Commercial Construction Magazine

Today in the News

Fast-casual leads industry growth

Fast-casual concepts were at the forefront of restaurant industry growth with sales of $27 billion last year, an 8.4 percent increase, according to a new report from Technomic. The top 150 fast-casual chains also added units at a rapid pace, growing to 17,447 locations last year, a 5.2 percent increase from 2010. Read the BurgerBusiness.com story here.

Papa John's adding some 15 UK units this year

Papa John's Pizza plans to expand its footprint in the UK from 185 to more than 200 by the end of this year. There are currently 88 franchisees in the country operating the 185 outlets. Nine new stores already have opened this year, with a target to reach the 200-plus goal by year's end. Read the PizzaMarketplace.com story here.

Miami Subs opening eateries in South America

Miami Subs Grill is expanding sandwich chain to South America. The first Miami Subs Grill will open by September, with three more restaurants will open shortly after. Miami Subs Grill plans to open restaurants in Honduras and Brazil as well. Read the Sun Sentinel story here.

Odebrecht, Braskem offering sustainable award  

The Odebrecht Organization is offer an award for sustainable development to American universities through two of its subsidiaries‚ Äì Odebrecht USA (the North American division of a global leader in engineering and construction services), and Braskem, the largest manufacturer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas. By writing and submitting a paper on contributions to sustainability, undergraduate students can help develop engineering and chemical solutions. The award is open to any undergraduate or group of students enrolled at a U.S.-accredited university, with at least one student seeking a degree in engineering, architecture, building and construction management or chemistry. Entries will be accepted through May 31, 2012 at www.odebrechtaward.com. 

-- Posted May 16, 2012

Gap's Athleta opens first Texas store

Athleta made its Texas debut in Houston. The decor of the 4,888-square-foot store features imagery of models exercising outdoors or striking a yoga pose, surfing, skiing or hiking. The store uses reclaimed wood from a 100-year-old barn, historic style fixtures and found objects.

Dollar stores growing in Vermont

Chain store foes in Vermont may find success with keeping big-box retailers out, but dollar stores are harder. The smaller footprint of Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar means that the concepts typically can't be excluded under anti-sprawl regulations; the chains have opened more two dozen Vermont stores in recent years. Read the New York Times story here.

-- Posted May 15, 2012

Starwood's Baccarat brand eyes global expansion

Starwood Capital Group is eyeing global growth for its Baccarat Hotels & Residences brand, starting with a 2013 opening of a 357-room Dubai property and the 2014 launch of the 114-room Baccarat New York. Growth targets for the company include China, Morocco and Western Europe. Read the HotelNewsNow.com story here.

Accor eyes acquisitions to drive growth in India

Accor is considering targeted hotel purchases to drive its expansion efforts in India, as it aims for 90 new hotels in the country by the end of 2015. Company officials said that 90 hotels in India is an ambitious but realistic goal, and that it may look into making targeted acquisitions to accelerate our development. Read the Reuters story here.

-- Posted May 14, 2012

Miami hotel sales are booming

The Miami hotel market posted a transactions volume of $557 million in 2011 and is expected to hit $650 million this year. A report by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels cited strong rates growth in the city as the reason for the rising investor interest. Read the Miami Herald story here .

Hotel industry goes on health-consciousness drive

Several major hotels are revamping their restaurant menus in response to guest demands for healthier food options. Hyatt joins this growing list of newly health-conscious hoteliers with a wide-reaching food policy that will cut calories in food offerings and update dishes with organic ingredients. Read the USA Today story here.

-- Posted May 11, 2012

Target to launch sportswear store in San Francisco

Target will pair its new urban concept CityTarget with the chain's first C9 Active Apparel store in San Francisco, with both concepts set to open October 14. C9, the chain's first retail outlet not to bear the Target name, will sell C9 By Champion products that HanesBrands has created exclusively for Target since 2004. Read the Star Tribne story here.

In other news, Target will open a PFresh store in Virginia Beach, Va. in October 2012. This is one of 19 stores to open in 2012. The 135,000-square-foot store is Target’s fourth Virginia Beach location.

Gap to open first Piperlime store

Gap's online retail brand Piperlime will open its first retail store in New York City in fall 2012. The 4,000 square-foot boutique store will contain merchandise assortment similar to its online shop featuring brands including Milly, Frye, and Citizens of Humanity. 

-- Posted May 10, 2012

Starwood planning to boost Mideast portfolio

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is eyeing 40 hotel openings "in the Middle East and North Africa over the next five years," this feature says. The hotel firm projected that the number of tourists in the region will reach 195 million by 2030. Read the Hartford Courant story here.

Target to open PFresh in Merrifield, Va.

Target will open a new store in Merrifield, VA in October 2012, one of 19 openings in 2012. The retailer will also be opening a Virginia Beach store at the same time. The Merrifield store is located in the Mosaic at Merrifield, a mixed-use development. The store is 163,000 sq. ft. and will employ 200 team members.  

Summer revPAR to climb 5.7 percent

Robust rate increases will drive hotels' revenue per available room up 5.7 percent this summer, STR predicted. RevPAR will hit a record $73.59 for June, July and August, STR said, on a 3.9 percent rise in average daily rate from year-ago figures. STR also predicted an increase of 1.8 percentage points in occupancy for the same period. Read the Travel Weekly story here.

-- Posted May 9, 2012

Financial incentives key to brand growth

Growth in the hotel market has dwindled so much that brands have come to accept that they may have to supply some form of financing just to secure a deal, according to several brand leaders. Read the HotelNewsNow.com story here.

How the Empire State Building went green

The Empire State Building is completing a three-year makeover intended to make the iconic skyscraper more energy efficient and attractive to tenants willing to pay top dollar for eco-friendly office space. The 102-floor building presented plenty of challenges, project officials say, but the renovations could help usher in a new era of high-profile and highly profitable retrofits. Read the Reuters story here.

-- Posted May 8, 2012

Cabela's to open store in Titletown

Cabela’s plans to open a store in Ashwaubenon, Wis., on property owned by the Green Bay Packers. The store is scheduled to open in the summer of 2013, with construction to begin this fall. The 100,000-square-foot location will be located in the Titletown Development area being developed in conjunction with the Green Bay Packers. 

The Loft opening up shop in Fort Worth, Texas

Ann Inc. will open a 5,394-square-foot Loft store in Fort Worth, Texas’s shopping, dining and entertainment district Sundance Square. The new store, slated to open in the fall in a vacant restaurant space, will join a lineup of Houston St. retailers that includes Jos. A. Bank, Pappagallo Classiques and Leddy’s Ranch.

Baskin-Robbins adding 80 units in the U.K.

Baskin-Robbins plans to nearly double its U.K. presence over the next three years, adding 80 freestanding units to the 100 stores currently operating in the region. In addition to its planned expansion in the U.K., Baskin-Robbins also recently announced its entry into Vietnam and further expansion in Mexico. 

-- Posted May 7, 2012

Retail sales slows in April after 2 strong months

April same-store sales rose 0.8 percent collectively at U.S. retail chains tracked by Thomson Reuters. The numbers fell short of the 1.5 percent gain that analysts had forecasted. The results were mixed, with some chains reporting lower-than-expected increases, while others beating expectations. Read the BusinessWeek story here.

Hard Rock Hotels' expansion hits Mexico

Hard Rock Hotels is ramping up its plan for global expansion through a licensing deal with Palace Resorts in Mexico. The company has agreed to license its name to three of Palace Resorts' existing properties, which will undergo remodeling and open under the Hard Rock brand. Read the Sun-Sentinel story here.

Hardees to add some 88 units in Tampa market

CKE Restaurants is planning to expand development of new Hardee's restaurants throughout the greater Tampa, Fla., area. The company is seeking to rapidly expand its Tampa footprint throughout the next several years and has identified the potential to develop as many as 88 restaurants in the market. Currently, Hardee's operates 12 locations within the Tampa metro-area.

-- Posted May 4, 2012

Traffic increasing in U.S. malls

While U.S. malls have seen a decline in foot traffic as consumers shift spending to the web and consolidate trips in the face of higher gas prices, many shopping centers are reporting bigger crowds since the start of the second quarter. Read the CNBC story here .

Domino's has more stores aboard than in States

Domino's Pizza and its franchisees opened 77 new units internationally in the first quarter, which means the chain now operates more stores abroad than at home. Domino's has 4,912 stores in international markets, compared to 4,898 in the United States. Read the PizzaMarketplace.com story here.

-- Posted May 3, 2012

March brings more signs of restaurant rebound

U.S. restaurant performance improved in March, with 65% of operators reporting same-store sales growth over the same month last year, and the improvements reflect the best performance since before the recession, according to the National Restaurant Association's monthly index. Read the LA Times story here.

Smashburger opens 1st Canadian store in Calagary

Smashburger opened its first Canadian store in Calgary, Alberta, with a second set for June. Each Calgary Smashburger location will feature a regional Alberta-inspired menu to showcase local suppliers and flavors.

Subway named No. 1 franchise opportunity again

For the second year in a row, Subway has been awarded the No. 1 ranking in the Franchise Direct Top 100 Global Franchises Rankings, which recognized the brand for possessing “a clear business plan, a commitment to training and support, an ability to innovate and sensitivity to environmental issues.” The criteria to rank franchises includes: system size based on numbers of units; sales revenue; stability and growth; and market expansion. During the first quarter 2012, Subway hit two important milestones—25,000 restaurants across the United States, and operating in 100 countries, while opening 779 new locations around the globe. The current restaurant count is more than 36,700 locations worldwide, and the chain is well on the way towards its goal of ending the year with 2,500 additional units.

-- Posted May 2, 2012

Yum! plans U.S. growth via franchisees, abroad

Yum! Brands plans to sell hundreds of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants in the United States to franchisees and invest profits in opening new eateries in faster growing markets including China and India. Read the Fox Business story here.

Target to open Alamo Heights, Texas store

Target will open a new PFresh store in Alamo Heights, Texas, in October 2012. The 135,000 square-foot store will be located at the intersection of Austin Highway and Mount Calvary Drive and employ 200 team members. This will be one of 19 new stores Target will open in 2012. 

Gap eyes stylish turnaround strategy

After more than a decade of struggling to right its retail ship by cutting costs, closing domestic stores and focusing on global expansion, Gap has charted a new turnaround course that includes spruced-up stores, brighter colors and on-site stylists aimed at helping the retailer regain its fashion-forward reputation. Read the NY Times story here.

Hilton eyes 14 hotel openings in Saudi Arabia

Hilton Worldwide has revealed plans to open 14 more hotels in Saudi Arabia in the next two years, for a total of about 7,000 additional rooms in its inventory. Hilton and a number of global hotel chains are eyeing the country because of its growth potential. Read The National story here.

-- Posted May 1, 2012

Giant Eagle unveils green store

Giant Eagle opened a new environmentally friendly store in Cleveland. The 83,000 square-foot store is LEED certified and incorporates several eco-friendly designs, one of which is a solar power roof with sky lights to help offset the store's need for electric power. Giant Eagle’s eco-friendly store is the first supermarket in Northeast Ohio with a solar roof. Giant Eagle currently operated 175 corporate and 54 independently owned and operated supermarkets in addition to 169 fuel and convenience stores throughout western Pennsylvania, Ohio, north central West Virginia, and Maryland.

Corner Bakery to enter Conn., R.I. markets

Corner Bakery is preparing to invest more than $25 million to debut in suburban Connecticut and Rhode Island a bakery-café concept to compete against Panera Bread and other "fast-casual" dining outlets. Franchisee Glenn Beattie, one of Denny's restaurants biggest franchisees, plans to open his first of six Corner Bakery Café in Rhode Island by summer 2013, followed by 16 others in Connecticut. Read the Hartford Business story here.

-- Posted April 30, 2012

McAlister's Deli revamps store design

McAlister's Deli is planing a new store design for its restaurants. Combining modern and traditional elements, the new design gives the 23-year-old brand an updated look and feel. The deli chain recently opened two restaurants with the new design, one in Aurora, Colo., and the other in Lexington, Ky.  

Dallas Midtown mixed-use project set

Beck Ventures' acquisition of the Valley View Center property sets the stage for a multiphase redevelopment. The $2 billion project, known as Dallas Midtown, calls for construction of a five-star hotel, high-rise offices and retail space along with luxury residential towers and multifamily units. Read the CityBizList.com story here.

-- Posted April 27, 2012

Subway Cafe hitting Fla. college campuses

Subway stores are getting a makeover in South Florida. The Florida Atlantic University campus in Boca Raton will get the first Subway Café in Florida, and one of many to come to South Florida. Subway Café will offer an expanded menu, which includes gourmet coffee, salads, paninis and pastries. The new stores will offer leather seating, with hardwood and marble floors, stone inlays in the walls and flat screen televisions in the dining area. The new design will open mainly in metropolitan areas, such as high-rise office buildings, university campuses, fitness centers and hospitals. Read the Sun Sentinel story here.

Macy's opening 4th store in Sarasota, Fla.

Macy's will open a new two-story, 160,000 square foot store in Sarasota, Fla., in fall 2014. The new store will feature a full range of apparel and accessories for women, men and children, housewares, home textiles, and luggage. It will be an anchor of the new Mall at University Town Center. Construction is expected to begin later in 2012. Currently, Macy's operates three stores in the Sarasota; Bradenton market at Southgate Mall, Sarasota Square and DeSoto Square.

U.S. on track for tourism growth

The U.S. can expect annual tourism growth of up to 5% over the next five years, the Commerce Department says. In 2012, the department predicts 65.4 million foreign tourists will visit. Read the Travel Pulse story here.

-- Posted April 26, 2012 

Hotel hiring outpaces U.S. employment growth

A 4.1 percent increase in first-quarter hotel bookings is driving a rebound in hiring by hotels that is running ahead of the figures for the overall U.S. labor market, this feature says. Jobs at U.S. motels, hotels and casino hotels rose 2.9 percent in February, topping 2.7 percent growth in the national workforce as a whole. Read the Bloomberg story here.

Darden eyeing Puerto Rico for growth

Darden Restaurants has entered into an agreement with Restaurant Operators Inc. to develop and operate Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse on the island. Restaurant Operators already operates five LongHorn Steakhouses, which were built prior to Darden acquiring the chain in 2007.The company will build at least three more LongHorn Steakhouses and eight Olive Gardens in five years.

Krispy Kreme opening 40 stores in Moscow

Krispy Kreme said on Monday it had signed a franchise deal with Russian restaurateur Arkady Novikov to open 40 Moscow outlets as it seeks to expand into the growing Russian consumer space.Western restaurant chains have flocked to the Russia capital in recent years as rising incomes and consumer spending have increased growth prospects in the emerging market. Read the Reuters story here.

-- Posted April 25, 2012

Schmineti building NY store for Sephora

Perfume and cosmetics retailer Sephora has selected Schimenti Construction, to build its new store in the Time Warner Center. The 2.8 million square foot tower in the heart of Manhattan at Columbus Circle. This is the first Sephora project for the company. Designed by DTM Architects, Arlington, TX, the new store will include over 8,500 square feet of retail space and a newly designed storefront.

Long Tall Sally testing U.S. pop-up shops

U.K.-based tall-women's fashion chain Long Tall Sally has launched a pop-up shop in New York City's TriBeCa neighborhood and plans to do about two dozen more temporary shops around the country this year to introduce more U.S. women to the brand. To date, the retailer operates 20 U.K. stores, 10 in Canada, three in Germany and one each in Minnesota and Michigan.

Hotel investors eyeing Cleveland market

Improving hotel-performance metrics and a string of commercial development projects are signaling a recovery for Cleveland and helping to draw hoteliers. The city's revenue per available room climbed 4.5 percent in March, while occupancy and average daily rate went up 2.9 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively, data from STR show. Read the HotelNewsNow.com story here.

-- Posted April 24, 2012

Schlotzsky's inks franchise deals for 61 delis

Schlotzsky’s Deli has signed its largest multi-unit deal in a single period in company history. The company plans to open 61 locations in Orange County, Calif., Arizona and Minneapolis.

Huddle House to open 5 new locations

Huddle House has signed franchise agreements with Pilot Travel Centers, LLC, to open five new restaurants in the next eight months. The first of the restaurants is opening this May in Frystown, Pa., with additional openings slated for Anna, Texas, Fargo, N.D., New Haven, Indiana, and Lebanon, Ind. 

-- Posted April 23, 2012

Hemingway Hotels preparing for expansion

After reemerging from a false start more than 10 years ago, The Hemingway Hotels & Resorts plans to establish two to three hotels per year The hotel group is eventually aiming for at least 30 hotels worldwide, situated in locations much beloved by writer Ernest Hemingway (read: the Bahamas, Cuba, Portugal and Key West, Fla.). Read the HotelNewsNow.com story here.

Good Times Burgers planning for growth

Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard is on track to grow its namesake brand beyond its current 43 stores, with some growth possibly taking place outside of its home state of Colorado. Read the BurgerBusiness.com story here .

American Eagle opens first stores in Japan

American Eagle Outfitters opened its first two stores in Tokyo, marking the teen apparel retailer's first foray into Japan. Included in the openings was its 15,000-square-foot flagship in a new upscale retail development – its first major flagship outside the United States.

-- Posted April 20, 2012

Sears Holdings sells 11 locations

Sears Holdings completed the sale of eleven Sears full line locations to General Growth Properties.  The stores will continue to operate for up to two years with final closing dates to be announced later in 2012. States include Honolulu, Coralville, Iowa, The Woodlands, Texas, Bellingham, Wash., Council Bluffs, Iowa, Ocoee, Fla, Rochester, Minn., Champaign, Ill., Murray and Provo, Utah, and Oklahoma City, Okla.

Burger King franchisee acquires 96 Fla units

Burger King Corp. has announced the refranchising of 96 company-owned restaurants in the Orlando/Daytona, Fla., market to Magic Burgers LLC, a subsidiary of Sun Holdings LLC and wholly-owned and operated by long-time franchisee Guillermo Perales. This acquisition makes Perales the fourth largest franchise operator in the U.S. and the largest minority franchisee with 167 restaurants throughout Florida and Texas. Read the QSR story here.

Wal-Mart releases sustainability update

In its annual report on sustainability, Wal-Mart Stores said it is on track in many areas but has not reached a goal of doubling U.S. sales of energy-efficient products compared with 2008 or reducing phosphate in detergent by 70% compared with 2009. Read the Bloomberg story here.

-- Posted April 19, 2012

Restaurant sales inched up in March

Even a little bit helps. During March, retail sales rose 0.8 percent, after a 1 percent increase in February, while restaurant sales increased 0.3 percent. According to a Commerce Department report, the numbers show that consumers are continuing to spend in spite of higher gas prices. Read the Bloomberg story here.

Solid luxury market may help Darden's Eddie V's

Darden Restaurants' $59 million purchase of the eight-unit Eddie V's Prime Seafood chain may be paying off, as a growing demand for healthier dining options and continued strong spending by affluent consumers continues to drive growth. Darden plans to open one or two new Eddie V's restaurants next year and anticipates that the chain could eventually reach 100 units. Read the Orlando Sentinel story here.

Motel 6 rolling out design upgrades

Travel Weekly sat down with Motel 6 CEO Jim Amorosia to get an inside look at the property improvements the company will be initiating at its properties over the next few years, including new signage, coloring and sustainable-energy features. You can read the Travel Weekly story here.

-- Posted April 18, 2012

Mattress Firm to add 100 stores a year

Mattress Firm is expanding as consumers emerge from the recession ready to buy beds again. The retailer, which recently acquired Mattress Giant, is on track to add about 100 stores per year. Read the CNBC story here.

-- Posted April 17, 2012

Marriott expands in Caribbean, Latin America

Marriott International Inc. plans to double the number of hotels it has in the Caribbean and Latin America over the next five years, the company announced Friday. Marriott, which operates The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott and other hotel chains, currently has 69 hotels in 25 countries in these two regions. It has 35 hotels already under development there as well. The company hopes to have more than 140 hotels in the two regions by 2017. Read the Business Week story here.

Growth in China to benefit restaurants

The world’s largest restaurant brands have been growing rapidly in China, but the country’s dynamic growth holds more potential in the coming decades, even for established powerhouses, according to Bernstein Research. Read the Nation's Restaurant News story here.

Rite Aid to focus on remodeling stores in 2013

Rite Aid plans to focus on remodeling existing stores in fiscal 2013. The revamped stores will feature the company’s wellness format, a design the drugstore chain began rolling out in fall 2012. The wellness format features expanded clinical pharmacy services, new health and wellness product offerings and on-site Wellness Ambassadors. 

-- Posted April 16, 2012  

Corner Bakery Cafe entering Kansas City

Corner Bakery Cafe has inked an agreement that will bring the restaurant to Kansas City, Mo. Cafe Foods will open five Corner Bakery Cafe locations in Kansas City over the next five years, the first of which is scheduled to open in Overland Park in early 2013. Cafe Foods owns and operates 31 Hardee's franchised restaurants through another company, Westar Foods/West Partners.

Wingstop hitting Philadelphia

Wingstop has signed a development agreement that will result in eight new restaurants in the Philadelphia area. Jomartt Enterprises, L.P., has signed a multi-unit development agreement and expects to open its first location this winter. 

Newk's Express Cafe opens 50th location

Newk’s Express Café will open its 50th restaurant in Jacksonville, Fla. The restaurant is the company’s first in Jacksonville and third in Florida. Newk’s Express Cafés operate in 11 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Projections call for 20 restaurants to open in 2012 and 32 to open in 2013. 

Culver's opens 450th unit, eyes 25-30 more in '12

With the grand opening of a new restaurant in Avondale, Ariz., Culver's has it the 450 mark. The chain plans to open 25 to 30 restaurants this year. The Culver's franchise community spans 19 states.  

-- Posted April 13, 2012

Uniqlo maps aggressive U.S. expansion plan

Japanese fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo will open a 29,000-square-foot store its first West Coast store in San Francisco this fall. The move is part of a national expansion plan that calls for hundreds of new stores in the coming years. The company, which currently operates three New York City stores, aims to boost North American sales to $10 billion by 2020. 

Pier 1 to remodel stores; upgrade e-commerce

Pier 1 Imports plans to upgrade its e-commerce platform, remodel eight stores and refurbish about 100 this year. This summer the retailer will launch Pier 1 To-You, a new point-of-sale system designed to build on the company's multichannel retail efforts. Read the Home Textiles Today story here.

Wingstop signs franchisees for 58 units

Wingstop Restaurants opened eight new stores during the quarter and signed agreements to open 58 franchise locations throughout the United States, according to a first-quarter company record. Wingstop, which has more than 500 locations, plans to open multiple locations in Detroit, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Louisiana, Savannah, Ga., Phoenix and Hawaii.

-- Posted April 12, 2012 

Restaurants create more than half a million jobs

U.S. restaurants have added 562,600 new jobs in the past two years, and eateries now employ about 180,000 more workers than they did at their pre-recession peak, according to a National Restaurant Association analysis. In a separate survey, 24% of restaurant owners said they plan to further add to their staffs in the next six months. Read the QSR Magazine story here.

Sbarro eyes fast casual shift to drive turnaround

Quickservice pizza chain Sbarro has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy with a turnaround plan that hinges on improving the food quality and introducing a fast-casual format. The company plans to invest in new equipment and hospitality training for employees, among other areas of improvements. Read the Business Insider story here.

-- Posted April 11, 2012

Toys R Us to revamp its store look

Increased competition from brick-and-mortar rivals, including Wal-Mart, and online giant Amazon rocked holiday sales at Toys R Us. This, among other factors, is forcing the 1,500-store chain to reinvent itself. Read the New York Times story here.

U.S. malls saw slight drop in 1st quarter vacancies

Vacancy rates at U.S. malls dropped slightly in the first quarter, to 9 percent from 9.2 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, and the average lease rate rose 0.2 percent, according to research company Reis. Read the Wall Street Journal story here.

Fairmont Raffles to pursue global growth

Fairmont Raffles Hotels International is looking to expand its global portfolio by 50%, to 150 hotels, over the next five years, with a focus on primary markets around the world, said Michael Glennie, new president and chief operating officer. Read the HotelNews.com story here.

Ferragamo revamps Fifth Avenue flagship store

Ferragamo’s Fifth Avenue flagship underwent a 13-week renovation to provide a “proper setting” for the brand’s full line of ready-to-wear clothing. The flagship will re-open with new aesthetics that the brand hopes in more in line with its ready-to-wear collection. The two-story, 20,000-square-foot space is Ferragamo’s largest and most profitable location. With the renovations complete, the space features a warmer, more residential look that includes walnut wood floors, Venetian plaster, marble tabletops and bamboo stone. Books curated by Giornetti, table sculptures and glass lamps from Italy fill the newly-styled space. 

-- Posted April 10, 2012

Ruby Tuesday to buy Lime Fresh brand

Ruby Tuesday will acquire the Lime Fresh Mexican Grill brand for $24 million and open six to eight new Lime eateries this year. The casual chain acquired the development rights to brand in 2010; the new deal includes seven company-owned restaurants. Read the Nation's Restaurant story here.

The Home Depot opens new superstore

The Home Depot has opened a 205,000-square-foot Home Depot Superstore in Anaheim Hills, Calif. The store is the retailer’s largest in the west and second-largest overall, following a 217,000-square-foot location in Union, N.J. The expanded Superstore features a new customer service area, located in the center of the store, which features a central desk and armchairs for shoppers to sit in while they wait; a special counter for contractors, near a separate entrance to the store, where they can conduct their transactions; a new demo counter for tools where customers can test them out for fit, size, weight, and performance; a new cleaning products section at the front of the store; and free in-store wi-fi.

Wendy's to open 25 restaurants in Eastern Europe

Wendy's is joining forces with The Wissol Group to develop 25 restaurants in Georgia and the Republic of Azerbaijan throughout the next 10 years. Wissol, one of the largest business groups in Georgia, is expected to open its first Wendy's location in Tbilisi in 2013. Read the QSR story here.

Corporate groups traveling again

Group business travel is not only on the rebound, but businesses are once again springing for perk-laden retreats to reward their executives. But this post-bailout time around, the group getaways are not nearly as extravagant as before the recent recession. Read the Forbes story here.

-- Posted April 9, 2012

March saw sales gains for retailers

Victoria's Secret parent Limited Brands reported an 8 percent rise in same-store sales for March, and Macy's and Target also beat estimates as warmer weather, an early Easter and the launch of new spring styles helped boost apparel sales. Thomson Reuters predicts a 5.3 percent increase for the month for the index of 18 retailers it tracks. Read the Washington Post story here.

Marriott unveils new brand partnerships

Several Marriott International brands have announced new hotel developments and partnerships during Marriott's weeklong Global General Managers Conference in Los Angeles. Marriott Hotels & Resorts unveiled a planned innovation program for its meeting spaces in partnership with Steelcase and IDEO. JW Marriott announced new partnerships with groups including Treasury Wine Estates and Christie's, and lifestyle brand Renaissance Hotels revealed plans to expand globally with nine new hotels this year. Read the 4Hoteliers story here.

Starwood's Sheraton to double global portfolio

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is planning to double the number of Shine Spas in its Sheraton hotels, mainly targeting the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asian markets. The Sheraton brand is aiming for 10 spa openings in 2012, with a future target of 23 openings. Read the USA Today story here.

Loblaw's Joe Fresh growing beyond Canada

Canadian grocery chain Loblaw, which developed its Joe Fresh clothing brand about seven years ago to compete with Wal-Mart, is looking beyond Canada's borders for future growth. The company opened its first U.S. Joe Fresh stores last year, and last week debuted a shop on New York City's Fifth Avenue. Read the Bloomberg story here.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop plots NYC expansion

The Potbelly Sandwich Shop, a national sandwich shop franchise that started as a small antique store in Chicago, plans to take out of the Manhattan lunch business. The chain, which has more than 200 outlets nationwide and seven in Manhattan, has inked leases for four new Manhattan eateries and is looking to launch in Brooklyn and Jersey City as well.

Investors plan to restore historic Belleir, Fla. hotel

A group of Miami investors has a contract to purchase the historic, 115-year-old Belleview Biltmore Hotel in Bellair and plans a complete restoration of the structure and construction of a 153-room east wing. Read the The Tampa Tribune story here.

-- Posted April 6, 2012   

H&M to create new retail brand in 2013

H&M today confirmed the name for the new higher-priced store brand it's planning to open in 2013, following rumors that it was developing a new sub-brand to extend its appeal to those shoppers who zoom in whenever the fast-fashion retailer collaborates on a diffusion line with a high-end fashion designer. Read the Brand Channel story here.

Popeyes to open 20 Indianapolis locations

The Popeyes fried chicken franchise, now calling itself Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, plans to place 20 or more of its newly designed restaurants in the metro Indianapolis area over the next few years. Read the Indianapolis Star story here.

Burger King to go public again

Burger King, which went private two years ago when 3G Capital acquired the chain in a $4 billion deal, will once again become a publicly traded company. Under the new deal, U.K.-based acquisition company Justice Holdings, co-owned by private equity investor William Ackman, will pay $1.4 billion in cash to acquire a 29% stake in the company. Read the Bloomberg Businessweek story here.

-- Posted April 5, 2012   

New World Trade Center reaches 100 floors

The new World Trade Center has reached a milestone: The skyscraper being built to replace the twin towers now is 100 stories high — on its way to becoming New York's tallest building. Another four feet, and it will surpass the Empire State Building. That should happen soon. One World Trade Center is expected to be finished by next year, its 104 floors towering over lower Manhattan. Read the USA Today story here.

Macy's to make over NYC flagship

Macy's is planning to invest $400 million to make over its Herald Square flagship in New York City. The make over includes incorporating interactive store directories, live video feeds of national events and other tech-driven innovations, while taking care to preserve aspects of the store that made it a Big Apple retail icon. Read the Direct Marketing News story here .

-- Posted April 4, 2012  

Dollar General opens 10,000th store

Dollar General is opening its 10,000th store, which will be located in Merced, Calif. The store also will be one of the retailer’s first in the state. Dollar General now has stores in 39 states from coast to coast.

Morrisons to expand Fresh Market stores

In a move to target upmarket customers, Morrisons has planned to expand its Fresh Format concept stores. The stores were previously known as 'Store of the Future' The stores will include a 'Fresh to Go' lunchtime counter, a deli counter, an in-store florist, an Oven Fresh counter for food and wine, and fresh produce sections. Morrisons currently operates 12 Fresh Format stores and plans to expand to 36 stores mainly in the South-East by summer 2012. 

-- Posted April 3, 2012  

Burger King reinvents itself with new food, look

Brick facades and mood lighting. Smoothies. Made-to-order frappés. This isn't your Burger King of old. The chain revealed a future that's decidedly less focused on young, hungry guys and more culturally directed toward moms, families and boomers. In the next 12 months, Burger King and its franchisees will spend about $750 million fixing the menu, revamping marketing, tweaking operations and updating the look of a chunk of its 7,204 U.S. stores. A vastly changed menu, with a record 10 new items, rolls out nationally today. Read the USA Today story here. 

Rate is driving hotel-industry growth

Hotel rates increased in February, signaling a new focus for hoteliers to drive recovery as demand and occupancy show signs of tapering off, analysts from Pegasus Solutions and STR said. Data by Pegasus show that corporate rates in February were up 7.1 percent from the previous year, while leisure rates climbed 7.3 percent during the same period. STR reports average daily rates in U.S. hotels were up 4 percent in February, at $103.18. Read the HotelNewsNow.com story here.

Loews Lake Las Vegas is rebranding as a Westin

The Pyramid Hotel Group is renaming the Loews Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nev., to the Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa. The rebranding comes as the 493-room property reported poor operational performance in 2011, data from Trepp show.

-- Posted April 2, 2012