News Briefs
- 6/2/2025
Cactus Club Cafe to make U.S. debut
A Canadian upscale dining chain is gearing up to expand into two major American cities.
Vancouver-based Cactus Club Cafe will open its 34th and 35th locations later this year, bringing its chef-driven "modern Canadian" food and beverage offerings to Boston and Miami. The two locations will mark Cactus Club Cafe’s first in the United States, while a third restaurant in Houston is on the horizon.
The chain will open a 10,000-sq.-ft. restaurant in Boston’s affluent Back Bay neighborhood later this year. Cactus Club Cafe’s first U.S. location will be within 500 Boylston St., a 1.3 million-sq.-ft. mixed-use building. The Boston restaurant will have space for more than 325 people across main and private dining areas in addition to a lounge and an outdoor patio.
“We’re incredibly excited to bring Cactus Club Cafe to Boston,” said Cactus Club Cafe president Andrew Latchford. “Back Bay is a vibrant neighborhood that aligns perfectly with our vision for modern dining — timeless, social and stylish.”
Meanwhile, in Florida, Cactus Club Cafe will open its second U.S. location in Downtown Miami at Citigroup Center – an 810,000-sq.-ft., 34-story tower.
"Miami's energy and style align perfectly with the Cactus vision for elevated everyday dining," said Latchford. "The city's energy and passion for exceptional hospitality make it the perfect home for our first Florida location. This marks an exciting chapter in our U.S. expansion, alongside our upcoming openings in Boston and Houston."
[READ MORE: First Look: Stylish food hall to open in former Lord & Taylor NYC flagship]
Founded in 1988, Cactus Club Cafe currently operates 33 restaurants in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
- 6/2/2025
Nike taps McDonald’s exec for lead communications role
Nike Inc. is naming a veteran executive from a fast food hamburger giant to lead its global communications organization.
Michael Gonda will become executive VP and chief communications officer of Nike effective July 7, 2025. In this role, Gonda will oversee all facets of the communications strategy, including storytelling, corporate and brand reputation, issues management, and employee engagement. He will report to Nike president and CEO Elliott Hill.
"Michael is a deeply strategic, emotionally intelligent, purpose-driven leader who understands the power of storytelling to move both brands and people," said Hill. "His vision for driving impactful communications, his instinct for building high-performing teams, and his ability to form authentic connections will help Nike amplify the voice of sport and athletes around the world in bold and meaningful ways."
[READ MORE: Nike promotes several to new leadership roles]
Gonda joins Nike from McDonald's, where he held several senior leadership roles, including chief impact officer for North America — overseeing communications, public affairs, sustainability, community engagement and philanthropy for the company’s largest markets and as global chief communications officer.
“Nike has always been more than a brand — it’s a storyteller, a cultural force, and a catalyst for belief,” said Gonda. “I’m deeply honored to join a company that has shaped how people see themselves and the world around them and am humbled to help Nike tell the stories that matter, connect even more deeply with athletes and communities, and write the next ambitious chapter with Elliott and this team.”
Prior to McDonald’s, Gonda held senior leadership roles at food company Chobani and communications agency Weber Shandwick.
- 6/2/2025
Williams-Sonoma expands Affirm flex payments to Canada
The Canadian subsidiary of a major home goods retailer is partnering with a flexible omnichannel payment platform.
Approved shoppers at Williams-Sonoma Canada banners including Williams Sonoma, West Elm, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Teen, Pottery Barn Kids, and Mark & Graham can now split their purchases into monthly payments with Affirm.
This move builds on the companies’ multi-year partnership in the U.S. After selecting Affirm at checkout, Canadian Williams-Sonoma customers go through a real-time eligibility check. If approved, they can choose the customized payment plan that best suits their needs with upfront pricing and no late or hidden fees.
“As Canadian consumers continue to embrace smarter and more flexible ways to manage spending on home furnishings and essentials, Affirm has become a go-to choice for greater payment control and transparency,” said Wayne Pommen, chief revenue officer at Affirm. “We’re thrilled to build on our successful collaboration with Williams-Sonoma and its family of brands to bring more Canadians the financial clarity, flexibility, and peace of mind they deserve.”
With this launch, Williams-Sonoma Canada joins Canadian retailers including Amazon, Apple, Samsung, and Brown’s Shoes in offering Affirm’s payment solutions to their customers.
[READ MORE: Williams-Sonoma acquires intellectual property of Dormify]
Williams-Sonoma operates in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia and the U.K. and has unaffiliated franchisees that operate stores in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico, South Korea and India.
- 5/30/2025
Big Lots in final phase of store reopenings — June date set for 78 locations
Big Lots is entering its final wave of store reopenings under its new owners.
The discounter will reopen 78 additional locations on June 5. The stores are located in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
The openings, which come under the direction of new owners Variety Wholesales, follow a phased reopening strategy that began in April. This latest round will bring the total number of reopened Big Lots stores to 219.
Variety Wholesales said the success of the reopenings has spurred it to explore options for acquiring additional Big Lots locations, further signaling its commitment to the brand’s long-term growth and expansion.
“The connection with the communities we serve, and the positive customer feedback has been more than we could have imagined,” said Lisa Seigies, president and CEO of Variety Wholesalers. “This enthusiastic response reinforces our belief that taking Big Lots! back to the roots of what made it a huge success resonates with our customers. Providing great value will always be our core mission.”
Variety operates more than 400 stores across 18 states. In addition to Big Lots, its retail banners include Big Lots, Roses Discount Stores, Roses Express and Maxway.
Earlier this year, Big Lots closed a previously announced sale agreement with Gordon Brothers Retail Partners. As part of the deal, Variety was set to acquire about 200 Big Lots stores. The agreement came as the bankrupt chain was holding store closing sales at its approximate 950 locations nationwide.
- 5/30/2025
Freddy's makes Canadian debut with Winnipeg store
A fast-growing Midwestern quick-serve chain has touched down in Canada.
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers will open its first Canadian location on Tuesday, June 3 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The chain has a master franchise and development agreement in Canada with veteran Canadian franchisees Jim Werschler and Gregg Most of North 49 Frozen Custard and Steakburgers. The Manitoba area franchise owners include John Hall and Turner Ethans.
“Freddy’s is committed to providing high-quality menu items cooked fresh to order with genuine hospitality in a clean and relaxing environment,” said Hall. “We’re thrilled to enter the Canadian market with our first location in Kildonan Crossing. Our convenient location makes us an easily accessible dining option for guests travelling by Regent Avenue and Lagimodière Boulevard, as well as guests looking for a great place to eat after shopping at our retail neighbors.”
Drive-thru service and mobile ordering through the Freddy’s app and website will also be available for the new Canadian locations.
[READ MORE: Freddy's adds 21 stores to pipeline; to enter new state]
Founded in 2002, Freddy’s is known for cooked-to-order steakburgers, shoestring fries, freshly churned frozen custard treats and more. The Witchita, Kas.-based chain operates more than 550 locations in the United States.
- 5/30/2025
Target names head of Roundel retail media network
Target Corp. is removing the interim label from the executive leading its proprietary in-house retail media network.
In an email to Chain Store Age, Target announced it is appointing Matt Drzewicki as senior VP of Roundel, the retail media network it initially launched in 2019. Effective June 1, 2025, Drzewicki will lead the Roundel business.
Prior to being named senior VP, Drzewicki served as interim leader of Roundel beginning in January 2025, following Sarah Travis’ appointment to executive VP and chief digital and revenue officer.
Drzewicki joined Roundel in May 2022 as VP, partner solutions group. His prior experience in traditional and digital media, includes more than 10 years in Google’s advertising and sales business as well as 12 years holding leadership roles in sales, marketing and product development at media and marketing services company Valassis.
Drzewicki will lead the Roundel team in its goal of doubling the size of its media business over the next five years. Roundel currently generates nearly $2 billion of value for Target and saw double-digit growth in the first quarter of 2025.
[READ MORE: Target aims to drive $15 billion-plus in sales growth by 2030; plans include..]
"I’m thrilled to step into this new role with Roundel and continue working with our amazing team," said Drzewicki. "I’m excited to lead Roundel into its next chapter in close collaboration with our strategic partners, while also expanding and developing new partnerships to continue innovating in the retail media landscape."
Roundel intends to improve data collaboration capabilities this year by introducing an improved media buying and selling model, leveraging Target’s first-party data and real-time signals to help brands drive more effective campaigns.
Show More