Restaurant

New York -- Caribou Coffee will close some 80 stores nationwide and turn 88 other locations into Peet's over the next 12 to 18 months, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Caribou, which is based in Minneapolis, went private this year in a $340 million deal with German investment firm Joh. A. Benckiser Group (JAB), which also owns Peet’s.  

Scottsdale, Ariz. -- JDA Software Group announced that Bob Evans Farms will deploy a JDA workforce management solution (formerly RedPrairie WFM) in approximately 565 Bob Evans restaurants.

Bob Evans selected JDA to help improve forecasting and scheduling of labor, drive proper placement of staff throughout the course of the day and provide exceptional service to every customer.

NEW YORK — Century 21 Department Store is expanding its popular downtown Manhattan flagship store.

The new store, which will be unveiled on April 9, will featue three new selling floors to accomodate its expanded merchandise assortment. The store will now total six floors and more than 2250,000 square feet.

Asian fusion restaurant Ling & Louie's Kitchen is coming to Minneapolis and it will be located across the street from Target’s headquarters on Nicollet Mall.

Normally, a restaurant opening in Minneapolis wouldn’t qualify as retail industry news. However, an exception can be made when the location is across the street from Target’s bustling downtown headquarters where it is likely to become the new hot spot for employees at Target as well as supplier companies who populate nearby buildings.

Tucson, Ariz. -- Commercial Retail Advisors said Tuesday that Dominick's Real Italian is opening a restaurant at Cortaro Plaza, located in northwest Tucson.

The 1,600-sq.-ft. Italian pizza and pasta place is slated to open June 1.
 

Tampa, Fla. -- RMC Property Group said Wednesday it has named Jannie DelRio as a leasing executive, specializing in tenant representation.

DelRio previously worked with a Tampa-based brokerage firm representing tenants such as Great Clips for Hair, Smoothie King, It’s a Grind Coffee House, Dunkin Brands, Quizno’s, Stride Ride and Papa John’s Pizza.

At RMC, DelRio's tenant representation assignments in Southwest Florida include Bull Chicks, a Texas-based fast casual concept, and Firehouse Subs.

Huntington Beach, Calif. -- BJ's Restaurants said Wednesday it has opened a new restaurant in Puyallup, Wash.

The 8,500-sq.-ft. BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse opened Monday  at South Hill Mall, a 1 million-sq.-ft. Cafaro Co. property.

"We are very excited to open our first restaurant of fiscal 2013 in Puyallup, a suburb of the Seattle market," said Greg Trojan, BJ’s president and CEO.

New York -- Store development and facilities professionals from some of the nation’s biggest retail and restaurant chains gathered in Dallas, Texas, to attend Chain Store Age’s 49th annual SPECS Conference, March 17-20, at the Hilton Anatole Hotel.