Restaurant

Atlanta -- The new year has brought news of a possible new data breach. Chick-fil-A acknowledged on Friday that it has received reports of potential “unusual activity” involving payment cards used at a few of its restaurants and that it was investigating whether a data breach had taken place.

“We take our obligation to protect customer information seriously, and we are working with leading IT security firms, law enforcement and our payment industry contacts to determine all of the facts,” the company said in a statement.  

Lafayette, La. -- Ambassador Town Center, a joint venture between Stirling Properties and CBL and Associates Properties, will launch construction this month in Lafayette, Louisiana, on a 58-acre site at the corner of Ambassador Caffery Parkway and Kaliste Saloom Road.

Oklahoma City – Fast food chain Sonic is heading upstate. Sonic has signed a new agreement for franchise development of eight new drive-ins in the Albany, New York area during the next seven years, with the first restaurant opening in Latham this spring.  

 

Firehouse Subs has a lot more going for it than an interesting story. And the story is unique: A couple of Jacksonville firefighters — brothers, even — opened the first restaurant in 1994, selling sandwiches (with names like ‘Hook & Ladder,’ which is the No. 1 seller) within a decidedly firefighter-themed restaurant environment. The concept was hot from the get-go, leaping to over 300 units in its first decade and now numbering near 900 mostly franchised restaurants.

Lebanon, Tenn. – Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is taking a decidedly new-fangled approach to promotion. The casual dining chain has enlisted Nashville-based advertising agency Redpepper to create a holiday-themed social marketing campaign.   The promotion targets a younger, more social demographic with Facebook posts. Some posts in the campaign have received more than 10,000 interactions.

New York - Retail sales in the United States increased 5.5% from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve, fueled by demand for women's apparel, jewelry and dining out, according to MastyerCard Advisors. Spending Pulse holiday report. Consumer electronics, which many industry analysts had predicted would be among the strongest categories this holiday season, was actually among the weakest, according to the report, with sales "basically flat" from Black Friday to Dec. 24 and in negative territory starting on Nov. 1. 

  Dallas - Corner Bakery Cafe has signed a five-restaurant deal in Virginia with franchise partner Shahid Ali and operating partner Ibo Pinar. The stores will open throughout Richmond and Fredericksburg.   Corner Bakery Cafe plans on doubling its national footprint of more than 180 stores in the next two years. To accomplish this goal, the retailer is adding new multi-unit franchise partners and currently has franchise agreements representing commitments for an additional 340 units.

CHICAGO - Top commercial construction trends for 2015 include an increase in retail and restaurant ground-up construction and a rise in shopping mall renovations, according to national general construction firm  Englewood Construction.