It was a tough first quarter for the fast-casual chain, which was blamed primarily on slower consumer spending. CEO Scott Boatwright said the brand is doing everything right and sales trends will turn positive in the second half of the year. Slow consumer spending resulted in a tough first quarter for Chipotle, setting the stage… read more
Industry Spotlight The next step for Jersey Mike’s? Europe and a new CEO, eventually The sandwich chain, which just completed its sale to Blackstone, is thriving in Canada and wants to cross the pond. But it also has big plans here and ultimately will bring in a new chief executive. Peter Cancro doesn’t like… read more
Every building service contractor has faced the situation where a customer tries to negotiate price. In many cases, they’ll come out and say, “If you reduce your price to X, we’ll sign the contract right now!” In these situations, it’s important to stick to your guns and lean on the facts. Here are a few… read more
Forest restoration initiative, completed six years ahead of schedule, reinforces commitment to biodiversity and climate action International Paper (IP) announced it has exceeded its goal of conserving and restoring 1 million acres of ecologically significant forestland. This milestone strengthens biodiversity protection, carbon sequestration, and sustainable land management. “We are thrilled to have surpassed one of… read more
4M Building Solutions, a full-service commercial cleaning, janitorial, housekeeping, and disinfection solutions business, has acquired Brokate Janitorial. As one of the nation’s largest janitorial service providers, 4M serves over 215 million square feet of space daily with more than 6,900 team members across 27 states. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, and backed by O2 Investment… read more
Hi Auto, an Israel-based startup pioneering AI-powered voice ordering for drive-thru restaurants, has raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Delek Motors, along with participation from the Zisapel Family, Vasuki Tech Fund, Allied Group, Goldbell Investments, the Meir Barel Group, and a publicly traded restaurant company whose identity has not yet… read more
Robot deliveries will be offered for DoorDash customers in Los Angeles and Chicago. DoorDash and Coco Robotics have expanded their sidewalk robot delivery service to select US markets, following a successful pilot programme with Wolt in Helsinki, Finland. The deliveries are now operational in Los Angeles and Chicago, with almost 600 merchants participating, allowing customers… read more
Sonofai can do the job in just 12 seconds. KAWASAKI, Japan (AP) — Seafood lovers know the fatty marbling is what makes tuna sashimi and sushi so tasty, so for the industry, it’s the fish’s level of fattiness that’s used to judge its quality and pricing. Usually, several people assess how fatty a tuna is… read more
LOS ANGELES — ServiceTitan Inc., which offers software for trades businesses, released its Commercial Specialty Contractor Industry Report, a study of more than 1,000 specialty contractors, primarily in HVAC, plumbing, and electrical, that focus much of their business on construction. The report reveals that amid significant hurdles, contractors are pushing for growth, with 93% focused… read more
Thousands of Pro Partners™ from around the world gathered for innovative industry learning and networking while celebrating 100 years of Rheem® Rheem®, a leader in the HVAC/R and water heating industry, celebrating a century of excellence, and Ruud®, a part of Rheem’s family of 50 global brands, marked a major milestone, hosting the largest Pro… read more