Dallas — TGI Fridays Inc., which owns and operates 39 U.S. restaurants, has voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Northern District of Texas. The Dallas-based operator cited long-running declines in sales dating back to the pandemic as the main impetus behind the filing. All independently owned and operated franchise locations, both foreign and domestic, are unaffected by the filing. An entity doing business as TGI Fridays Franchisor LLC, which owns the TGI Fridays brand and other intellectual property, was also unaffected. TGI Fridays Inc. has secured a commitment …
Atlanta — Atlanta-based cheeseburger slider concept Smalls Sliders has signed a new, four-unit franchise agreement in Georgia. DPC Smalls Investments will own and operate the restaurants, with the first scheduled to open in 2025. DPC Smalls is considering locations including Albany, Valdosta, Tifton and Brunswick for the new units, all of which will open within the next five years. With the new agreement, the franchisee and Smalls Sliders will open a total of 20 restaurants, dubbed “Cans,” in Florida and Georgia.
Boston — Boston-based Gordon Brothers has provided a $150 million debtor-in-possession (DIP) loan to Big Lots Inc. The financing will support the Columbus, Ohio-based company’s going-concern sale and stalking horse bid as it continues Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Gordon Brothers previously provided a $200 million delayed draw term loan to Big Lots. “As the liquidation agent for the non-go-forward store closures, distribution centers and furniture, fixtures and equipment, we will continue to support the company during the sale process,” says Kyle Shonak, senior managing director, transaction team and head of North …
Lubbock, Texas — Cousins Maine Lobster (CML) has signed a new, multi-unit deal with franchisees Chris Wilson and Gary Andrews of Lubbock. Wilson and Andrews currently own and operate six Slim Chickens restaurants throughout metro Lubbock and have launched their first CML food truck in the area, serving the markets of Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, Wichita and San Angelo. The grand opening was Oct. 26, at West End Shopping Center in Lubbock. “After six years of operating in Teas, we are thrilled to announce our expansion into West Texas,” says Angela Coppler, …
Melbourne and Sarasota, Fla. — Nordstrom Rack has announced plans to open two new stores in Florida. Located in Melbourne and Sarasota, the stores will comprise 24,000 and 27,000 square feet, respectively. The Melbourne store will be situated within The Avenue Viera and is scheduled to open next fall. Situated within Sarasota Pavilion, the Sarasota store is scheduled to open in spring 2026. InvenTrust Properties owns and manages Sarasota Pavilion, and WS Development owns and manages The Avenue Viera.
Toronto — Slate Grocery REIT, a Toronto-based owner and operator of grocery-anchored retail properties in the United States, has entered into a $500 million credit facility agreement. The refinancing comprises a $275 million revolving credit facility and a $225 million term loan facility with maturity scheduled for January 2028. The REIT is also in negotiations with lenders to refinance an additional $138 million of upcoming debt maturities. “In today’s financing environment, our ability to refinance half a billion dollars of debt at such favorable economic terms reflects the strength and quality …
Grand Rapids, Mich. — Michigan-based food solutions company SpartanNash has acquired Fresh Encounter Inc. (FEI), a 49-store supermarket chain with locations in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. This move expands SpartanNash’s retail footprint by 33 percent and marks the company’s second retail acquisition this year, following its purchase of Metcalfe’s Market in April. FEI stores operate under the banners Community Markets, Remke Markets, Chief Markets and Needler’s Fresh Market and have been a food distribution customer of SpartanNash for 58 years. The transaction is expected to close in late November, subject to …
Chicago — Hardware retailer True Value Co. LLC has initiated voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The Chicago-based retailer has also entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its business operations to Do it Best Corp., another entity within the home improvement retail sector and former rival. According to Reuters, Do it Best will serve as the stalking horse bidder for True Value with an acquisition price set at $153 million in cash and the assumption of $45 million in contracts and …
Deerfield, Ill. — Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) unveiled in its fiscal year 2024 earnings report that it plans to close 1,200 stores over the next three years, with roughly 500 of the closures scheduled for the 2025 fiscal year. “In fiscal 2025, we are focusing on stabilizing the retail pharmacy by optimizing our footprint, controlling operating costs, improving cash flow and continuing to address reimbursement models to support dispensing margins and preserve patient access for the future,” says Tim Wentworth, chief executive officer of Walgreens. “Fiscal 2025 will be …
Irving, Texas — Global convenience store operator 7-Eleven will close more than 400 of its North American stores, according to reports from multiple news outlets including NPR and CBS News. Both news outlets noted that the announcement to shutter some 440 stores throughout the United States and Canada was delivered on Thursday, Oct. 10, during a conference call held by Seven & I Holdings, the Japan-based parent company of 7-Eleven. The company’s U.S. operations are headquartered in Irving, Texas. CBS states that the locations to be shuttered represent roughly 3 percent of 7-Eleven’s total North American …