LAVAL, QUEBEC AND CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA. — Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., the Canadian parent company of Circle K, has agreed to acquire GetGo Café + Markets from Giant Eagle Inc., a supermarket chain based in Pennsylvania. GetGo operates 270 gas station and convenience store locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana. The company staffs approximately 3,500 employees. “We are excited to welcome GetGo into the Couche-Tard family,” says Brian Hannasch, president and CEO of Couche-Tard. “We look forward to growing together as we learn from and continue GetGo’s innovative approaches to serving its local customers and communities.” “We are energized by the potential for both Giant Eagle and GetGo as a result of this transaction,” adds Bill Artman, CEO of Giant Eagle. “This enhances our focus on our core supermarket and pharmacy businesses.” GetGo has multiple retail models, including open-concept stores and standalone kiosks, with an emphasis on “food first.” As part of this transaction, Couche-Tard and Giant Eagle have agreed to maintain and partner together on Giant Eagle’s myPerks loyalty program for customers. Couche-Tard expects the deal to close in 2025 following standard regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed …
Company News
HanesBrands Signs 122,670 SF Office Lease for New Corporate Headquarters in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
by John Nelson
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — HanesBrands Inc. has signed a 122,670-square-foot lease at 101 N. Cherry St., a seven-story office building located in Winston-Salem. The global clothing manufacturer plans to relocate its corporate headquarters to the property, which totals 224,900 square feet. Sam Haus, Will Henderson and Tara Alexander of CBRE represented the landlord, Truist Bank, in the lease negotiations. Amenities at the building include parking, a fitness center and onsite security.
RICHMOND, VA. — LL Flooring (NYSE: LL), a specialty retailer of hard- and soft-surface flooring, has commenced voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The Richmond-based company, which operates more than 300 stores and a distribution center in Sandston, Va., will also be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. The retailer plans to use the Chapter 11 proceedings to pursue a “going concern sale” of its business, meaning that LL Flooring’s future buyer could continue the business as usual post-transaction. LL Flooring says it “remains in active negotiations with multiple bidders” and hopes to seek approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware of a sale of its business in the first few weeks of the proceedings. Concurrent with the filing, LL Flooring announced it has reached an agreement with Hilco Merchant Resources LLC to assist the company in store closing sales at 94 locations. AlixPartners LLP is serving as restructuring advisor to LL Flooring, which has received $130 million in debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing from its existing bank group led by Bank of America. LL Flooring’s stock price closed on Friday, Aug. 9 at $0.84 per share, down from $3.75 a year ago, a 77.6 percent decline.
Jamestown to Acquire North American Properties Atlanta Office, Including $2B Real Estate Portfolio
by John Nelson
ATLANTA — Jamestown, a real estate development, investment and management firm based in Atlanta, has announced plans to purchase the Atlanta-based subsidiary of North American Properties (NAP), a prominent mixed-use developer and operator based in Cincinnati. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but NAP’s Atlanta office had $2 billion in assets under management (AUM) as of June 30, 2024. That portfolio includes nine mixed-use destinations across six states on the East Coast. As part of the transaction, a Jamestown affiliate will make an investment in the platform’s portfolio comprising Colony Square in Midtown Atlanta; The Forum Peachtree Corners in Peachtree Corners, Ga.; Avenue East Cobb in Marietta, Ga.; Birkdale Village in Huntersville, N.C.; Ridge Hill in Yonkers, N.Y.; and Newport on the Levee in Newport, Ky. The acquisition also includes the platform’s real estate services business that manages Avalon in Alpharetta, Ga.; Mercato in Naples, Fla.; and Riverton in Sayreville, N.J. These third-party services will add to Jamestown’s real estate services business, which currently includes 22 projects across 19 cities and 10 countries. “This acquisition will bolster our differential advantage in the market as a vertically integrated, mixed-use operator with a focus on placemaking,” says Michael Phillips, president of Jamestown. …
Buca di Beppo Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Plans to Keep 45 Remaining Restaurants Open
by John Nelson
ORLANDO, FLA. — Orlando-based Italian dining chain Buca di Beppo has voluntarily filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. USA Today reports that the restaurant chain claimed it owed 30 separate creditors approximately $50 million at the time of filing. The restructuring will involve 44 core restaurants, as well as a new store currently being opened. According to a press release issued by the company, it is “committed to ensuring that the restaurants operate as usual.” Gray Reed & McGraw LLP is serving as legal advisor to the company, and CR3 Partners LLC is acting as financial advisor, as well as providing corporate leadership as the chief restructuring officer. Stout Capital is acting as investment banker on behalf of the brand. “By restructuring with the continued support of our lenders, we are paving the way toward a reinvigorated future,” says Rich Saultz, president of Buca di Beppo.
HOUSTON — Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) will relocate its headquarters from San Ramon, a suburb of San Francisco, to Houston. The oil-and-gas giant, which already employs about 7,000 people in the Houston area, intends to relocate certain executives, including chairman and CEO Mike Wirth, to the Bayou City before the end of the year. Chevron’s existing office footprint in Houston includes multiple spaces in the downtown area and a presence in the Westchase District. The company also purchased 77 acres within the Bridgeland master-planned community in the northwestern suburb of Cypress last year with plans to construct a research-and-development campus.
CHICAGO — During a conference call held yesterday, executives of Equity Commonwealth (NYSE: EQC) announced that the Chicago-based office REIT is going to wind down its operations and liquidate its four remaining office assets. David Helfand, president and CEO of Equity Commonwealth, cited “uniquely challenging market conditions” as the impetus behind the move as the company was previously pursuing a major acquisition that ultimately wasn’t executed. “After working through our pipeline, we have been unable to consummate a compelling transaction,” said Helfand, who noted that the firm had also been trying to sell three of its remaining office properties as discussed in the first-quarter earnings call. “As a result, our board of trustees has determined that it’s advisable and in the best interest of our shareholders to proceed with the wind down of our operations and the liquidation of our assets in order to maximize value for shareholders.” Equity Commonwealth was founded in 1986 by Barry Portnoy under the name CommonWealth REIT. In 2014, the late REIT champion and billionaire investor Sam Zell took over operations of the company alongside a new board of directors, including Helfand. The REIT was rebranded to Equity Commonwealth and began trading on the New …
THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS — Conn’s HomePlus, a home furnishing retailer based in the Houston area, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will close at least 70 stores nationwide, according to reports from multiple media outlets including CNN and USA Today. The latter publication reports that Conn’s filed for bankruptcy protection this past Tuesday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas amid slumping revenue reports and that the impacted stores are scattered across 13 states. Both news organizations report that the state with the highest concentration of closures is Florida (18), followed by Texas (nine). Conn’s was founded in 1890 and operates about 150 stores across the country, according to the company’s Wikipedia page.
ROUND ROCK AND TAYLOR, TEXAS — iMarket America, a supplier of industrial raw materials and products, will relocate its U.S. headquarters to the northern Austin suburb of Round Rock, according to a release from the Round Rock Chamber. iMarket America, whose parent company is based in South Korea, is a major vendor of Korean electronics giant Samsung, which is developing a $17 billion semiconductor manufacturing facility in Taylor, another northern suburb of Austin. To facilitate that relationship, iMarket America has proposed a plan to develop a 212-acre campus that would be located northeast of the intersection of Carlos G. Parker Boulevard SE and FM 112 near the Samsung plant. According to the Austin Business Journal, the development would feature about 2.2 million square feet of warehousing, manufacturing, office and research-and-development space. The publication also reports that iMarket America purchased the land after signing a nonbinding memorandum of understanding with the City of Taylor in 2023. Samsung broke ground on its Taylor facility in 2022 and expects to be operational this year.
AUSTIN, TEXAS AND ORLANDO, FLA. — Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI) has agreed to acquire Chuy’s Holdings (NASDAQ: CHUY) for $605 million in an all-cash transaction. The Tex-Mex restaurant chain — which owns and operates 101 full-service restaurants across 15 states — will join Darden’s existing restaurant portfolio, which includes Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and Ruth’s Chris Steak House, among others. Under terms of the merger agreement, Orlando-based Darden will acquire all outstanding shares of Chuy’s at $37.50 per share. The purchase price represents a 40 percent premium to the Austin-based company’s 60-day volume weighted price. Chuy’s board of directors unanimously approved the merger agreement, which includes a 30-day “go-shop” period that will allow the company to solicit alternative proposals from interested parties. The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2025, subject to a number of closing conditions, including approval by a majority of Chuy’s stockholders. Darden acquired Ruth’s Chris in summer 2023 for $715 million. The company’s portfolio of restaurant brands also includes Yard House, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Eddie V’s and Bahama Breeze. Darden’s stock price closed at $147.35 per share on Thursday, July 17, down from $163.31 one year ago. …