Hospitality

Winston-Salem, N.C. -- Krispy Kreme has signed a development agreement with Dulce Restaurants, LLC, to develop 10 new Krispy Kreme shops in Houston over the next five years.

Dulce Restaurants, LLC, a subsidiary of Dallas-based Sun Holdings, LLC, currently operates three Krispy Kreme locations in Dallas, and has plans to open an additional 15 Dallas shops through 2018.

New York - Companies seeking to get closer to their customers simply need to remember and acknowledge their birthdays. A new online survey conducted by analytics and marketing technology provider Fulcrum finds that nearly three-out-of-four (74%) consumers who received birthday messages from a company they do business with thought more positively of the company afterward.

Location: 8801 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, N.Y.

Size: 445,000 sq. ft.

Developer: Forest City Ratner Cos.

Major tenants: Target, Best Buy, Macy’s Furniture, DSW, Skechers, Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster

Status: Opened in 2001

Trademark has invested in two distressed properties, with plans to transform both into top performers

The slow recovery is leading many developers to examine growth alternatives to new development. Consider, for example, Fort Worth, Texas-based Trademark Property Co.’s idea: invest in distressed properties with excellent real estate and redevelop into new and ambitious concepts. Examples include The Shops at Napa Center in Napa, Calif., and Victory Park in Dallas.

Office Depot’s new chairman and CEO Roland Smith enlisted a former colleague from the fast food industry to serve as CFO of the recently combined Office Depot and OfficeMax company.

Retail executives and suppliers meet at annual networking event

Business partnering was the top priority at Chain Store Age’s 11th annual Executive SPECS, held in November at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, Boca Raton, Fla. 

Designed as a high-level networking forum for retailers and suppliers in store planning, design, construction and facilities management, Executive SPECS combines dynamic keynote speakers with face-to-face “information exchange” meetings with suppliers, sponsor presentations and informal discussions.

Location: Moorestown, N.J.

Size: 1,001,000 sq. ft.

Developer: PREIT

Major tenants: Lord & Taylor, Marc Vetri’s Osteria, Jose Garces’ Distrito, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, Regal Premium Experience Theater, Rizzieri Salon & Spa, Francesca’s Collection (in lease negotiations) and a number of best-of-breed regional retailers

Status: Redevelopment to be completed in 2014 

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot, formed by the merger of Office Depot and OfficeMax, announced the appointment of Stephen Hare as executive VP and CFO, effective immediately. Hare replaces co-CFO Mike Newman, who has retired from the company, and interim Co-CFO Deb O’Connor, who has returned to her position as senior VP, finance and co-chief accounting officer.