Muss Development welcomes Panera Bread to 4,500 s/f at 345 Adams Street

According to Muss Development LLC, Panera Bread will open one of its first area locations at 345 Adams St., next to the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge annex, across the street from the recently unveiled and highly anticipated Shake Shack. The 15-year lease for 4,500 s/f includes 2,200 s/f on the ground floor and 2,300 s/f on the second floor. Muss Development purchased the first two floors of 345 Adams St. from the city of New York in a unique transaction, and is in the process of renovating and leasing to retailers. "Panera Bread provides another dining option to the hundreds of thousands of business people, visitors and residents in Downtown Brooklyn," said Joshua Muss, principal of Muss Development. "With Morton's The Steakhouse already prospering at 335 Adams St. and intense interest in the remaining space at 345, our vision of a bustling Adams St. retail corridor is beginning to take shape at one of the most visible and heavily trafficked areas in Brooklyn and at one of the busiest pedestrian intersections in the country." "Panera Bread opening its first Brooklyn location just a few steps from Borough Hall is yet another exciting culinary addition to our expanding 24/7, live-work Downtown," said Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz. "I predict Panera will find great success—and make lots of 'dough'—in Brooklyn. They may have been born and 'bread' in St. Louis—aka 'Brooklyn Midwest'—but they have finally hit the big time on the biggest stage of all: Brooklyn, USA!" According to Tim Doherty, vice president of development for Doherty Enterprises, owner of 26 Panera Bakery-Cafés in Long Island, Queens and Staten Island, "345 Adams St. is a great location for our first Brooklyn café. We look forward to opening more cafés in this great borough." 345 Adams St. is located next to the Brooklyn Renaissance Plaza, which includes 900,000 s/f of office space and the 667-room New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn's finest and largest full service hotel. "This large block of space offers retailers a rare opportunity that simply didn't exist before in Downtown Brooklyn," said Muss. "A thriving area like this, with thousands of new housing units nearby and hordes of tourists, students and business people, demands to have more shopping and dining options. We are proud and excited to be creating the space at 345 Adams St. that will provide it." Robert Greenstone of Greenstone Realty Corp. represented Muss Development in the deal and Thomas Rettaliata of RIPCO Real Estate Corp. represented Panera Bread. Panera Bread Company owns and franchises 1,421 bakery-cafes as of September 28, 2010 under the Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co., and Paradise Bakery & Café names. Its menu includes a wide variety of year-round favorites complemented by new items introduced seasonally with the goal of creating new standards in everyday food choices. Established in 1906, Muss Development, LLC is a fully integrated real estate company that handles all aspects of the development process, including zoning and approvals, sales and marketing, construction and management.