Restaurant

Houston - Baker Katz, an X Team International partner and full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm, announced that it has negotiated five Chipotle leases in Texas.    Jason Baker negotiated the leasing of the five Chipotle locations, ranging in size from just over 2,000 sq. ft. to 3,000 sq. ft. with a variety of different brokers.  

Brand-building expert and consultant Denise Lee Yohn has released her annual outlook for the year,  “Brands to Watch in 2015.”

New York - The City Council of Chiago has approved a boost in the minimum wage, gradually raising it to $13 an hour by 2019. The vote was pushed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel faces a reelection vote in February.

The plan raises Illinois' $8.25 rate – which is $1 higher than the federal rate – in small increments. It will get raised to $10 next year, and then increase by amounts of of 50 cents and $1. City officials estimate more than 400,000 Chicago workers will benefit.

 

NEW YORK - Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart plans to open a coffee shop in New York.  

A spokeswoman for Martha Stewart confirmed Wednesday that plans are in place for the company to open a New York coffee shop. She declined to offer more details, such as when it will open.  

The shop will be located in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, the Associated Press reported, in the same building where Stewart’s company— Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc.—is based holds the company's headquarters.

Istanbul, Turkey - Annapolis, Maryland-based architectural firm Roy Higgs International has been retained to design the retail portion of Metropol İstanbul, a global mixed-use project and architectural landmark of Istanbul that is rising within the borders of the Istanbul International Financial Center in Ataşehir.

“Metropol İstanbul will breathe new life into this vibrant city, elevating its architectural significance,” said Elif Ozbay, design manager for Metropol İstanbul.

Bridgeport, Connecticut - A major Northeastern waterfront project has achieved lift-off. Bridgeport Landing Development, a subsidiary of The RCI Group, announced that it has completed the $15-million Phase I infrastructure improvements at its mixed-use Steelpointe Harbor project in Southern Fairfield County Connecticut and it has begun going vertical.  

Seattle – Starbucks wants customers to feel wonderful this holiday season. From now through Jan. 5, 2015, customers who pay using a Starbucks Card or Starbucks mobile app, can enter the Starbucks It’s a Wonderful Card Ultimate Giveaway.

The omnichannel promotion offers the chance to win one of 482,000 instant prizes, and 10 customers in the U.S. will win the prize of Starbucks for Life, which is one free food or beverage item from participating stores every day for the next 30 years.