News Briefs

Zaxbys has entered a fast-growing Sun Belt market as it aims to reach 1,000 total stores by the end of the year.

The quick-serve fried chicken chain has opened its first location in Las Vegas. Located in the southern portion of the city, the 2,600 sq. ft., “Modern Farmhouse” designed Zaxbys store features 50 seats for dine-in guests, as well as a drive-thru. It will create approximately 50 new jobs.

The new Zaxbys is owned and operated by Royce Chow and Jie Zhou of Zax Nevada LLC, who are working to open additional locations in Las Vegas this year.

"Zaxbys is thrilled to be working with Royce Chow and Zax Nevada LLC to open our first-ever Las Vegas location," said Mike Mettler, chief development officer at Zaxbys. "Las Vegas is just the beginning of Zaxbys’ expansion plans as we aim to open our 1000th store in 2025. We are thrilled to continue to build relationships with new franchisee partners and bring Zaxbys to additional growing markets including Arizona, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Maryland, and more."

Known for its chicken fingers and wings, Atlanta-based Zaxbys currently operates over 970 locations in 17 states. Late last year, the chain announced expansion plans for multiple East Coast markets.

[READ MORE: Zaxbys sets sights on store expansion in Philadelphia]

"We are excited to bring the first Zaxbys location to Las Vegas!" said Chow, CEO of Zax Nevada LLC. "We strive to deliver delicious Southern comfort food, great hospitality experiences, and build an organization in the community that creates opportunities for people to live their highest potential."

Starbucks Corp. wants to keep things simple — and uniform — when it comes to what its store employees wear on the job.

As part of an updated dress code, starting on May 12, the coffee giant will require employees to wear solid black shirts — short and long-sleeved crewneck, collared, or button-up — and any shade of khaki, black or blue denim bottoms. Previously, the employees, or “baristas” in Starbucks speak, were able to wear any colored shirt they wanted.

In line with the change, Starbucks is making a new line of company branded t-shirts. Employees will receive two free shirts.

The new code is designed to highlight Starbuck’s signature green apron, which has been a symbol of the company since 1987.  It comes as new CEO Brian Niccol has been working to improve the chain’s performance with his “Back to Starbucks” strategy. The strategy includes a renewed emphasis on the in-store experience, with a goal of every store across North America reflecting a “cohesive and consistent” coffeehouse experience, the company said.

"We’ve made progress in our efforts to get Back to Starbucks and create a warm and welcoming coffeehouse experience for our customers,” Starbucks stated. "We’re evolving our dress code to focus on simplified color options that highlight our iconic green apron and create a better sense of consistency and familiarity for our customers.”

Frank And Oak will close the majority of its 14 stores in Canada by May 7 as it seeks a buyer amid its court-supervised restructuring process 

The sustainable fashion retailer, which is based in Montreal and owned by New York-based United Commerce Group, also has moved the closing of its U.S. operations to April.

“The closure was moved up due to growing uncertainty around tariffs and customers, which made it challenging to continue cross-border operations,” the company said in an FAQ its website. 

Returns delivered back to its warehouse by May 15 are guaranteed to be honored, the company added.

Founded online in 2012, Frank And Oak filed for creditor protection under Canada’s Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act in late December 2024, citing $71 million in debt. The brand previously filed in 2020 amid the COVID pandemic.

[READ MORE: Hudson's Bay starts liquidation at most stores]

The news about Frank and Oak comes as Canada’s Hudson’s Bay is also liquidating and closing most of its stores as it seeks a buyer.

The price of construction materials rose for the third consecutive month in March. 

Construction input (materials) prices increased 0.5% in March, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data. Commercial construction input prices increased 0.9% for the month, and are up 42.8% from February 2020.

Overall and nonresidential construction input prices are 0.8% higher than one year ago, with commercial construction prices specifically up 1.7%. 

Crude petroleum prices fell considerably in March, but the decline was more than offset by rapidly rising natural gas (up 10.4%), steel (up 7.1%), copper wire and cable ( up 5.5%) and softwood lumber prices (up 4.7%).

In other month-over-month price increase, prices rose 2.3% for fabricated structural metal products, and were up 2% for adhesives and sealants.

“Construction input prices increased at a rapid pace for the third consecutive month in March and have now risen at a 9.7% annualized rate through the first quarter of 2025,” said ABC chief economist Anirban Basu. “The emerging effects of tariffs are glaring in the March data release, with iron and steel, steel mill products and copper wire and cable prices all rising more than 5% for the month.”

Contractors remain busy for the time being, according to ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator. But pace of input price escalation, coupled with rising uncertainty, will cause projects to be delayed and canceled if it persists for any meaningful length of time, according to Basu.

[READ MORE: Labor shortage to continue impacting construction in 2025]

Associated Builders and Contractors is a national construction industry trade association established in 1950 with 67 chapters and more than 23,000 members.

Ikea is targeting the Lone Star State for expansion.

The Swedish home furnishings giant is building a smaller-format, or “city store,” at The Shops at Park Lane, in midtown Dallas. In addition to the Dallas location, Ikea has two other smaller-format stores in the works in Texas, including a 35,000-sq.-ft. outpost that will open this spring at San Mar Plaza in San Marcos, and one in Rockwell, which is scheduled to open in December. Opening in later 2025, the two-level, 63,000-sq.-ft. store is intended as a place where customers can be inspired and and learn about home furnishings.

[READ MORE: Ikea to expand small store format in 2025]

Ikea's smaller-format is intended as a place where customers can get inspired and learn about home furnishings as well as purchase and/or order items. Opening in later 2025, the Dallas store, called Ikea Dallas-University Park, will feature a curated selection of approximately 3,200 products (including food) available for customers to purchase and take home the same day. The full product range will be available for online ordering, with options for free store pick-up or home delivery at a minimal fee. 

“The opening of Ikea Dallas-University Park is a perfect example of our strategy to develop smaller, more accessible urban store formats, bringing a more connected and accessible Ikea experience to everyone,” said Javier Quiñones, CEO and chief sustainability officer, Ikea U.S.

Ikea currently has five full-sizes stores in Texas, along with three “plan and order points with pick up” locations.   

Burger King has added a restaurant veteran to its C-suite.

Joel Yashinsky has been named chief marketing officer of the quick-serve giant, and will be in charge of executing the company’s existing Reclaim the Flame growth initiative. Launched in 2022, the modernization plan is highlighted by increased advertising efforts, new technology investments, store remodels, and more.

Yashinsky has served as chief marketing officer at Applebee’s since 2018. Prior to that role, he spent more than 18 years in various positions at Burger King’s chief competitor, McDonald’s, including a four year stint as chief marketing officer of McDonald’s Canada from 2010 to 2014.

“We are thrilled to welcome Joel to the Burger King leadership team and the broader BK family,” said Tom Curtis, president of Burger King U.S. & Canada. “Joel joins us at an exciting time for the brand, and brings the ideal mix of strategic marketing experience, brand-building creativity, and leadership expertise to help fuel our next chapter.”

[READ MORE: Walmart+ in first-of-its-kind dining partnership with Burger King]

Burger King operates more than 19,000 locations in more than 120 countries and U.S. territories. Nearly all Burger King restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees.