Fast Casual Restaurant

Alpharetta, Ga. -- McAlister's Deli has partnered with several lenders for franchise expansion nationwide. First Franchise Capital, Balboa Capital and Franchise America Finance have committed to financing new construction and remodels, as well as POS upgrades and equipment.

In 2014, McAlister's will celebrate its 25th anniversary and expects to open 25 new restaurants in new and existing markets, including in Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Virginia and Florida, among others.

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin' Donuts has signed an agreement with OLH Group to begin developing Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the Brasilia and Goias regions of Brazil. The agreement calls for the development of 65 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the Brasilia and Goias areas during the next several years.

Waban, Mass. -- Chick-fil-A and Sonic Drive-In deliver the best customer experience in the fast food industry, according to the 2014 Temkin Experience Ratings, an annual ranking of companies based on a study of 10,000 U.S. consumers.

Miami – Burger King Worldwide Inc. is reportedly planning to introduce a mobile payment app. According to the Wall Street Journal, Burger King will launch the smartphone app in select markets starting in April 2014 and will offer it in all 7,000 U.S. stores within a few months of initial rollout.

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin' Brands, the parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, has signed a multi-unit store development agreement with new franchise group, BG&E Investments, to develop five Dunkin' Donuts restaurants and one Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin-Robbins combination location throughout East Texas. The first restaurant is planned to open in summer 2014, and the remainder by 2018.

New York — Choza Taqueria, a Manhattan-based Mexican restaurant, has signed a lease for its third location at 100 Park Avenue, between 40th and 41st Streets. The new location will reach a lunchtime crowd from the area’s many Class A offices and the business commuters and visitors passing through Grand Central Station.

Winick Realty Group represented Choza, which currently operates storefronts on Madison Avenue and 27th Street and Macdougal Street and Bleecker Street.

San Jose, Calif. -- VeriFone Systems, Inc. is partnering with Xpient Solutions to provide payment-as-a-service (PaaS) solution for quick service restaurant (QSR) and fast-casual dining markets. The solution enhances security through payment system isolation and end-to-end encryption while providing a pathway to EMV and NFC payment acceptance at the point-of-sale (POS).
 

Northbrook, Ill. – Trustees of Northbrook, Ill. reportedly are considering a 43,000-sq.-ft. retail development. According to the Chicago Tribune, the development sits on a four-acre parcel near the border with Glenview, Ill., which is owned by Svigos Asset Management.

Bloomfield Hills, Mich. — Jimmy Johns has signed leases for three new restaurants in the Detroit metropolitan area, two in Livonia and one in Northville.

In Livonia, Jimmy Johns signed a 2,277-sq.-ft. lease on Middlebelt Road. Mid-America Real Estate-Michigan (www.midamericagrp.com) represented Jimmy Johns and the landlord, CVS, in the transaction.

Denver -- Quiznos on Friday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to reduce its debt. The sandwich chain said it filed after reaching a deal to cut its debt by more than $400 million, or about two-thirds. Quiznos said it would continue operating while it works to implement a debt-restructuring plan and make operational improvements.