Fast Casual Restaurant

Oak Brook, Ill. -- McDonald’s Corp. reported Tuesday that consolidated revenues for fiscal 2011 rose 12% to a record-high $27 billion. The restaurant chain also said that global same-store sales increased 5.6% for the year ended Dec. 31, with positive comps across all geographic segments for every quarter.

"During 2011, McDonald's continued momentum drove higher profitability and market share gains as we fortified our leadership position around the world," said McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner.

Richardson, Texas -- Wingstop said Wednesday that it has signed two development agreements that will result in 14 new restaurants in the Chicago area.

The multi-unit development agreements include a three-store deal with an existing franchise group and an 11-store deal with Chicagoland Wing Kings.

“We expect to double our presence in the area over the next two to three years," said Bev Rich, senior director of franchise development, Wingstop.

Wingstop currently has 19 restaurants in the Chicago area.

Riverside, Calif. -- A McDonald's restaurant in Riverside, Calif., has been LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification. It is the chain’s first location west of the Mississippi, and only the fourth in the United States, to receive the prestigious designation. Other LEED-certified McDonald's restaurants are located in Cary, N.C., Savannah, Ga. and Chicago.

Toms River, N.J. -- Fameco Real Estate said it has signed a lease with Tardi’s Ristorante at Bellcrest Plaza, located in Toms River, N.J.

Owned by H. Hovnanian Industries, Bellcrest Shopping Plaza is a 106,000-sq.-ft. neighborhood shopping center formerly anchored by Foodtown but still home to Planet Fitness, Burger King and Provident Bank.
 

Lakeland, Fla. -- Columbus, Ohio-based Casto announced that Burger 21, headquartered in Tampa, will open a fast-casual burger and shake restaurant at Casto’s Lakeside Village property, in Lakeland, Fla.

The 2,559-sq.-ft. restaurant, which is slated to open spring 2012, will feature outdoor patio seating plus interior space for 70-80 customers. It will be located across from GrillSmith Lakeland and next to Cobb Theatres – Lakeside Village 18.
 

New York City -- Subway Restaurants plans to add 2,500 restaurants in 2012, according to a report on QSRweb.com.

In 2011, Subway opened more than 2,100 locations, including 1,000 new units in the United States and Canada.  A big part of the chain's growth came from nontraditional spaces such as convenience stores, department stores, train stations, museums, hotel lobbies and movie theaters, the report said.
 

New York City -- The owners of the Panda Express fast-food chain, Andrew and Peggy Cherng, have partnered with Procter & Gamble, whose products include Tide laundry detergent, to open a dry cleaning chain, Panda Dry Cleaning, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The new concept made its debut under the Tide Dry Cleaners banner in Henderson, Nev., and as many as 200 franchised locations nationwide are planned for the next five years.

Bethesda, Md. -- Archiecture and design firm Streetsense said Monday it has created an all-new interior design scheme for La Madeleine French Country Cafe, a national chain of French-themed fast-casual restaurants.

A 1,194-sq.-ft. restaurant using the new prototype design is now open at Northpark Center in Dallas, while another is under construction in Tulsa, Okla. La Madeleine also has engaged Streetsense to design two new stores planned for the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region, one in Tysons Corner, Va., and one in Silver Spring, Md.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Cosi announced the appointment of Carin L. Stutz as the company's new CEO and president beginning Jan.1. She also will join the Cosi board of directors.

Stutz, 55, joins Cosi from Brinker International, where she was president of global business development, leading all aspects of franchise development and operations for 240 Chili's and Maggiano's restaurants around the globe.

 

Queens, N.Y. -- Onex Real Estate Partners announced the grand opening of local bakery chain, Fay Da Bakery, at Sky View Center, Queens’ newest regional multi-level mall, located in downtown Flushing, N.Y. 

The specialty bakery chain leased 1,650 sq. ft. of retail space on Level B of the 800,000-sq.-ft. mall, which caters to a population density of over 750,000 people living within three miles.