The Bay Area’s first Corner Bakery Cafe opened in Pleasanton. 

Renée Frojo
Reporter- San Francisco Business Times

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Corner Bakery Cafe is rising in the Bay Area.

The first of 32 planned restaurants opened in Pleasanton last week. The group has another lease singed in Pleasant Hill and hopes to open that restaurant by spring of next year.

Buon Hospitality, a segment of Pacific Convenience Fuels — which operates more than 500 fuel, restaurant and convenience business around the country — is running the franchise operation. The company signed an agreement last year with the Dallas-based chain to open 32 bakeries in seven years, bringing about 2,000 jobs to the area.

However, the timing is flexible. “Our timeframe is based more on finding great locations in the Bay Area than it is about watching the calendar,” said John Sweeney, general manager for restaurant operations and a former regional director for Corner Bakery Cafe. “There is no shortage of great real estate here. It’s finding great real estate that’s available.”

The franchise, which is popular on the East Coast, will be going up against Panera Bread, the industry leader in the fast-causal bakery segment. Panera already has more than a dozen locations in the Bay Area and annual sales of over $3 billion in 2011.

Sweeney said Corner Bakery will compete with its “open flame and real kitchens,” that serve up every meal item to order.

On the West Coast, Corner Bakery currently has a number of company-owned restaurants in Southern California and a few franchises in Arizona, Utah and Colorado.

Sweeney said Buon Hospitality is scouting locations from Santa Cruz to Santa Rosa on both sides of the San Francisco Bay to open other eateries.

Renée Frojo covers hospitality, restaurants, retail and nonprofits for the San Francisco Business Times.

Article source: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2012/12/17/corner-bakery-kicks-off-bay-area.html

The Bay Area’s first Corner Bakery Cafe opened in Pleasanton. 

Renée Frojo
Reporter- San Francisco Business Times

Email
 | Twitter
 | Google+

Corner Bakery Cafe is rising in the Bay Area.

The first of 32 planned restaurants opened in Pleasanton last week. The group has another lease singed in Pleasant Hill and hopes to open that restaurant by spring of next year.

Buon Hospitality, a segment of Pacific Convenience Fuels — which operates more than 500 fuel, restaurant and convenience business around the country — is running the franchise operation. The company signed an agreement last year with the Dallas-based chain to open 32 bakeries in seven years, bringing about 2,000 jobs to the area.

However, the timing is flexible. “Our timeframe is based more on finding great locations in the Bay Area than it is about watching the calendar,” said John Sweeney, general manager for restaurant operations and a former regional director for Corner Bakery Cafe. “There is no shortage of great real estate here. It’s finding great real estate that’s available.”

The franchise, which is popular on the East Coast, will be going up against Panera Bread, the industry leader in the fast-causal bakery segment. Panera already has more than a dozen locations in the Bay Area and annual sales of over $3 billion in 2011.

Sweeney said Corner Bakery will compete with its “open flame and real kitchens,” that serve up every meal item to order.

On the West Coast, Corner Bakery currently has a number of company-owned restaurants in Southern California and a few franchises in Arizona, Utah and Colorado.

Sweeney said Buon Hospitality is scouting locations from Santa Cruz to Santa Rosa on both sides of the San Francisco Bay to open other eateries.

Renée Frojo covers hospitality, restaurants, retail and nonprofits for the San Francisco Business Times.

Article source: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2012/12/17/corner-bakery-kicks-off-bay-area.html

SAN MATEO, Calif., Dec 06, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria (
www.amicis.com ),
the critically acclaimed San Francisco Bay Area restaurant, will open in
Shanghai in January, company co-founder and President Peter Cooperstein
announced today.

The first “Ello Amici’s” is located on Xiangyang Road in the popular
HuaiHai Road shopping district of Shanghai.

The China opening is the product of collaboration between Cooperstein,
partner Mike Forter and the Lo Family of Shanghai. Menlo Park resident
Sophie Lo is a Bay Area businesswoman and her brother, Jimmy Lo, is a
real estate developer in China.

“When Mike Forter and I founded our first Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria in
1987, we were excited to introduce the Bay Area to the style and quality
of our food and to our service-oriented operation,” Cooperstein said.
“Today we are equally energized to realize an even greater opportunity
in China!”

Renowned for pizza prepared in open flame, 700 degree ovens, Ello
Amici’s will offer Chinese patrons a similar menu to that available to
Amici’s diners in the Bay Area.

Amici’s began serving an east coast-style thin crust pizza in a smart
and casual atmosphere in December of 1987 and operates 12 sites from San
Jose to Vacaville, including two popular San Francisco locations, on
Lombard Street and on King Street, across from ATT Park. The company is
annually ranked as one of the most successful independently-owned pizza
businesses in the United States.

“Our goal is to open several locations in Shanghai and then expand into
Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau and other areas in China,” Cooperstein said.

The popular eatery has also scheduled its initial Southern California
site, in La Jolla (Northern San Diego County) for the spring of 2012.
Additionally, Amici’s pizzas are now served at San Jose Sharks National
Hockey League games in the HP Pavilion.

Media Note: Downloadable images and broadcast quality video in
3×4 and 9×16 of Ello Amici’s in Shanghai are available in the Media
Center on the corporate website at
www.amiciscorp.com

SOURCE: Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria

        Ciccarelli  Associates
        Peter Ciccarelli, 408-316-1930

Copyright Business Wire 2011

Article source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/popular-san-francisco-pizzeria-amicis-opens-in-shanghai-2011-12-06