iParty Corp. (617-323-0822) is planning to open a 10,560 sq.ft. store at the Marketplace at Augusta in Augusta, ME.

Smith & Hawken, Ltd. (415-506-3700) is planning to open eight stores this year. New locations will span from coast to coast with the first slated to open in Walnut Creek, CA. The company currently operates 48 specialty gardening stores throughout 21 states.

Main Street & Main, Inc. (602-852-9000) is planning to open a 7,000 sq.ft. Bamboo Club restaurant at 155 West Nationwide Boulevard in Columbus, OH.

Lee’s Ice Cream (410-581-0234) is planning to open 10 stores this year, including locations in Owings Mills and Annapolis, MD. The stores occupy about 100 sq.ft. of space.

Costco Wholesale Corp. (425-313-8100) is planning to open a 149,816 sq.ft., three-story location at the intersection of Aurora Avenue and North 125th Street in Seattle, WA. Opening is slated for Fall 2004. The company currently operates about 400 warehouse stores throughout 36 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. (336-726-8917) is planning to open a Krispy Kreme store in Hampton, VA. The company also plans to expand throughout Canada, including eight locations in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan during the coming five years. The company currently operates 275 stores throughout 37 states and in Canada.

Famous Dave’s, Inc. (952-294-1300) opened a restaurant on Warren Road in Detroit, MI. The company also is planning to open another restaurant during the Fall and eight locations during the coming four years. The new restaurants will likely be in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, with a short term focus on Downriver and the Warren/Roseville areas. The company currently operates 40 company-owned and 36 franchised outlets throughout the Midwest.

Panera Bread (314-633-7100) is planning to open a store at Town Center Lakeside located at the intersection of Highway 6 and U.S. 59 in Sugar Land, TX. Cotenants include Super Target, Sally’s Beauty Supply, Jared Jewelers, Subway, Beck’s Prime, Houston Federal Credit Union, Busy Body, Eye Style Optical, Payless Shoes, Madras Pavilion and La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries.

Barneys New York, Inc. (212-339-7300) is planning to open a store in South Beach in Miami, FL. The store will open this Fall at 832 Collins Avenue in a space formerly occupied by Tommy Hilfiger. The 9,000 sq.ft. store will feature men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, shoes and cosmetics. The company plans to open two stores a year during the coming five years in major markets, such as Los Angeles, CA; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; and San Francisco, CA.

Cabela’s, Inc. (308-254-5505) is planning to open a store and a distribution center in the Dallas Pike area of Belmont County, OH. The 175,000 sq.ft. store is slated for an August 2004 opening. The company currently operates nine locations nationwide. Prior to the opening, the company plans on opening a one million sq.ft. distribution center at the Fort Henry site during the Spring of 2004.

Wild Oats Markets, Inc. (303-440-5220) is planning to open 25 stores a year, including 10 locations this year, 20 stores during 2004 and up to 25 stores in 2005. The company has signed 21 leases or letters of intent in 11 markets. Of the 21 stores, 12 will be under the Wild Oats brand and nine farmer’s market-type stores under its Henry’s Marketplace brand. In addition, Wild Oats plans to remodel up to 20 stores this year and 18 stores during 2004.

The T.J.X. Cos. (508-390-1000) opened an A.J. Wright location at North Towne Commons Shopping Center located at the intersection of West Alexis Road and Lewis Avenue in Toledo, OH. The company currently operates 75 locations nationwide, with plans to open 25 more by the end of the year. The center is tenanted by Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, OfficeMax, Radio Shack, Kroger, Pet Supplies Plus, Dollar Tree, Hometown Buffet, Bo-Ric’s, Electronics Boutique, Specialty Golf, D.O.C., Weight Watchers and Adecco.

Wal*Mart Stores, Inc. (650-837-5000) is planning to open a 135,000 sq.ft. Wal*Mart Supercenter on a 23-acre site located at the intersection of Route 1 and Cherry Hill Road in South Bridge in Prince William County, VA. Construction also began on a Wal*Mart store at the intersection of Liberia Avenue and Signal Hill Road in Manassas, VA. Opening is slated for the third quarter of 2003. The company also is planning to open a Wal*Mart Neighborhood Market in Tampa Bay, FL. The company also is planning to open stores in Orlando and Jacksonville, FL. Wal*Mart could build as many as 12 neighborhood Market stores in the Bay area by next year. The neighborhood stores average approximately 40,000 sq.ft.

Royal Furniture (901-527-6407) is opening two stores in locations vacated by Fleming Fine Furniture in the Memphis, TN area. The stores are located at 1862 North Germantown Parkway in Cordova and at 2855 U.S. 45 Bypass in Jackson. The company currently operates 10 locations.

Pier 1 Imports, Inc. (817-878-8000) is planning to open a 10,800 sq.ft. store on the west side of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, just south of Dona Michelle Drive in Tampa, FL. Opening is scheduled for late Summer.

Brinker International (972-980-9917) is planning to open a Chili’s restaurant on the Baylor University campus in Waco, TX. The restaurant will be called Chili’s Too@bu in the school’s Dutton Avenue parking facility, which is expected to open in August. The company currently operates 1,200 restaurants worldwide.

H&M (212-489-7777) is planning to open 110 stores in Europe and the U.S. this year. In the second quarter, the company plans to open 47 stores and close three. The company also is expanding its presence in Eastern Europe, opening five stores in Poland and three in the Czech Republic this year. The company currently operates 849 stores in 14 countries, including 55 stores in the U.S.

Dick’s Sporting Goods (412-787-1330) is planning to open 20 stores during fiscal 2003. The company also anticipates remodeling or relocating certain existing stores and enhancing its information technology assets as well as other infrastructure enhancements. The company currently operates 141 stores throughout 25 states.

CKE Restaurants, Inc. (714-774-5796) is planning to open a restaurant at the intersection of Chandler Boulevard and 48th Street in Mesa, AZ. Overall, the company plans on opening 20 restaurants through 2004, which will double its Valley’s presence. The remaining 60 are planned throughout 2007.

Dots, Inc. (440-349-7900) is planning to open a 4,337 sq.ft. store at the Riverplace Shopping Center at 11111 San Jose Boulevard in Jacksonville, FL. The company currently operates 31 stores in central and southern FL and seven stores in GA, primarily in the Atlanta area.

National Book Warehouse (865-558-8187) is planning to open a 10,000 sq.ft. store and cafe at The Glen Town Center. The store and cafe will occupy the center space of the retail, entertainment and mixed-use development located beneath the historic tower of Hangar One. Opening is slated for October. The Glen Town Center is the centerpiece of The Glen, a 1,100-acre master-planned residential and commercial redevelopment project on the site of the former Glenview Naval Air Station. The center is anchored by Von Maur, Galyan’s, Market Foods, Espresso Cafe and Crown Theatres.

Shoe Carnival (866-271-5862) is planning to open approximately 40 stores at an expected aggregate cost of between $12.5 million and $13 million. The company’s current store prototype utilizes between 8,000 sq.ft. and 15,000 sq.ft. depending upon the location of the store and the population base the store is expected to service.

California Pizza Kitchen (310-342-5000) is planning to open restaurants at an accelerated pace during this year. Part of the company’s expansion strategy will be opening restaurants in new markets. The company currently operates 122 restaurants under the name California Pizza Kitchen and California Pizza Kitchen ASAP throughout 25 states and Washington, DC. The company also franchises 32 additional restaurants.

Hy-Vee, Inc. (515-267-2800) is planning to open a store at a former Kmart site in Independence, MO. The company plans on remodeling the building located at 4545 South Noland Road near U.S. 40. The company will open the 84,000 sq.ft. supermarket with a pharmacy, floral shop, bakery and deli during early 2004. The company currently operates approximately 200 supermarkets and 28 drug stores throughout seven Midwestern states.

Berean Christian Stores (513-931-2256) is planning to open a store in Chicago, IL. The company currently operates 18 stores throughout seven states. The Chicago store is the first in a line of growth opportunities for the company. The 12,000 sq.ft. store will be located in the center of the Rosemont retail corridor.

Houlihan’s Restaurant Group (816-756-2200) is planning to open a 5,200 sq.ft. restaurant in Marco Island, FL. The company currently operates 84 restaurants throughout 21 states, Puerto Rico and Mexico. Houlihan’s also is planning to open six locations this year and another 15 to 20 next year.

Dollar Tree (757-321-5000) is planning to open a store at the intersection of 15th Street and Range Line in Joplin, MO. The 10,750 sq.ft. store is slated to open at the end of July. It would be the company’s second store in Joplin. The other one is at the 1700 block of West Seventh Street. The company currently operates more than 2,179 stores in strip centers and malls throughout 38 states.

Elder-Beerman Stores Corp. (937-296-2700) is planing to open a department store in its new store format at Muscatine Mall located in Muscatine, IA. The store will be 43,500 sq.ft. and will be located in the south end of the center. It will be the company’s first store in IA and is expected to open later this year. The company also opened a 52,000 sq.ft. store in DeKalb, IL, that represents the company’s new strategy of opening smaller, single-level stores in small to mid-sized markets.