Hospitality

New York -- RKF said Tuesday it has completed the leasing assignment at the base of The Mark Hotel at 992-998 Madison Avenue on behalf of ownership Alexico Group.

All of the hotel’s ground-floor retail space, which is located on Madison Avenue and 77th Street, is now leased.

RKF was responsible for leases with Zadig et Voltaire, Jack Vartanian, Punto Ottico, Phoenix Roze and, more recently, 25 Park. These tenants joined Frederic Fekkai Salon, The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges, John Lobb and Sant Ambroeus at the property.

Columbus, Ohio – Bob Evans Farms said Tuesday it will divest its Mimi’s Café restaurant chain, selling it to LeDuff America – owner of Bruegger’s Bagels – for $50 million.

LeDuff America, a subsidiary of French bakery conglomerate Groupe LeDuff SA, will add the 145 Mimi’s units to its current portfolio of café-bakeries and coffee shops, including La Madeleine Country French Cafe, Brioche Doree, Bruegger's Bagels, Timothy's Coffee and Michel's Baguette.

LOS ANGELES — Consumers expect to spend slightly more on Valentine's Day merchandise this year than last year, according to a report by market research firm IBISWorld.

The report forecasts spending of $134.08 per person, compared with last year's $133.99. Total revenue for the holiday is expected to grow by 3.2%, to $20.8 billion, despite incomes and consumer sentiments remaining below what they were before the recession.

New York -- Starbucks Corp. is expanding its drive-thru format, the chain said in its first-quarter earnings call. According to company officials, more than half of the approximate 1,500 new locations it plans to open in the United States during the next five years will be drive-thrus.

Starbucks plans to remodel about 1,400 U.S. locations in 2013. Roughly 500 of those locations will receive a major overhaul.

Carson, Calif. -- A Friday report by the Associated Press said that the home of Los Angeles’ professional soccer team will likely be getting a new name.

The Home Depot Center, which also includes facilities for tennis, track and field, baseball, basketball and other sports, as well as serves as an official training site for U.S. Olympians, is nearing the end of the $70 million, 10-year naming rights period, and Home Depot spokeswoman Jean Niemi told AP that the retailer does not plan to renew the deal.

Purchase, N.Y. -- National Realty & Development Corp. said Tuesday that Lane Bryant will open two new locations within its portfolio, Hadley Center in South Plainfield, N.J., and Northampton Crossings in Easton, Pa.

The plus-size retailer will open a 5,000-sq.-ft. store in each location. Both are slated to open in the spring.

Hadley Center is a 542,000-sq.-ft. power center anchored by Target, Kohl’s Department Store, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Regal Cinemas and Marshalls Megastore.

Seattle -- Starbucks Corp. said its profit rose in its first quarter as customers spent more at its stores in the United States and Asia.

Starbucks earned $432.2 million in the quarter ended December 30, 2012, compared with $382.1 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue rose 11% to $3.8 billion, slightly below expectations.

The company reported that global same-store sales rose 6%. In Europe, the metric fell 1%. Americas’ comparable store sales grew 7%. Same-store sales in the China/Asia Pacific region grew 11%.

New York -- Winick Realty Group said Tuesday that art gallery Garis & Hahn has leased its first location at 263 Bowery, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

The storefront, located between Stanton and East Houston Streets, consists of 1,789 sq. ft. on the ground floor and 633 sq. ft. in the lower level.