WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy has added 55 COVID-19 testing sites in North Carolina and 15 sites in South Carolina. The tests are accessible through appointments only. Patients will be required to stay in their cars and will be directed to the pharmacy drive-thru window, where they will be provided with a test kit and given instructions. A CVS team member will observe the self-swab process to ensure it is done properly. Tests will be sent to an independent, third-party lab for processing and the results will be available in approximately three days. In North Carolina, the 55 new sites are located in 29 cities, including seven sites in Charlotte, five in Raleigh, four in Cary, four in Durham, three in Fayetteville and three in Winston-Salem. In South Carolina, the locations are in Anderson, Charleston, Clemson, Columbia, Greenville, Mount Pleasant, Myrtle Beach, North Charleston, North Augusta, Spartanburg and West Columbia. With the 70 locations, Woonsocket-based CVS has now opened 986 testing sites in the country. Click here to see a full list of the locations.
LOUISVILLE, KY. — Papa John’s International Inc. has reported its May sales were up 33.5 percent in the U.S. and Canada on a year-over-year basis, marking the second month in a row that the pizza chain recorded its highest sales on record, according to president and CEO Rob Lynch. The May sales period was recorded from April 27 to May 24, and the company said it will continue to provide monthly updates through the end of the second quarter. In April, the Louisville-based chain reported a 26.9 percent increase in sales. The introduction of contactless deliveries has helped spike sales, the company said in a press release. Additionally, Papa John’s reported a 7 percent increase in international sales during May. As of Sept. 29, 2019, Papa John’s had 3,296 locations in the U.S. and Canada and a total of 2,047 stores in 47 other countries.
CHATTANOOGA, TENN. — CBL Properties reports it collected 27 percent of billed cash rents in April as retail stores and restaurants closed due the COVID-19 outbreak. The Chattanooga-based mall owner said during its first quarter earnings report that a majority of its 68 properties closed in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak. As of May 25, 66 malls were reopened. CEO Stephen Lebovitz says he and his team anticipate collecting 25 to 30 percent of cash billed rents for the month of May. Lebovitz also said CBL granted rent abatements and deferrals to several tenants and expect to collect April and May rents later in 2020 and into 2021. CBL also reported that its same-center net operating income (NOI) declined 8.7 percent year-over-year in March. Additionally, in an effort to save cash, CBL delayed approximately $60 million to $80 million in expenditures and redevelopments for 2020. CBL owns 91 total properties in 26 states, including Mayfaire Town Centre in Wilmington, N.C.; Fayette Mall in Lexington, Ky.; Brookfield Square in Milwaukee; The Outlet Shops at Atlanta in Woodstock, Ga.; and CoolSprings Crossing in Franklin, Tenn.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Third Avenue Management LLC, an investment advisory firm based in New York City, has entered the Texas market with the opening of a new office in Austin. The firm has maintained a satellite office suite in downtown Austin since 2017 and is expanding it into a regional office as it adds staff to support its expansion efforts in the state capital. Ryan Dobratz, who oversees the management of the firm’s real estate fund, will lead the new office, which has also undertaken a specific initiative to invest in select real estate and businesses that have been adversely impacted by COVID-19.
GREENVILLE, LULA AND VICKSBURG, MISS. — Eldorado Resorts Inc. has reopened Tropicana Greenville, Isle of Capri Lula and Lady Luck Vicksburg in Mississippi. Eldorado will limit the number of guests to no more than 50 percent of the property’s maximum occupancy, in accordance with Mississippi Gaming Commission regulations. The Reno, Nev.-based company temporarily closed the three casinos March 16 in accordance with the Commission’s orders to close casinos due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The properties reopened at 10 a.m. local time.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has released what it called a “Roadmap to Recovery” for the hotel sector in the United States. In the document, AHLA notes that the April jobs report issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says the hotel industry was hit the hardest of any sector tracked, losing 7.7 million jobs. The AHLA wrote a letter on behalf of its members to the U.S. Congress urging it to prioritize hotel workers and small businesses during the next stimulus package and to provide immediate assistance in four areas: help hotels retain and rehire employees by extending the Paycheck Protection Program, (PPP) offering employees direct tuition assistance or tax credits and expanding the Employee Retention Credit; protect employees and guests through tax credits for cleaning equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE); keep hotel doors open by providing relief for hotel commercial mortgages and increasing the size and flexibility of PPP loans; and incentivize Americans to travel again when it’s safe with a new, temporary travel tax credit and restoring the entertainment business expense deduction. “The hospitality industry is in a fight for survival,” says Chip Rogers, president and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based …
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Pier 1 Imports Inc. has filed a motion in U.S. Bankruptcy Court to begin the process of closing all of its remaining stores and liquidating its assets, including its intellectual property and e-commerce business, the Fort Worth-based home goods retailer said on Tuesday. Pier 1 closed about 450 stores in January and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in mid-February prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. However, CEO Robert Riesbeck said in the statement that the pandemic had amplified the company’s struggles to restructure debt and secure investment that would keep the business afloat. Pier 1 intends to initiate store closing efforts and liquidation sales once stores can reopen, in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines from local government and health officials. Pier 1 was founded in 1962 and operated about 1,300 stores at the height of its expansion in 2006.
BENTONVILLE, ARK. AND ATLANTA — Retailers Walmart and The Home Depot have reported increased sales during their respective first quarters. Bentonville-based Walmart, which operates on a fiscal year calendar running from Feb. 1 to Jan. 31, reported a spike of 74 percent in its e-commerce department, and an overall growth of 10 percent. Walmart’s total revenue reached $136.4 billion, which was 8.6 percent higher than first-quarter 2019. The uptick from e-commerce was mostly due to grocery pick-up and delivery services. Additionally, overall sales for Sam’s Club was up 12 percent and e-commerce demand for the Walmart-owned brand jumped 40 percent. The Home Depot, which is based in Atlanta, reported sales reached $28.3 billion, which was 7.1 percent higher than its first-quarter 2019. The Home Depot’s fiscal year ends Feb. 2. Despite the increased sales, the company’s revenue dipped by $300 million from first-quarter 2019 due to expanded benefits for its employees. Some of the benefits include extra time off for hourly employees, more still for associates 65 years of age and older, doubled overtimes rate, weekly bonuses for hourly employees and extended dependent care benefits and waived related co-pays.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Vogel Realty has voluntarily implemented plans to install new heating and air conditioning systems designed to minimize airborne viruses and bacteria at Chelsea Gardens in Washington, D.C. The 105-year-old mixed-use building has been closed since D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced stay-at-home orders for the District. Vogel Realty also plans to install handwashing stations and anti-microbial surfaces in the building before it can reopen on Saturday, May 30. The new HVAC systems will limit airflow between workspaces, bring more fresh air into units and neutralize viruses and bacteria. Chelsea Gardens was originally built as an office building in 1905 and was renovated 20 years ago to include retail and residential space.
PLANO, TEXAS — Renovo Financial, a Chicago-based private equity lender, has expanded into the Texas market with the opening of a new office in metro Dallas. The firm primarily focuses on providing financial solutions to borrowers that are targeting ground-up or rehabilitation construction projects. Jon Shipley, a real estate professional who previously worked for a regional private lender in Texas, will lead the firm’s new office as managing director. The new office is located at 5700 Tennyson Parkway in Plano.