Hospitality

Atlanta -- Columbia, S.C.-based Edens & Avant announced that Ulta, along with additional retailers and restaurants, will open at its Merchant’s Walk open-air center in the East Cobb area of Atlanta.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Tuesday by the National Restaurant Association said that restaurant industry sales are expected to reach a record $604 billion and post positive growth in 2011 after a three-year period of negative real sales growth.

The Association’s 2011  Restaurant Industry Forecast projects an industry sales increase of 3.6% over 2010 sales, which equals 1.1% in real (inflation-adjusted) terms.

Orlando, Fla. -- Red Lobster announced a plan to remodel all of its nearly 700 restaurants across the United States and Canada to a design inspired by the seafaring village of Bar Harbor, Maine. Thirty-three percent of the chain’s restaurants will be remodeled by June 2011, with the goal of all Red Lobster restaurants receiving a remodel by 2014. 

Corpus Christi, Texas -- La Palmera shopping center, located in Corpus Christi, Texas, said it has launched a new smart phone application designed for all smart phone platforms, including Android, Blackberry and iPhone.

The new app, in development since September 2010, officially launched with a La Palmera Facebook posting to its 6,600 fans.

Dallas -- X Team International, an international alliance of retail real estate advisors, said Tuesday that Venture Commercial, through its Venturetainment division, assisted with site-selection efforts and completed two leases for global visitor attraction operator Merlin Entertainments Group to bring two of its iconic attraction brands to the Texas market for the first time.

Richardson, Texas -- Wingstop is expanding throughout the Baltimore-Washington corridor. The company, which has experienced more than seven years of same store sales increases, recently signed a development agreement to open 20 stores in the area over the next several years.

Business partners Rahim Kurji and Bidjaan Kassam have signed a 20-store development agreement and expect to open four locations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., this year.

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin' Donuts has signed agreements with four franchisees to develop 16 restaurants in Tampa, Orlando and Tallahassee over the next several years.

Dunkin' Donuts development throughout Florida is part of a steady and strategic growth strategy, which includes expanding in existing markets while entering new cities across the country.

Voorhees, N.J. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT) said that Coffee Works Cafe has opened its second location on Town Center Boulevard of its Voorhees Town Center property.

More is on the horizon for Voorhees Town Center, as the municipal offices of Voorhees, N.J., will relocate to the second level of the mall in spring 2011. Also in 2011, first-to-market Firecreek Restaurant + Bar and Doghouse Gourmet Burgers are slated to join Voorhees Town Center’s Town Center Boulevard.