CHICAGO, NEW YORK CITY AND LONDON — Elliott Investment Management LP, the parent company of Barnes & Noble, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the assets and business operations of Paper Source. The Seattle Times reports that the purchase price was approximately $91.5 million. The acquisition will allow the Chicago-based stationery and party supplies retailer to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and to continue to operate 130 stores across the country, as well as its wholesale division, Waste Not Paper by Paper Source. James Daunt, CEO of New York City-based Barnes & Noble, will oversee daily operations of both companies. While Paper Source and Barnes & Noble will continue to function as separate businesses, executives involved in the deal noted that the complementary nature of the two retail operations creates potential for future partnerships. Elliott Investment Management originally acquired Barnes & Noble in September 2019.
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. — Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) is increasing its restaurant wages, resulting in an $15 average hourly wage by the end of June, according to the Newport Beach-based company. Additionally, the Chipotle employees can advance to a “restaurateur” status, the highest general manager position, in approximately three-and-a-half years, with average compensation of $100,000. Wage increases for new and existing hourly and salaried restaurant employees will be rolled out over the next few weeks and will result in hourly crew member starting wages ranging from $11 to $18 per hour. The company has also launched a $200 employee referral bonus for crew members and a $750 referral bonus for apprentices and general managers. With approximately 200 restaurants slated to open this year coupled with continued growth and demand, Chipotle plans to hire 20,000 new team members across the United States. The company will host a virtual career fair on Discord on May 13.
SAN FRANCISCO — M. Art Gensler Jr., founder of San Francisco-based global design firm Gensler, passed away on Monday. At the age of 85, Gensler died at his Mill Creek, Calif., home following an 18-month battle with lung disease, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. In 1965, along with his wife Drucilla Cortell Gensler and James Follett, Gensler co-founded the design firm M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates in San Francisco. Since its founding, the firm has grown from a three-person operation to more than 5,000 employees across 50 locations globally. “Art didn’t want to be a ‘starchitect,’” says Andy Cohen, Gensler co-CEO. “In fact, what he built was a constellation of stars by hiring smart people and getting out of their way. It’s why Gensler is a pioneer in our industry, and Art’s legacy will remain embedded in our firm’s unique culture.”
BETHESDA, MD. — Marriott International Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR) posted a net loss of $11 million in first-quarter 2021, a notable shift from last year when the firm generated $31 million in earnings, though that quarter did not experience the full shock of the COVID-19 pandemic. Marriott’s earnings were adjusted to 10 cents a share, which was higher than what Wall Street estimated at 3 cents per share, according to The Wall Street Journal. Marriott’s revenue decreased from $4.7 billion in first-quarter 2020 to $2.3 billion in first-quarter 2021 as worldwide RevPAR (revenue per available room) dipped 46.3 percent year-over-year. Additionally, the company saw an adjusted net income of $34 million, which is roughly 79 percent lower than the first quarter of last year ($160 million). Marriott’s CEO Tony Capuano predicts the company’s earnings to bounce back due to a higher demand for travel in the United States and Canada following the widespread implementation of the three COVID-19 vaccines. “As vaccines roll out around the world and government restrictions ease, I am optimistic that demand will continue to strengthen,” says Capuano. According to Capuano, who took over a few months ago from the late Arne Sorenson, the company saw an uptick …
SAN DIEGO and PHOENIX — Realty Income Corp. (NYSE: O), a San Diego-based real estate investment trust active in the net lease sector, has agreed to acquire VEREIT (NYSE: VER), a Phoenix-based real estate investment trust in the single-tenant net lease sector. The all-stock transaction will create a combined company dominant in the net lease space with an enterprise value of approximately $50 billion, making it one of the largest real estate investment trusts. VEREIT shareholders will receive 0.705 shares of Realty Income stock for every share of VEREIT stock they own. After the merger agreement closes, the combined company — operating as Realty Income — plans to create a taxable spin-off of substantially all of the office properties of both companies into a new, self-managed, publicly traded REIT known as SpinCo. Realty Income and former VEREIT shareholders are expected to own about 70 percent of Realty Income and 30 percent of SpinCo. “This is a huge game changer for the REIT market,” says Scott Merkle, managing partner of SLB Capital Advisors, which specializes in net lease transactions. “It creates the sixth largest REIT, makes Realty Income multiples larger than the nearest net lease competitor, and allows them to become …
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves and Atlanta United FC, the city’s professional baseball and soccer clubs, plan a return to 100 percent attendance at their respective home stadiums, Truist Park and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Both teams plan to increase their seating capacities to pre-pandemic levels. At Truist Park in Cobb County, the Braves plan to bring the stadium to full capacity to about 41,000 seats. Starting with the May 7 game against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Braves says Truist Park will be at full capacity. Atlanta United will also bring its home games to 100 percent capacity, which will be about 42,500 seats. According to the Atlanta Braves’ website, all health and safety procedures will still be intact, including face masks, cashless concessions, mobile ticketing and ordering and a no bag policy. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium says their health and safety procedures will also be maintained, such as face masks requirements, areas with hand sanitization stands and cleaning procedures before, during and after events.
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. — Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) has reported its financial results for the first quarter, ended March 31, 2021, with digital sales growing 133.9 percent year-over-year to $869.8 million. Digital sales accounted for 50.1 percent of overall sales for the Newport Beach-based fast-casual restaurant chain. Chipotle’s revenue increased 23.4 percent to $1.7 billion compared to first-quarter 2020, with comparable restaurant sales increasing 17.2 percent. Additionally, the company reported opening 40 new restaurants and closing five restaurant locations, bringing the total restaurant count to 2,803, with 26 of the new locations offering a “Chipotlane” drive-thru option. As of March 31, Chipotle has nearly $1.2 billion in cash, investments and restricted cash, and no debt. The company also has access to a recently refinanced $500 million untapped credit facility with which to continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Net income for the restaurant was $127.1 million, an increase from $76.4 million in first-quarter 2020. “Chipotle is off to a great start in 2021 thanks to our employees and their incredible level of collaboration and tireless dedication,” says Brian Niccol, chairman and CEO of Chipotle. “As vaccines roll out and we get closer to moving past this pandemic, I believe …
In the past year, COVID-19 has impacted how and where people work, and the future of the U.S. office workplace is a major unknown. Landlords are grappling with how to maximize their physical work spaces as many employees continue to work from home full-time or at least a few days per week. This shift is leading some business owners to look for alternative forms of workplaces. ƎDEN, a flexible workplace and meeting space provider, allows for users to rent out space to fulfill their everyday working needs, including in-person meetings. ƎDEN users can download the brand’s app and then reserve an array of workplaces: work lounges, private offices and conference rooms, among other offerings. Standard rates for renting out the spaces starts at $99 a month per person, according to the firm’s website. ƎDEN currently operates from several different markets, but most locations are concentrated in the New York area. These include a location in Queens at Parker Towers and another in Brooklyn at Box Factory. The firm also has a location in Northern Virginia at Tysons Corner and three upcoming locations in Detroit. Brandon Singer, CEO of MONA and ƎDEN’s commercial real estate advisor and broker, says ƎDEN utilizes …
JERICHO, N.Y. AND HOUSTON — Kimco Realty Corp. (NYSE: KIM) has announced plans to acquire fellow retail REIT Weingarten Realty Investors (NYSE: WRI) for roughly $3.9 billion. The combined company is expected to have a pro forma equity market capitalization of $12 billion and a pro forma total enterprise value of $20.5 billion. The merger will create a national operating portfolio of 559 open-air, grocery-anchored shopping centers — one of the darlings of commercial real estate during the COVID-19 pandemic — and mixed-use assets comprising 100 million square feet of gross leasable area. In its reasoning for the acquisition, Kimco cited enhanced asset diversification and quality; expanded geographic reach in high-growth, first-ring suburbs of core markets; greater tenant diversity; a more compelling value creation pipeline; operational savings and corporate synergies; earnings accretion and NOI growth opportunities; and an increase in the company’s financial strength and flexibility. “We believe this transaction is a win-win for shareholders of both companies, who will benefit from the upside potential associated with owning the preeminent open-air, grocery-anchored shopping center and mixed-use real estate REIT in the U.S.,” says Conor Flynn, Kimco’s CEO. “This combination reflects our conviction in the grocery-anchored shopping center category, which has …
ANAHEIM, CALIF. — Disneyland Resort will reopen its theme parks Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park on April 30, with limited capacity and more than 10,000 cast members. Additionally, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa will welcome guests starting on April 29, as part of Hotels of the Disneyland Resort’s phased reopening. To comply with government requirements and promote physical distancing, various new measures are in place at the park, with the Disneyland Resort managing attendance through a new theme park reservation system that requires all guests to obtain a reservation for park entry in advance. Theme park reservations will be limited and subject to availability, and until further notice, only California residents may visit the parks. Groups must be no larger than three households, in line with current state guidelines. Disneyland’s phased reopening includes: Downtown Disney District – currently open Disney’s Grand California Hotel & Spa — April 29 Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park — April 30 Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel — to be determined Disneyland Resort will reopen and operate updated sanitization and distancing protocols, including enhanced cleaning and housekeeping modifications, plus operational changes for physical distancing and reduced contact. Guests planning …