Restaurant

Houston -- The Vista Cos. and Vista Spring Green, Ltd. announced that McDonald's USA has signed a 56,000-sq.-ft. ground lease at The Plazas at Spring Green.

Construction on a new 4,800-sq.-ft. McDonald’s restaurant will begin in the coming weeks and is set to open in November.

The Plazas at Spring Green, a Vista Equities Group development, is located in Katy, Texas.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz told Britain’s Sky.com that the chain’s focus on improving its offerings and encouraging innovation as opposed to cost-cutting and store-closings are the reasons for its turnaround.

“You can’t “cut your way to prosperity,” Schultz said. “You have to create growth and opportunity.”

Lakeland, Fla. -- Publix Super Markets said that it has reached a deal to sell the Crispers restaurant chain to Healthy Food Concepts, an affiliate of the Miami-based investment group Boyne Capital Partners. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Crispers is a fast-casual restaurant chain serving soup, salads and sandwiches with 36 locations in Florida.
 

LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix Super Markets announced that it has entered into a contract to sell Crispers, the fresh salads, soups and sandwiches restaurant company it purchased in February 2007, to Healthy Food Concepts, LLC, an affiliate of a Florida-based investment group.

East Rutherford, N.J. -- Triple Five on Monday gave more information on its plans to transform the controversial and long-delayed Xanadu project in New Jersey’s Meadowlands Sports Complex, in East Rutherford, into what it promises will be “the world's largest and premier tourism, entertainment and retail destination, eventually reaching 7.5 million sq. ft.”

Chicago -- In its most recent consumer sentiment and behavior survey, Technomic, the Chicago-based food industry research firm, found that 84% of consumers believe that grocery prices have risen in the past three months and 62% believe restaurant prices have risen.

Bob Goldin, executive VP of Technomic, believes that the rapid rise in gas prices, now at record highs, has raised consumer sensitivity to price increases in grocery stores and restaurants.

New York City -- SRS Real Estate Partners said that Panera Bread has leased 6,926 sq. ft. on the ground-floor and basement levels at 120 E. 86th Street in Manhattan.
      
The lease was arranged by way of a termination with the current tenant, Walgreens, and a new lease execution with Panera.

Commack, N.Y. -- North Plainfield, N.J.-based Levin Management Corp. said that frozen dessert company D’Lites Emporium will open a new location at Mayfair Shopping Center, located in Commack, N.Y.

The 1,280-sq.-ft. store will join other food offerings in the center such as Outback Steakhouse, Ciao Baby, Good Taste Buffet, Bagel Boss, Kosher Market & Deli, and Original Brooklyn Pizza.