» Chain Restaurants Continue to Invade the UWS

Chain Restaurants Continue to Invade the UWS

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

panera-bread menchies Restaurant chains have been exploding in recent years in New York City, and the Upper West Side has seen its fair share of the chain expansion. Now, the Wall Street Journal reports that a few more chains have their eye on the Upper West Side. Panera Bread has been focused on a massive New York City expansion, with 20 anticipated additional locations in the city. “Current real-estate conditions are paving the way for Panera’s entrance,” stated Bill Moreton, president and chief executive of Panera Bread. The restaurant is scouting for a mixed-use area on the Upper West Side, and they hope to open multiple locations in the next 18 to 24 months. Another chain reportedly moving into the neighborhood is Menchie’s, a self-serve frozen yogurt store. The company plans to open an Upper West Side location (yet undisclosed) by the end of the summer. Representatives for many of the chain restaurants interviewed in the article cite reasons for their NYC expansion such as the drop of retail rents in the city, the recent strengthening of consumer spending, and an abundance of vacant storefronts after many smaller-scale stores became unable survive the recession. Keep checking My Upper West for updates on store openings and closings, or read the full WSJ article about the chain restaurant boom in New York City.