Chicago — Retail brokerage firms Segovia Partners and Braden Real Estate have announced plans to merge. Marc Offit heads Braden Real Estate, which features offices in Chicago and Florida. Jennifer Frank and Jack Breard lead Dallas-based Segovia Partners. Offit will remain managing broker for the Illinois and Florida brokerage teams, with Courtney Waldon appointed president of the Chicago office. Segovia plans to add a senior team member to run the West Coast of Florida office. Additionally, Tim Gearhart will join the Segovia Partners Chicago office as a principal, focusing on national …
Warrendale, Pa. — Rue21, an apparel and accessories retailer based in the Pittsburgh area, has filed for bankruptcy and will close all its stores in the coming months, according to reports from multiple news organizations such as CNN, Reuters and The Business Journals. All three of those media outlets report that this is the third bankruptcy filing in the history of Rue21, which operates about 540 stores nationwide, down from more than 1,000 at the height of its existence. Following Rue21’s 2017 bankruptcy filing, the company closed some 400 stores. The retailer also shed about …
Atlanta — Atlanta-based fast-casual cheeseburger brand Smalls Sliders has signed two multi-unit franchise deals in the state of Florida. An entity doing business as DPC Smalls Investments, which is led by Doug Cone, will own and operate the 12 new restaurants, known as “Cans.” Locations for the new Cans will include Jacksonville, Tallahassee, St. Augustine, Lake City and Orange Park, with the first unit scheduled to open early next year.
Miami — Burger King plans to invest $300 million to modernize 1,100 U.S. restaurants by 2028, according to parent company Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE: QSR). Each restaurant will be renovated in a new layout, called Sizzle, that emphasizes flexibility as well as the digital, pick-up and drive-thru experiences. In addition to the planned renovations, the investment will also cover cash incentives for top-performing operators. “We are committed to giving our guests the very best experience in all our restaurants and that includes a modern, exciting restaurant image and digital …
Bentonville, Ark. — Walmart has decided to shutter all 51 Walmart Health locations, as well as the Walmart Health Virtual Care service. The Bentonville-based retail giant stated that the business model, which was formally launched in 2019, was not sustainable. The company cited a lack of profitability due to “the challenging reimbursement environment and escalating operating costs.” Walmart Health locations are situated in six different states — Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri and Texas — according to the Walmart Health online directory. The company didn’t offer a timeline for when …
Atlanta and New York City — Blackstone has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a franchiser of fast-casual restaurants, from Levine Leichtman Capital Partners. The deal values the Atlanta-based smoothie chain at around $2 billion, including debt, according to The Wall Street Journal. Tropical Smoothie Cafe began as a single location in Destin, Florida, in 1997. The chain has grown to more than 1,400 locations in 44 states today. The company opened more than 175 locations in 2023, 70 percent of which were opened by existing franchisees. …
New York City — New York City-based footwear retailer Foot Locker has introduced a new store format, debuting the design at its location within Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, New Jersey. Features of the new format include a more streamlined store layout, dedicated sections for new product releases, enhanced presentation, a communal try-on are, omnichannel technology and a “sneaker hub” with lacing customization and expanded ordering options. Foot Locker plans to open additional stores with this design throughout 2024, including at the retailer’s flagship location in New York City. Additionally, the brand …
Cincinnati — Cincinnati-based The Kroger Co. and Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Cos. Inc. have announced plans to sell an additional 166 grocery stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers in a divestiture package. This marks an amendment to an existing agreement with the buyer, which will now acquire a total 579 stores in a $2.9 billion deal. The original divestiture package was announced in September of last year, in connection with a proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons. In February, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued to block Kroger’s $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons …
Columbia and Florence, S.C. — Slim Chickens has opened two new restaurants in South Carolina. Located in Columbia and Florence, the stores are owned and operated by franchisees Break Bread Ventures and Chandler Restaurant Group, respectively. This marks the seventh Slim Chickens restaurant for Break Bread Ventures and the second for Chandler Restaurant Group. Slim Chickens’ current portfolio includes more than 265 units in the United States, the U.K. and Turkey.
Columbus, Ohio — Fashion Retailer Express Inc. (OTCMKTS: EXPR) has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced plans to close 107 of its 602 stores. The Columbus-based company’s portfolio includes apparel brands such as Bonobos, Express and UpWest Express. As part of the proceedings, 95 stores under the company’s Express banner will be shuttered alongside all 12 of its UpWest Express locations. Further details on the specific locations set for closure were not provided, but closing sales at the impacted locations are anticipated to begin tomorrow, April 23. Business at …