Weekly Perl: A Commercial Real Estate News Recap


Chick-fil-A to Spend $100 Million on U.K. Growth Push
Talk of Chick-fil-A’s international ambitions began to stir in March 2023 when CEO Andrew Cathy told The Wall Street Journal the U.S.’ third-highest earning restaurant chain would invest $1 billion to explore growth in Europe and Asia by 2025.

Why the local drugstore could become a plasma collection center, restaurant or even a dog park
To get a sense of what's happening to shuttered drugstores as national chains streamline, take a look at one retail building in the affluent Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta, Georgia. Where pharmacists once dispensed pills and shoppers bought toothpaste, dog owners can now sip cocktails and nibble on appetizers as their pooches play in a fenced-in park adjacent to the restaurant.

Hollywood Park celebrates grand opening of new retail district in Inglewood
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- After many years of planning and construction, The Hollywood Park retail district is officially open. The shopping destination is touted as the L.A. area's newest and one its largest mixed-used developments, with stores like JD Sports eager to let customers know their doors are finally open.

Bankrupt Pizza Hut Operator EYM Pizza to Sell All of its Locations
Bankrupt Pizza Hut franchisee EYM Pizza is planning to sell its 127 restaurants as part of a financial restructuring. The company is partnering with National Franchise Sales, an M&A advisory and brokerage firm, to identify qualified buyers and facilitate the sale. The main goal is to maximize recovery for creditors and find a path forward for the restaurants. The locations are based in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Report: Less than 5% of retail space available at end of August
Availability of retail property is continuing to shrink to historic levels, according to new data from CoStar Analytics. The real estate data firm says that just 4.5% of the total amount of retail space was available for lease at the end of August.

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet in Texas expansion
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet has expanded its footprint in the Lone Star State. The retailer of closeout merchandise and excess inventory has opened 10 stores in Texas! The new locations were all former 99 Cents Only Stores.

Analysts: FTC should win Kroger, Albertsons merger case
While U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson mulls over details in the Federal Trade Commission-Kroger, Albertsons merger trial, which closed on Tuesday in Portland, Ore., market analysts are offering their take, and it does not look promising for the grocers.

