a 9,216 sq. ft. space on level four of the shopping center.

Din Tai Fung currently operates more than 100 locations worldwide with branches in Japan, the United States, South Korea, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand and most recently in Dubai.

Don’t be left out in the cold. The Retail Design Institute is accepting entries for its annual store design competition. The deadline to submit is December 31, 2016.

The competition celebrates exceptional retail experiences across more than 20 categories from department stores and specialty shops to restaurants and pop-ups. In addition, a single "Store of the Year" will be chosen from among the winning entries.

If there was a single theme at the recently concluded ICSC Deal Making Conference in New York City, it was “possibilities.” New projects, new ideas, new trends and a sense of optimism were on display.

Jordan’s Furniture has opened a massive store in New Haven, Connecticut, and this time the retailer is putting customers on the ropes — literally.

Jordan’s, known for its larger-than-life stores that combine retail with entertainment, pulled out all the stops for the 192,500-sq.-ft. location. Some 20,000 sq. ft. of the space is devoted to entertainment attractions that include an elaborate indoor rope course, a water show complete with light and sound effects, a pizzeria and ice cream counter.