Restaurant

Atlanta - S. Truett Cathy, founder and chairman emeritus of Chick-fil-A Inc., died at the age of 93 on Sept. 8.

Cathy got his start in 1946, when he opened a diner in a suburb of Atlanta. He invented the Chick-fil-A sandwich in 1964 and opened the company's first restaurant in Atlanta in 1967. Under his leadership, the quick-serve eatery grew into one of the nation’s largest family-owned companies, with annual sales of $5 billion in 2013. Currently, there are more than 1,800 Chick-fil-A restaurants operating in 40 states and Washington, D.C.

New York -- Panera Bread would like its customers to leave their guns at home. The bakery-cafe chain joined a handful of other high-profile retailers, including Starbucks, Chipotle, and Target, to make the request.  

Lakewood, Colo. -- Einstein Noah Restaurant Group announced the appointment of Frank G. Paci as president and CEO, effective Sept. 15. Paci succeeds Michael Arthur who has filled the position on an interim basis since February 2014. Arthur will continue to serve as a board director.

Seattle - Starbucks Coffee Company will launch two new store formats in fiscal 2015, include a smaller-format concept aimed at urban commuters and a more premium store concept — Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room — dedicated to the chain’s highbrow Reserve brand of coffees.

Starbucks will launch two new store formats in fiscal 2015, include a smaller-format concept aimed at urban commuters and a more premium store concept — Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room — dedicated to the chain’s highbrow Reserve brand of coffees.

Palm Beach, Fla. -- On behalf of DMD Restaurant Group, JLL announced the firm has closed the sale of the former Carraba’s Restaurant, located at 2224 Palm Beach Lakes, West Palm Beach, Florida. DMD Restaurant Group plans to demolish the 1.7 acre site and construct a new free-standing, 8,500-sq.-ft. Twin Peaks restaurant with a 2,000-square-foot patio.

New York -- RKF announced that it has arranged two new leases at the Grace Building in Midtown for chef Gabriel Kreuther’s first solo restaurant and Bluestone Lane Coffee. The Grace Building is co-owned by Brookfield and The Swig Company.

Chicago -- Peet’s Coffee & Tea is growing its footprint in the greater Chicago area, opening 16 stores in a phased rollout across the market this fall. Chicago is part of Peet’s aggressive U.S. expansion effort that began last year, which will bring its store total to nearly 300 locations nationwide by the end of the year.