Hospitality

New York -- Seattle Mayor Ed Murray on Thursday unveiled a plan to increase the city’s minimum wage to $15. Although Murray said the hike has broad support across local government, business and labor communities, the City Council still has to vote on the proposal.
 
Under Murray’s plan, businesses with fewer than 500 employees would have seven years to comply and larger businesses would have three years. Further increases would be tied to inflation.
   

Fast-casual pizza concept, PizzaRev, is positioned for growth

PizzaRev opened a concept test kitchen in Los Angeles in April 2012. Today, it has nine company-owned restaurants with 19 more company and franchised stores on the way.

Miracle Mile Shops’ new general manager Jerry Irwin talks strategy

Jerry Irwin signed on as general manager of Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in September 2013. He oversees all center operations, including design, development, management, construction and strategic direction.

Miracle Mile Shops spans 475,000 sq. ft. and boasts 170 stores. Recently, CSA asked Irwin about his plans for the center.

How do you conceive of your role at Miracle Mile Shops?

Lighting plays a critical role in retail, and is rapidly evolving to meet changing regulations and customer needs. Dr. Laura Prestwood Thompson, director of the TCU Center for Lighting Education, Texas Christian University, discussed how stores and restaurants in 2025 will light their interiors and looked at the technologies and trends that will impact retail lighting during the SPECS workshop session, “Lighting 2025.”

“The quality of light is key,” Thompson said. “You create an aesthetic for your brand that impacts the customer experience.”

Mixed-use project Celebration Pointe is set to move forward

For Gainesville, Fla.-area residents, these are exciting times. Celebration Pointe, one of the more distinctive mixed-use projects in the state of Florida, is about to hit a significant milestone: The initial phase of the ambitious, $170 million development broke ground in April with site preparation and significant public infrastructure upgrades.

All eyes were on Texas as Chain Store Age’s SPECS conference celebrated its 50th annual show with an opening keynote by President George W. Bush. The 43rd president of the United States, who participated in a discussion moderated by Walgreens president and CEO Gregory Wasson, was given a standing ovation by attendees.

Sydney, Australia - Quick Service Restaurant Holdings (QSRH) has selected Micros Simphony for its three Australian brands, Red Rooster, Oporto, and Chicken Treat. The cloud-based Micros Simphony Enterprise solution, to be self-hosted and systematically implemented across 550-plus stores, will include point of sale, labor and the Micros Kitchen Display System (KDS).

An effort to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 failed on Wednesday, as the issue was not able to clear a procedural vote in the Senate. Senators predominantly voted across party lines, which places Democratic senators in favor and Republican senators opposed.

According to published reports, while the defeat was expected it is serving as a rallying cry for Democrats preparing their next campaign.