Barnes & Noble, Inc. (212-633-3300) signed a lease to open a store in Merced, CA. The 22,000 sq.ft. bookstore will be located in the Merced Marketplace at the intersection of West Olive and Austin Avenues. The store is expected to open during August 2003.

Allied Domecq Quick Service (800-777-9983) plans to increase development of the co-branded Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins stores in the Raleigh-Durham, NC area. The company plans to open locations in Chatham, Cumberland, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Granville, Halifax, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Lee, Mecklenburg, Moore, Nash, Northampton, Orange, Person, Sampson, Vance, Wake, Warren, Wayne and Wilson, NC.

Kohl’s (262-703-7000) is planning to open a store in Flemington, NJ during Fall 2004. The company recently opened stores in East Brunswick and Wayne, NJ; Beaver Dam and Gaylord, MI and Wilkesboro, NC.

Save-A-Lot (270-843-3252) plans to double its number of supermarkets to 48 in St. Louis, MO. The company’s expansion will begin during early 2003 with an opening at 5433 Southwest Avenue and a store in the MLK Plaza at the intersection of Grand and Martin Luther King Boulevards. Save-A-Lot locates in neighborhoods with a family income less than $35,000 and occupies spaces of 18,000 sq.ft.

2nd Swing, Inc. (952-345-3700) plans to use the $12 million it recently raised in a public offering towards opening new stores. The company currently operates 30 stores that buy, sell and trade new and used golf clubs and related equipment.

99 Cents Only Stores (323–980-8145) plans to open 10 stores by the end of the year. The company has already opened 21 stores in 2002, with recent openings in Long Beach and Merced, CA.

Jerry’s Systems, Inc. (301-921-8777) plans to open 30 Jerry’s Subs and Pizza restaurants. The new units will mainly be located in MD and northern VA. The company currently operates 130 pizzerias in nine countries.

Cosi, Inc. (212-653-1600) plans to open a site in Avon, CT by the end of the year. The 70-seat restaurant will be located at 385 West Main Street near Pier 1 Imports in The Shops at Dale Corner and will occupy a space of 2,700 sq.ft. The company currently has locations in 11 states and in Washington, DC.

Famous Dave’s (952-294-1300) is considering opening another restaurant in the Brainerd/Baxter, MN area. The company’s newest restaurant will open during January in FL.

Talbots (781-749-7600) is planning to open six Talbots Mens stores during 2003. The company plans to add nine stores during 2004 and a serious rollout of stores during 2005.

California Fresh Deli, Inc. (310-996-0003) plans to open up to 80 Johnnie’s New York Pizzeria and Caffe restaurants during the next five years. The chain has 10 units operating in southern CA and utilizes spaces of 1,500 sq.ft. to 2,500 sq.ft.

Sears (847-286-2500) is planning to open a 160,400 sq.ft. store in a former JCPenney space at Eastland Center in Harper Woods, MI. The store is expected to open during October 2003 and will join Target and Marshall Field’s as anchors.

Tractor Supply Co. (615-366-4600) is planning to open two stores and relocated four stores by the end of the year. The company has opened 111 stores so far this year. Plans call for opening 25 stores during 2003.

Smith & Hawken (415-506-3845) recently opened a store in Scottsdale, AZ and a 5,000 sq.ft. location in Westfield, NJ. The company plans to open locations in Geneva, IL and Marlton, NJ by the end of the year and 10 stores during 2003. The company operates 46 stores specializing in home and garden products.

Fired Up, Inc. (512-263-0800) is opening a 6,000 sq.ft. Johnny Carino’s Country Italian restaurant as part of the 42-acre Lake Crossing retail development located next to the New Lakes Mall. The restaurant is located on Harvey Street in Norton Shores, MI. There are currently 50 Johnny Carino’s Country Italian restaurants in AR, CO, ID, TX and in the Middle East, with 50 more under construction. The company currently has agreements in place to develop 415 Johnny Carino’s both domestically and internationally over the next 10 years.

Fred’s, Inc. (901-362-3733) is planning to open 60 stores during the fiscal year. The company currently operates 424 general merchandise stores, including 26 franchised stores, throughout the southeastern United States.

One Price Clothing Store, Inc. (864-433-8888) is planning to open or relocate 10 "Tri-Box" stores during the Spring season of fiscal 2003. Tri-Box is a 9,000 sq.ft. to 11,000 sq.ft. facility which incorporates expanded assortments of children’s and plus-sized apparel. The company operates 616 units in 30 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, trading as One Price & More and Best Price!

The Gymboree Corp. (650-579-0600) plans to open four Janie and Jack shops at The Fashion Show in Las Vegas, NV; The Westchester in White Plains, NY; The Mall at Short Hills in Short Hills, NJ and Valley Fair in San Jose, CA throughout the Fall. The company currently operates stores at the Glendale Galleria in Glendale, CA; The Grove in Los Angeles, CA; Bridgewater Commons in Bridgewater, NJ; The Village at Corte Madera in Corte Madera, CA; Bellevue Square in Bellevue, WA; Brea Mall in Brea, CA; and Stoneridge Shopping Center in Pleasanton, CA. Janie and Jack stores specialize in clothing for infants and toddlers and cater to an affluent clientele.

Dreamland Holding, LLC (205-930-0913) plans to open Dreamland Bar-B-Que restaurants throughout the south. The company plans to open two stores in AL this year and accelerate expansion in the state through 2004 before widening the concept’s reach across the region. Currently, the four-unit chain has three locations in AL and one in Atlanta, GA.