Fast Casual Restaurant

Bentonville, Ark. – Five Walmart stores in central Florida are reportedly getting ready to serve the needs of hungry customers.

New York -- The administration of Gov. Andrew Cuomo approved a wage increase that will gradually raise the minimum wage for fast-food workers in New York to $15 an hour. And now Cuomo wants the hike to be even broader.

Speaking Thursday at a labor rally in New York City, Cuomo proposed a $15 minimum statewide wage for all industries, with the increase to be enacted over time. It would give the Empire State the highest statewide minimum wage in the country. New York’s minimum wage is now $8.75 an hour.

Dallas -- Corner Bakery Café is expanding in Pennsylvania with the addition of eight stores throughout northern Pittsburgh. A group of franchisees with extensive real estate and retail experience is opening the new stores.

Corner Bakery Café is also targeting southern Pittsburgh for franchise growth. The retailer has more than 190 company-owned and franchise stores currently open, and franchise agreements representing commitments for 398 units.
 

Canton, Mass. - Dunkin' Brands Group Inc., the parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, has named Michael R. Shutley as VP, federal & state government affairs.

Reporting directly to Karen Raskopf, chief communications officer, Shutley will work closely with senior management to develop and implement the company's legislative initiatives.

He will also advocate for Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins franchisees at all levels of government, both domestically and internationally.

San Francisco -- The old-fashioned automat has been reborn as the nation’s first fully-automated, high-tech fast-food restaurant.   

Eatsa, a start-up restaurant concept, has opened its first location, in downtown San Francisco near the financial district. The format combines two of the city’s biggest interests: healthy eating and innovative technology. And don’t worry about tipping — there is almost no human interaction in the entire Eatsa experience.

Minneapolis -- Salads and fancy pizza will soon be on the menu at a very limited number of Target locations.

Starting in October, the retailer plans to test  fast-casual concepts in some 14 stores as it responds to customers looking for higher-quality food and more of a café atmosphere, USA Today reported.

Jackson, Miss. -- The fast-growing Newk’s Eatery named Robert Nygren as CFO.

Nygren comes to Newk’s with nearly two decades of financial management experience. He most recently served as VP of finance for DineEquity, the world’s largest full-service restaurant company, overseeing financial planning, analytics and strategy for Applebee’s and IHOP in conjunction with the brands’ operational and development objectives.

Salads and fancy pizza will soon be on the menu at a very limited number of Target locations.

New York -- In a long-awaited decision, the National Labor Relations Board has made it easier for contract workers and other temporary employees to more easily unionize.

Business groups and associations, including the National Retail Federation, criticized the decision.

Denver -- Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is going on a hiring binge.

The chain will hold its first-ever “National Career Day,” on Sept. 9, with the goal of hiring 4,000 new employees.

In terms of employment, Chipotle is considered one of the more desirable fast-food chains, offering higher-than-average wages. In June, the company announced it planned to offer benefits previously available only to salaried workers to all employees, including full tuition reimbursements, sick pay, and paid vacation days.