Foodservice

Houston -- A report released Tuesday by research company NPD Group found that the convenience store sector experienced marked gains last year, as visits increased 4.6% in the fourth quarter and grew an average of 3.7% per month for 2012.

Traffic gains were spread among all type of c-stores, according to NPD’s Convenience Store Monitor, which tracks the consumer purchasing behavior of more than 51,000 convenience store shoppers in the U.S.  

ABILENE, Kan — Alco reported that total sales, excluding fuel, increased 26% to $34.8 million for the fiscal five-week period ended Feb. 3, compared with $27.6 million during the four-week period of the prior year. On a same-store basis, excluding fuel, sales increased 21.4% from a year earlier. 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Fred's Super Dollar on Thursday reported sales for the five-weeks ended Feb. 2 were up 31% to $173.6 million. Comparable-store sales were up 28.6%. 

On an adjusted basis, which eliminates the one week ended Feb. 2, sales were up 2% and same-store sales were flat, Fred's added. 

St. Louis -- Panera Bread Company announced that Roger C. Matthews, Jr., has been appointed Panera's EVP and CFO, effective March 18.

Matthews most recently served as managing director and sector head of the U.S. Restaurant Industry in Goldman Sachs' Investment Banking Division.

Pat Kelly, who has served as Panera's Interim CFO since April 2012, will remain in place until the end of March to ensure a smooth transition.

Dallas -- Real estate investment firm The Cogent Group said Tuesday that it has acquired 15 KFC properties in North Carolina. The properties are leased to a franchisee.
 
The 15 units are located in prime retail corridors in the North Carolina Triad market consisting of Greensboro, Winston Salem, and High Point, with above average unit sales. The properties are subject to long-term triple net leases having an initial term of 20 years, plus renewal options.
 

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.

New York -- Winick Realty Group said that Hale & Hearty has signed a lease for its latest location at 177 Madison Avenue, between East 33rd and East 34th Streets.
 
The tenant will occupy 2,500 sq. ft. on the ground floor and 2,500 sq. ft. in the basement.
 
Hale & Hearty Soups currently has 28 locations throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn and Long Island.

Dallas -- 7-Eleven announced Thursday that it has acquired 143 Speedy Stop and Tigermarket retail locations from C. L. Thomas, of Victoria, Texas.

The acquisition, which closed Dec. 31, increases 7-Eleven stores' footprint in San Antonio, where recently the country's largest convenience retailer purchased 25 stores as part of its acquisition from TETCO. It also adds to 7-Eleven's growing fuel wholesale-delivery business because the acquisition includes gasoline distribution to approximately 150 dealer-operated sites.

Laval, Quebec City -- Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. announced that it has signed, through its wholly owned indirect subsidiary, Mac's Convenience Stores LLC, an agreement to acquire 29 stores, 25 stores are located in Illinois, three in Missouri and one in Oklahoma. The transaction is anticipated to close in December 2012.

All the stores would eventually be rebranded under the Circle K brand. Couche-Tard’s Midwest division would operate 28 of them and the other one would be operated by the Southwest division.

West Des Moines, Iowa -- C-store operator Kum & Go said Friday it has opened a new store in Gillette, Wyoming. The previous store was razed in July 2012 to make room for the all-new Kum & Go store design.

The nearly 5,000-sq.-ft. store introduces many new features both inside and outside the buildings. Inside, customers will find a larger product selection, a center checkout area with customer-focused staff, and an expanded Go Fresh Market.