Hospitality

Aliso Viejo, Calif. – Johnny Rockets has opened its second restaurant in Galerias Merida, Mexico. The 1,798-sq.-ft. location is situated in an upscale two-story shopping mall.

Galerias Merida is the fourth Johnny Rockets location for Johnny Rockets Guadalajara Group, who also operate three franchises in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Two additional Johnny Rockets locations are scheduled to open in Mexico later this year, one in Chihuahua and another in Mexico City.  

When the winning team cuts down the net after Monday night at the NCAA Men’s Championship game they will do so from atop a customer built nine foot Werner brand step ladder.

New York -- Modell’s Sporting Goods will open a store in midtown Manhattan, near Madison Square Garden, on April 4.

The store is the retailer’s 156th location.

New York -- Urban Outfitters will unveil a new concept, Space Ninety 8, on April 4, in the hip Willliamsburg section of Brooklyn, N.Y.

The five-level space is located in a renovated warehouse and has an industrial look, complete with exposed ceilings and brick walls. The basement will house a rotating series of pop-ups, while the first floor will showcase independent designers and vendors, according to the Village Voice. The first floor will also be home to a vintage shop, called Urban Renewal.

New York — Pita Grill has signed a 12-year lease for 2,700-sq. ft. in Greenwich Village at 496 LaGuardia Place between West Houston and Bleecker Streets. The space includes 1,350 sq. ft. on the ground floor and 1,350 sq. ft. on the lower level. The quick-service restaurant will be the chain’s ninth location since if first opened a few blocks away at West 4th Street in 1994.

New York — Pita Grill has signed a 12-year lease for 2,700-sq. ft. in Greenwich Village at 496 LaGuardia Place between West Houston and Bleecker Streets. The space includes 1,350 sq. ft. on the ground floor and 1,350 sq. ft. on the lower level. The quick-service restaurant will be the chain’s ninth location since if first opened a few blocks away at West 4th Street in 1994.

Houston — Fuddruckers has opened its first restaurant in Europe — in Varese, Italy near Milan. The fast casual restaurant is the first of 10 planned by a new franchise partner, Vinum et Alia. Future sites being considered are in Italy, Poland and Switzerland.

The design of the 5,000-sq.-ft., 120-seat restaurant references Fuddruckers’ classic roadhouse origins.

Canton, Mass. --  Baskin-Robbins is launching a new online cake ordering system for customers nationwide, Online shoppers can browse through Baskin-Robbins' gallery of ice cream cakes and can create their own customizable cake by choosing their favorite ice cream and cake flavor combination.