News Briefs

Atlanta-based Zaxbys is entering a new state on the East Coast.

The quick-serve chain known for its chicken fingers and wings will soon open its first stores in Maryland. Franchise co-owners Curtis and Teresa Snyder, along with Teresa's father, Thomas Mitchell, have signed a territory agreement to open three locations along Maryland's Eastern Shore. The first Zaxbys in Maryland is slated to open in Cambridge in late 2025, with additional locations in Easton and West Ocean City/Berlin to follow.

"We are thrilled to expand Zaxbys into Maryland with Curtis, Teresa and Thomas leading the charge,” said Mike Mettler, Zaxbys’ chief development officer. “Their commitment to their community and dedication to delivering a high-quality experience for customers perfectly aligns with Zaxbys values. We look forward to seeing them grow the brand on the Eastern Shore."

The first Maryland Zaxbys location will be built near a Walmart in Cambridge, with a modern farmhouse design. Another location is planned near a new hospital development in Easton, and the third will be located in the West Ocean City/Berlin area. In the long term, the family says they aim to expand further into Maryland, with potential plans for future locations in Salisbury.

[READ MORE: Fast-casual restaurants, on-site segments lead industry growth in 2024]

"We've always wanted to bring something special to the Eastern Shore, and Zaxbys is the perfect fit,” said Curtis Snyder. “The quality of the product, combined with the brand's growth strategy, convinced us this was the right move. Maryland residents, along with travelers from Baltimore and D.C. heading to the shore, are going to love it." 

Founded in 1990, Zaxbys operates more than 950 locations in 17 states.

Just Eat Takeaway.com, the global online food delivery platform whose portfolio includes Grubhub, is providing targeted ads to customers at checkout.

Through a Just Eat Takeaway.com partnership with AI- and ML-based personalization technology provider Rokt, Grubhub in the U.S. will enable endemic and non-endemic (brands whose products and services are not sold or delivered via Grubhub) advertisers to offer relevant messages to customers on the order confirmation and order tracking pages of its app and website.

"Rokt is a respected global leader with well over a decade of experience helping brands and marketplaces like ours unlock new revenues and drive customer satisfaction and loyalty," said Rachel Gómez, director of retail media at Just Eat Takeaway.com. "We're excited to leverage Rokt's technology as we expand our retail media program to the checkout page and enable endemic and non-endemic advertising partners to share compelling messages that contribute to our mission to empower everyday convenience for our customers."

Grubhub also recently added several new features to its consumer app, including cross-sell recommendations, priority delivery, live activity tracking, homepage personalization and a digital wallet.

[READ MORE: Grubhub streamlines enterprise communications and operations]

"We're delighted to partner with Just Eat Takeaway.com and provide our growing global network of advertisers with access to the company's portfolio of brands that reaches a massive consumer audience across 19 countries," said Marc Allsop, head of EMEA at Rokt. "Over the past three years, Rokt has experienced exponential growth in the UK and Europe, with the number of transactions we power more than tripling year over year."

Outdoor retailer Orvis is reportedly making cuts to its workforce and store count.

According to a report from local news source VTDigger, the Vermont-based chain has announced plans to lay off 112 employees, close some of its retail stores and discontinue its catalog. The employees affected by the layoffs represent 8% of Orvis’ workforce.

“Orvis is in a period of business evolution that requires us to think differently,” said Orvis president Simon Perkins in an Oct. 4 statement obtained by VTDigger. “Over the course of our nearly 170-year history, the company has experienced similar cycles, but today’s challenges are new, and they require us to be bold in order to continue sharing stories, experiences and products that inspire our customers well into the future.”

[READ MORE: Orvis taps tech partner for inventory management solution]

In his statement, Perkins also said the impacted workers "will receive two months of full pay and benefits, additional severance pay, and assistance with health insurance and job transition services." Read more VTDigger coverage here.

In January, Orvis announced that it was moving its headquarters from Sunderland, Vt., to smaller offices in Manchester, Vt. to support a hybrid work environment.

Founded in 1856, Orvis operates more than 80 retail stores in the United States and 19 stores in the U.K. The chain, known for its mail order catalogs, specializes in men’s and women’s outdoor apparel, as well as fly fishing rods, hunting gear and more.

Five years ago, WS Development was brought in by the Cape Cod Gateway Airport, the Town of Barnstable, and the Cape Cod Commission to execute the transformation of Capetown Plaza into The Landing at Hyannis. 

This week an all-important anchor lands at the 238,000-sq.-ft. center: Whole Foods Market. Other new tenants set to open at the project within the coming year are Nordstrom Rack, Warby Parker, and SkinMD.

Current tenants include Old Navy, Panera Bread, and The Paper Store. 

“This exceptional mix of beloved and new-to-market brands speaks to the evolution of the property and will bring fresh experiences to both residents and visitors.,” said Bryan Furze, senior VP of leasing for WS.

WS’s remake of the property has included significant site improvements, as well: wholesale façade upgrades to the main building; remodeling of interior spaces; new lighting, paving, and landscaping, and the addition of a public green with outdoor seating.

The 42,560-sq.-ft. Whole Foods at The Landing is a relocation of a store that had operated at  another location in Hyannis. The new store will offer grocery delivery to Cape Cod residents along with grocery pickup, and the store will have an Amazon returns counter and kiosk. 

In 2012, Frank Theatres signed a lease with Kingsport Town Center in Kingsport, Tenn for a 12-screen cineplex that would include an IMAX theater. Ground was never broken on the project.

Augusta, Ga.-based Hull Property Group purchased the half million-sq.-ft. property — now known as Fort Henry Mall — from Avison Young after receiving a 10-year tax break from the city of Kingsport to renovate the property. 

Frank Theatres, meanwhile, did not receive the incentive deal it had expected from the municipality, stopped paying rent, and never broke ground on the cineplex.

Hull entered into a lawsuit with Frank Theatres in 2016 over non-payment of rent, which allowed the cinema company to exit the mall if it left all its equipment behind. NCG Cinemas took the space, remodeled the theater, and re-opened it in 2017 — minus the IMAX theater.

This week, however, the Kingsport Economic Development Department announced that it had submitted design and development plans to IMAX and expects to win its approval by year’s end. The municipality and Hull hope to begin construction on the theater in January

In addition, Rural King has begun interior demolition of the former JCPenney at Fort Henry Mall and looks forward to open next spring at the property that had lost key tenants that included Aeropostale and Kirkland’s.

Rural King, which sells products for farms and homes, operates sizeable stores that range up to 100,000 sq. ft. in size.

Dave Clark, former CEO of Amazon’s worldwide consumer business and co-CEO of logistics company Flexport, is launching a new venture.

Clark, who assumed the role of co-CEO at Flexport in September 2022 shortly following his departure from Amazon after serving two years as its CEO of worldwide consumer business and 23 years with the e-tailer in total, is now the founder and CEO of a supply chain solution start-up called Auger.

[READ MORE: Veteran Amazon exec Dave Clark to depart as CEO of consumer business]

Clark, who according to CNBC left Flexport after a “short but tumultuous stint” in September 2023, announced in an Oct. 8, 2024 LinkedIn post that he is introducing Auger, an “intuitive, automated, and transformative supply chain solution.”

Backed by a $100 million investment from growth equity firm Oak HC/FT and led by what Clark calls a "team of world class experts," Auger will provide AI-powered automation, paired with what Clark says will be a “consumer-grade user experience. 

"This combination allows operators to handle complex tasks through simple, familiar tools," said Clark. "Actionable data appears instantly, enabling swift decisions—no complex queries or training required."

Auger’s founding team is located in Bellevue, Wash. (where Clark’s former employer Amazon has offices), and Clark said the company will reveal more information in the coming months.

Clark is widely credited as the architect of Amazon's massive warehouse and fulfillment network. He also was responsible for Amazon’s  impressive transportation network, which now includes in-house planes, trucks and delivery vans.