help find a casual style restaurant

I'm setting up a very informal lunch before a group outing. I need to find a place that's like Panera Bread or Cosi, where you can just walk up to a counter to order and sit yourself down, but not fast-foody like McDonald's. Sit down/wait service is out of the question for the kind of event I'm hosting. I don't know what you call these kinds of restaurants so it's kind of impossible to look up on maps or google. It needs to have a rather decently sized dining room because I don't know how many people are showing up and I need upwards of 10-15 people to sit near us. The place needs to be near Lex and 26th st area, maybe between 2nd and 5th aves and maybe 6 or 7 blocks north or south of it. I see there is a Cosi and the Bread and Butter sort of nearby but I want more options.