Fast Casual Restaurant

Dallas -- Corner Bakery Café said Wednesday it plans to open 18 restaurants in the Boston area, joining under-development markets in neighboring Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The bakery-café concept is targeting its growth through franchising deals with restaurant pros capable of opening multiple units. Corner Bakery has set a goal of doubling its current U.S. footprint of 147 locations by the end of 2015.

Dallas -- Red Mango said Wednesday it has secured an area development agreement to expand the yogurt chain to Central America.

El Salvador-based Nutrisal will open its first store in San Salvador next month at Plaza Santa Elena. Total unit development plans were not announced.

Dallas -- Corner Bakery Cafe announced plans to open 16 restaurants in six counties in the greater New York City area as part of a recent multi-unit agreement with CBCWSNY. The group of restaurant operators plans to open its first restaurant in 2013 and the remaining sites over the next six years.

Corner Bakery Cafe opened 20 new cafes and signed another 125 cafes in 2012, raising the total to 147 open cafes and 288 cafes under development, as the company moves forward on its goal to double its U.S. footprint by the end of 2015.

Oak Brook, Ill. -- McDonald's Corp. reported Friday that global same-store sales decreased 1.9% in January, hurt by weakened performance outside the U.S.

By segment, comps in the U.S. rose 0.9%, but decreased 2.1% in Europe and dropped 9.5% in the Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa.
 
Systemwide sales for the month increased 0.3%, or 0.7% in constant currencies.

St. Louis -- Panera Bread Company announced that Roger C. Matthews, Jr., has been appointed Panera's EVP and CFO, effective March 18.

Matthews most recently served as managing director and sector head of the U.S. Restaurant Industry in Goldman Sachs' Investment Banking Division.

Pat Kelly, who has served as Panera's Interim CFO since April 2012, will remain in place until the end of March to ensure a smooth transition.

Dallas -- Real estate investment firm The Cogent Group said Tuesday that it has acquired 15 KFC properties in North Carolina. The properties are leased to a franchisee.
 
The 15 units are located in prime retail corridors in the North Carolina Triad market consisting of Greensboro, Winston Salem, and High Point, with above average unit sales. The properties are subject to long-term triple net leases having an initial term of 20 years, plus renewal options.
 

New York -- Winick Realty Group said Tuesday it has been appointed the exclusive broker for Desi Shack, a fast-casual South Asian restaurant concept with one current location in Midtown East.

Desi Shack plans to open two more locations within the next 12 months, seeking sites measuring 600 sq. ft. to 1,500 sq. ft. in the Financial District, Midtown East, Midtown West, Flatiron, Union Square, the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Fort Worth, Texas -- Trademark Property Co. said Tuesday that Dick’s Sporting Goods and Corner Bakery Café will open this year at The Shops at La Palmera in Corpus Christi, Texas. The 61,233-sq.-ft. Dick’s store will anchor the 200,000-sq.-ft. redeveloped and rebranded center, located across from La Palmera mall. Construction on Dick’s is set to begin in February with opening slated for fall 2013.

Scheduled to open in May is a 4,166-sq.-ft. Corner Bakery Café, adding to its 140 locations across the country.

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin’ Donuts announced the signing of multi-unit store development agreements with two franchise groups to develop 11 restaurants throughout New Orleans.

The two franchise groups and their development plans include:

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin’ Donuts has signed a franchise agreement with Vietnam Food and Beverage Co. Ltd. for the development of Dunkin' Donuts restaurants across the country over the next several years, with the first locations planned for the Ho Chi Minh city area.
  
“We are excited to partner with Vietnam Food and Beverage Co. Ltd., which has a deep knowledge of the Vietnamese consumer, to open the first Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in Vietnam,” said Giorgio Minardi, president, Dunkin' Brands International.”