Fayetteville, Ark. — Fast-casual brand Slim Chickens has signed a franchise deal for the development of 25 new restaurants in Virginia. Mid-Atlantic Restaurant Group (MARG) will own and operate the units. MARG’s existing franchise portfolio in the state includes Subway, Tropical Smoothie, Dunkin’ Donuts and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop restaurants. The first new Slim Chickens is scheduled to open this year.
Peoria, Ill. — Cullinan Properties has appointed Michael Gold as president of the company. Prior to joining Cullinan, Gold most recently served as chief operating officer for shopping center owner and operator Pine Tree. During his tenure at Pine Tree, Gold’s teams oversaw more than 20 million square feet of real estate. “Michael’s comprehensive understanding of the industry and proven track record of success make him an invaluable addition to the Cullinan Properties team,” says Diane Cullinan Oberhelman, chairman of Cullinan Properties. Gold will be based in Cullinan’s Chicago office.
Hudson, Ohio — Joann Inc. (NASDAQ: JOAN), a fabrics and sewing retailer based in Hudson, has filed for prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company’s 829 stores and its website (JOANN.com) will remain open for business. Following the bankruptcy process, if approved, Joann will become a private company owned by some of its lenders and other industry parties, and its shares will no longer be listed on Nasdaq or any other national stock exchange. As of this writing, the company’s stock has been delisted. Joann expects to emerge from the voluntary bankruptcy process …
Los Angeles — FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc., the Los Angeles-based parent company of 17 restaurant concepts, has signed a new development deal to open 20 new Johnny Rockets restaurants across Texas over the next 10 years. The new locations will open in partnership with Brame Holdings LLC, a San Antonio-based private investment company with a portfolio of franchised restaurants and automotive stores. The first of the restaurants is scheduled to open this year.
Chesapeake, Va. — In its fourth-quarter fiscal 2023 results released today, Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) announced that it plans to close approximately 970 underperforming Family Dollar stores. In addition, Chesapeake-based Dollar Tree identified approximately 30 underperforming Dollar Tree stores for closure. Roughly 600 Family Dollar stores are slated to close in the first half of fiscal 2024, with about 370 Family Dollar locations and the 30 Dollar Tree locations set for closure at the end of each store’s current lease term. Years of mismanagement and poor conditions in stores have …
Menomonee Falls, Wis. — Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) has announced plans to roll out 200 Babies“R”Us shops this fall at existing Kohl’s locations. The first Babies R Us shop will debut at an undisclosed Kohl’s store in August. Additionally, the company plans to open 140 more Sephora shops in Kohl’s stores this summer. The Menomonee-based retail giant is partnering with WHP Global, the owner of the Babies“R”Us brand, in the rollout. WHP Global purchased the Babies“R”Us and Toys“R”Us brands in 2021, four years after the brands’ parent company filed for Chapter 11 …
Atlanta — Atlanta-based cheeseburger concept Smalls Sliders has signed a franchise deal for five new units in Kansas. Family-operated franchise team Jim, Teresa and Colton Sorlie will own and operate the restaurants. Locations in the state will include Wichita, Manhattan and Salina. The first of the units, referred to as “Cans,” is scheduled to open in early 2025.
Batavia, Ill. — German discount grocer Aldi has announced plans to add 800 new locations across the United States by the end of 2028. The company will invest more than $9 billion into the expansion plan, which will be implemented through a combination of new openings and store conversions. In August, Aldi acquired American grocery brands Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket as part of a larger divestiture of parent company Southeastern Grocers. Aldi’s expansion plans in the Southeast include both new openings and converting some of the former Winn-Dixie and Harveys locations …
Brunswick and Jesup, Ga. — Convenience store retailer Wawa has broken ground on two new stores in the state of Georgia. Scheduled to open later this year, the stores will be located in Brunswick and Jesup. The new shops mark the beginning of the brand’s expansion plans for southern and coastal Georgia, where it plans to build and open 26 stores over the next five to eight years. Future locations in the state include Hinesville, Pooler, Waycross, Bainbridge, Tifton, Valdosta and Albany. Wawa plans to invest roughly $7 million in the …
Seattle — Seattle-based retailer Nordstrom has announced plan to open 26 new Nordstrom Rack stores. Openings are scheduled to begin this spring and continue through spring 2025. The sites of the new stores include locations in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas.
