INDUSTRY NEWS
NEWS, NOTES & TRENDS...
AroundtheIndustry Restaurant Schlotzsky’s Schlotzsky’s has unveiled a new unit in Oklahoma City that features two drive-thru lanes and no dine-in seating, one of two new smaller formats for the 300-unit chain. The drive-thru lanes at 85% of Schlotzsky’s restaurants generate about half the chain’s sales, and that figure has been growing during the pandemic amid rising demand for off-premises dining. Subway Subway has trimmed its US restaurant count over the past few years, and growth plans going forward will focus on strategic development with an emphasis on the customer experience. The 100% franchised sandwich chain also will transition to more multi-unit operators and use data to ensure that it tailors units to the needs of their specific locations. Outback Steakhouse Outback Steakhouse has opened a new prototype in Charlotte, Fort Worth, Texas and Polaris, Ohio. The casual-dining chain, which plans to build 75 to 100 additional restaurants in the US, also is beginning to refresh its existing restaurants to incorporate elements of the new prototype. Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr. parent begins $500M brand update CKE Restaurants Holdings has unveiled plans for a major update of sibling chains Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, a project that will include revamping restaurant exteriors, simplifying menus, adding new kitchen equipment and implementing digital drive-thru menu boards. The chain will invest $60 million in making changes to company-owned locations, and franchisees are expected to collectively spend $440 million over the next four to six years. Papa John’s Papa John’s will open 320 new restaurants this year as part of a plan to grow by at least 1,400 and as many as 1,800 over the next three years. Sweetgreen Sweetgreen will start testing a new pickup only format in Washington, DC this summer that will strictly be for fulfilling digital orders from the Sweetgreen app and website and from third-party delivery services. The new format from the chain will feature an employee at the front to ensure orders are correct, and food will be prepared on-site.
12
COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 5, 2022
The Golden Girls Kitchen A Los Angeles fast-casual eatery with the theme of the perennially popular TV show “The Golden Girls” is slated to open in July. Derek Berry, the creator of TV-themed pop-ups including Good Burger and Saved by the Max, will open The Golden Girls Kitchen with a dessert-centric menu that’s heavy on cheesecake.
Retail
Dollar General Dollar General is on track to open 1,110 locations, finish 1,750 remodels and complete 120 relocations in 2022. The retailer opened 239 stores during the first quarter and finished rolling out its DG Fresh program, which enables it to self-distribute frozen and refrigerated products. IKEA Select IKEA stores in the US will start selling solar panels and installation services this fall in a partnership with California-based SunPower. The products and services will be sold under the “Home Solar” line, which will be available to IKEA Family loyalty program members. Kohl’s Kohl’s plans to open about 100 small-format stores over the next four years as part of a plan to enter markets where it does not have a brick-and-mortar retail presence. The retailer also will invest $850 million this year to open 400 more in-store Sephora shops and update stores with features including zones to highlight emerging and women-owned brands. Wayfair’s AllModern Wayfair will open the first of two planned stores in Massachusetts under its AllModern banner. AllModern stores will feature a range of modern design styles and give shoppers a place to experience the pieces in person and also access digital design tools and place orders for delivery. Walmart Walmart will expand its drone delivery experiment with partner DroneUp to select delivery areas in six states, with the potential to provide the unmanned delivery service to about 4 million US households by the end of the year. Online shoppers will pay a $3.99 fee per order and there’s a weight limit of 10 pounds on each order fulfilled by the service, which Walmart launched in North Carolina about two years ago. Kotn Canadian brand Kotn began its US expansion with the May launch of its first store in Los Angeles. The retailer plans to open eight to 10 stores nationwide, which includes a 2022 launch in New York.
