Large Chains

Dallas - Between now and June 30, 7-Eleven Inc. will waive the franchise fee on a select number of its U.S. stores available for franchise, a savings of up to $80,000. The more than 200 available stores are located in cities across the country.

During the last four years 7-Eleven has grown its store base by more than 1,300 units. Now that a 7-Eleven customer base has been established at these locations, the company is looking to transition these stores to franchise operations.

Bellevue, Wash. -- Whole Foods Market announced its plans for continued expansion in Western Canada with three new locations: Greater Victoria, British Columbia; Edmonton, Alberta; and Calgary, Alberta.

Oklahoma City -- Sonic Drive-In announced two new agreements for franchise development in Rhode Island, the 45th state for the expanding brand. A mainstay in the South and Central Plains, the chain is aggressively expanding in the Northeast.

The first new Sonic franchisee for Rhode Island will bring the state its first location in the Providence, Rhode Island, market in mid-2015, with plans for more down the line.

Washington, D.C. -- The JCR Companies has acquired Manokeek Village Shopping Center in Accokeek, Maryland, just 10 minutes from the Washington, D.C. Beltway, for $22 million. The seller was Klaff Realty.

The 90,172-sq.-ft. grocery-anchored shopping center is located at the intersection of Manny and Berry Roads in Prince George’s County.

Anchored by Giant Food, Manokeek Village is more than 90% leased to a lineup of retailers including Starbucks, Wendy’s Advance Auto, SunTrust Bank, and 7-Eleven.

Canton, Mass. - Dunkin' Donuts is recruiting franchisees to develop an estimated 10 new Dunkin' Donuts restaurants throughout Birmingham, Alabama, and the surrounding areas. In addition, a number of existing operating restaurants may be available for purchase.

Currently there are 21 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants operating in Alabama.

Ann Arbor, Mich. - RPM Pizza LLC, the largest U.S. Domino's franchise, is getting a little bigger. RPM has acquired 45 Domino's stores throughout Indiana. RPM Pizza, headquartered in Gulfport, Mississippi, will purchase 45 stores in Indiana in the biggest franchise-to-franchise purchase in Domino's history.

The acquisition includes nearly 40 stores in the Indianapolis metro area, and stores serving South Bend and Lafayette. Once completed, the acquisition will give RPM Pizza operations in seven states, employing more than 3,800 workers.

Boise, Idaho - Albertsons LLC and Safeway Inc. have completed their proposed merger, ending a nearly year-long process that began in March 2014. AB Acquisition LLC, the owner of Albertson's and New Albertson's, Inc., will acquire all outstanding shares of Safeway.

The merger will create a diversified network that includes 2,230 stores, 27 distribution facilities and 19 manufacturing plants with more than 250,000 employees across 34 states and the District of Columbia.

The Kroger Co. is getting more accolades from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this time for its efforts to reduce food waste.  

Cary, N.C. – The Pantry Inc. is heading into its pending merger with Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. in a profitable state. During the first quarter of fiscal 2015, The Pantry reported net income of $18.9 million, compared to a net loss of $5.1 million in the same quarter a year earlier.

Matthews, N.C. – Howard Levine, CEO of Family Dollar Stores Inc., reportedly plans to sell between one and two million shares of company stock in the next 10 days. According to the Charlotte Business Journal, Levine filed his intention to make the sale with SEC.