Dean & DeLuca, Inc. (212-226-6800) is planning to open its first gourmet grocery store in southern CA at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, an 85,000 sq.ft., two-level center. The 23,000 sq.ft. store is slated to open during the fall of 2009. The stores offer prepared foods, fresh produce, artisan cheeses, specialty meats, seafood, espresso and pastries, as well as a wine bar and café with indoor and outdoor seating. The company currently operates 15 stores and cafés nationwide.

Wal*Mart Stores, Inc. (479-273-4000) is planning to open a 155,000 sq.ft. Wal*Mart Supercenter on Capital Avenue in Pennfield, MI. Opening is slated for April 2009. The company currently operates 1,040 Wal*Mart stores and 2,326 supercenters nationwide. The supercenter will feature a full-line supermarket with meat and poultry, baked goods, a deli, frozen foods, dairy products, garden produce and seafood. Also, the store will have a garden center, pet shop, pharmacy, tire and lube center, optical center, one-hour photo processing and a portrait studio.

Denny’s Corp. (864-597-8000) is planning to open 26 franchised locations in southern CA, Myrtle Beach, SC and Houston, TX as part of the company’s plans to open more franchised locations. Most recently, the company sold 34 company-owned restaurants to new and existing franchisees.

Apple American Group, LLC (216-525-2775) is planning to open eight to 10 Applebee’s restaurants by the end of the year, matching the company’s total openings from last year. The company operates 140 Applebee’s locations from CA to NJ. Applebee’s International, Inc. has more than 1,300 franchised restaurants nationwide.

Noble Romans, Inc. (317-634-3377) signed three development agreements for the Noble Roman’s Pizza and Tuscano’s Italian Subs concepts throughout CA. During the next seven years, the company will open 60 franchised locations in Los Angeles County, CA and 45 units in Orange County. During the next five years, the company will open 45 franchised units in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Fresno counties. During the next six years, the company will open
60 franchised restaurants throughout San Diego County.

Brueggar’s Enterprises, Inc. (802-660-4020), through a franchisee, Alaska Bagel Enterprises, opened a location in Fairbanks, AK, the company’s first outside of the continental U.S.

Java Detour (530-756-8020) plans to open 12 to 15 locations in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN market by next year, as well as two coffee shops in Rochester, MN.

Abuelo’s (806-785-8686) is planning to open Mexican restaurants in Chattanooga, TN and Chesapeake, VA later this year. Openings are also planned for FL early next year.

Pizza Inn, Inc. (469-384-5000) plans to
open a franchised location in Spartanburg, SC this fall.

The Cheesecake Factory (818-871-3000) recently opened a 9,400 sq.ft. restaurant at the Greenwood Park Mall in Greenwood, IN and a 10,200 sq.ft. restaurant at the Superstition Springs Center in Mesa, AZ. The company currently operates 130 locations nationwide and continues to expand nationally.

Shakey’s USA, Inc. (626-576-0616) plans to open 12 franchised pizza shops
next year. The company currently operates 55 locations.

Costco Wholesale Corp. (425-313-8100) is planning to open 30 to 35 wholesale club stores during the rest of this fiscal year, including up to 15 slated to open by December. During the year thus far, the company has opened 30 stores for a total of 518 in operation. The company operates 135 stores internationally as well, including in Canada, Mexico, U.K., Korea, Taiwan
and Japan.

Nancy Koltes Associates, Inc. (212-995-9050) is planning to open 12 Nancy Koltes at Home stores nationwide by 2009, including a location in Charleston, SC opening this month and another unit in Haverford, PA next month. In addition, a Newport Beach, CA store is slated to open by the end of next year. The company recently opened a location in Laguna Beach, CA last month, joining its 1,100 sq.ft. flagship store in New York, NY and other locations in Beverly Hills, CA and Mill Valley, CA. The stores offer bedding and textiles, as well as loungewear, towels and tabletop items.

Just Brakes (800-445-7105) is planning to open three locations in San Antonio, TX during the fall. During the next year, the company plans to open a total of seven stores throughout the city with 18 scheduled openings throughout the state. The company plans to have 28 total locations operating throughout AZ, CO, FL, NV and TX by the end of 2008. The company currently operates over 140 locations nationwide.

Macy’s, Inc. (513-579-7000) is planning to open two Macy’s department stores in the New Orleans, LA market during November 2008. A 188,000 sq.ft. two-level store will reopen at Esplanade, located in Kenner. The store will be completely remodeled and feature a full line of apparel and accessories for the family, in addition to larger fitting rooms, wider aisles and brighter lighting. A 228,000 sq.ft. three-level store is slated to open at Lakeside, located in Jefferson Parish. The store will feature a full line of
apparel for the family in addition to home décor. The company currently operates 850 department stores nationwide and internationally under the trade names Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s.

Checkers Drive-in Restaurants, Inc. (813-283-7000) signed a franchise agreement for three new restaurants in Fulton and DeKalb counties in GA with openings to occur during the next five years. The company trades as Checkers and Rally’s.

Shoe Carnival, Inc. (812-867-6471) is planning to open a store at the Eastwood Village in Birmingham, AL. The store will be located next to a Ross Dress for Less and an Old Navy and near a Wal*Mart Supercenter. Additional cotenants in the center include Office Depot, Party City, Rainbow, Ashley Stewart, Cato Fashions, Hibbett Sports, Payless ShoeSource, GameStop, Aladdin Cleaners, Rue 21, Dollar Cash Advance, Sally Beauty Supply, Jackson Hewitt, Quiznos, American General Finance, Hacienda, American Deli, Nails 2000, JE Salon and Spa, Thompson Frame Factory, The Mattress Firm, Regions Bank, Wachovia Bank, Chick-Fil-A, American Family Care, Starbucks
and Salsaritas.

Sportsman’s Warehouse (715-248-7400) is planning to open a 48,000 sq.ft. store on Ferncliff Avenue in Roanoke, VA. The outdoor specialty store offers items for hunting, camping and fishing as well as apparel and footwear for men and women. The company currently operates 61 locations nationwide and plans to have 67 locations open by the end of the year.

Gander Mountain (651-325-4300) is planning to open a location in North Roanoke County, VA on Interstate 81. The company offers hunting, camping and fishing items in addition to outdoor equipment, apparel, accessories and footwear and currently operates 105 locations throughout 22 states nationwide. Nearby draws include Hollins University.

Hennes & Mauritz (212-564-9922) is planning to open 170 H&M stores during this fiscal year, with 83 planned for the U.S. and Europe. The company is also planning to launch H&M Home during the second half of next year.

The Home Depot, Inc. (770-433-8211) plans to open a store next spring at South Riding Market Square, located at the intersection of Lee Jackson Highway/Route 50 and Loudon County Parkway/Route 606 in South Riding, VA.

Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc. (276-629-6000) recently opened two stores in Atlanta, GA. These new prototype stores will offer customers complimentary decorating and design consultations, as well offering design solutions for dining, upholstery, home entertainment and storage. The stores will feature an expanded product line with customized lighting, rugs, mirrors and pillows. Recently, this new prototype debuted at a location in Charlotte, NC. The company plans to open five new locations during the next 12 months and currently operates 130 locations nationwide and in Canada and Puerto Rico.

Moonstruck Chocolate Co. (800-557-6666) recently opened a location at the Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi, MI and will open a location this month at the Mall at Partridge Creek in Clinton Creek in Clinton Township, MI. The cafes offer a full line of
classic and seasonal handcrafted artisan
chocolates, espresso, chocolate beverages, milkshakes, pastries and desserts. The company currently operates five locations in Portland, OR, two locations in the San Francisco Bay Area of CA, one location in Chicago, IL and one location in Champaign, IL. Plans for expansion include seven cafés slated to open by 2009, with locations scheduled to open during the fall throughout Boston, MA; Chicago, IL and Washington, DC, and more locations to follow in
Chicago, IL and New York, NY.

Yogen Fruz, USA, Inc. (905-479-8762) is planning to open a shop in southern Los Angeles County in CA by 2008. The company also has plans to open locations throughout Long Beach, Pasadena and Santa Monica, CA and will open over 1,000 locations nationwide, with a focus on FL, Los Angeles County and the San Francisco Bay Area, during the next seven to 10 years.

Unique Pizza and Subs Corp. (877-234-8700) is planning to open a restaurant on NC Highway 49 in South Harrisburg, NC next month. The restaurant will have seating for 60 in the dining area, with seating for an additional 25 on the outside patio area. The restaurant will offer an extensive menu, video games and plasma televisions and will be located in close proximity to the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The company is also planning to open an additional location Granite Quarry, NC on Salisbury Road. The company currently operates nine locations throughout NC, PA, VA and WI.

Walgreens (847-940-2500) is planning to open 550 locations during 2008. The company currently operates close to 600 locations nationwide.

hhgregg, Inc. (317-848-8710) plans to open 13 to 15 appliance and electronics stores during the 2008 fiscal year and 400 stores during the next 10 years nationwide. Plans include the company’s entrance into northern and central FL during 2009 and 2010. The company currently operates 83 stores in eight states throughout the Southeast and Midwest.

Spicy Pickle (303-297-1902) is planning to open 14 restaurants by the end of the year. The company currently operates 26 locations throughout nine states and plans to have a total of 40 locations operating throughout 13 states by the end of the year. In addition, the company has signed 50 franchise development agreements. The restaurants offer panini and sub sandwiches, thin-crust pizzas, salads and soups, served in a causal neighborhood setting.

Target (800-440-0680) is planning to open a 137,000 sq.ft. store at the intersection of Recovery Road and Route 72 at the Stafford Park in Stafford, NJ next summer. The store, currently under construction, will be situated on 12 acres within the 650,000 sq.ft. mixed-use center, spanning 370 acres. Additional retailers will include Best Buy, Costco, Dick’s Sporting Goods and PetSmart. The discount retailer offers a variety of home furnishings, apparel, cosmetics and electronics items, in addition to a pharmacy, photo processing center and Food Avenue restaurant. The company currently operates 1,500 stores throughout 47 states nationwide and 157 SuperTarget stores.

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. (813-881-0055) plans to open a 5,230 sq.ft. fondue restaurant at Tiverton Center, located at the intersection of Nicholasville Road and Tiverton Way in Lexington, KY, during spring 2008. The Tiverton Center is near Fayette Mall, a 1.2 million sq.ft. project, and is shadow-anchored by Wal*Mart Supercenter and Lowe’s Home Improvement. NAI Isaac brokered the $1.2 million lease. In addition, the company is planning to open 12 to 15 franchised locations throughout Canada, specifically Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia. The company operates more than 120 restaurants nationwide and has more than 45 locations in development. The restaurants offer four courses with a choice of four fondue cooking styles.

United Cellular (773-399-8900) is planning to open locations in Ennis, Frisco, Grand Prairie, Midlothian, TX and at Town East Mall in Mesquite, TX. The company recently opened locations throughout TX in Hudson Oaks, Garland, Plano, Benbrook, Euless and Corsicana in addition to locations at the Ridgmar Mall, at the intersection of Texas 121 and Beach Street in Fort Worth and at the Irving Mall in Keller.

Kohl’s (262-703-7000) recently opened a department store on Harbison Boulevard in Columbia County, SC. The company also has plans to open a store on Potranco Road in San Antonio, TX. The retailer has an additional four locations throughout San Antonio operating at Bandera Pointe, Northwoods, the Forum Northeast shopping center and the city of New Braunfels. The company plans to open 10 locations throughout TX this month, bringing the total number of stores in the state to 73. The company offers apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty items and home products and currently operates 929 locations throughout 47 states nationwide, with plans to have 1,400 locations operating by 2012.

J.C. Penney Co. (972-431-1000) recently opened 22 stores as part of the company’s plan to open 250 stores and remodel 300 locations by 2011. The company is signed a letter of intent to anchor The Shoppes at Gateway Park, a 330,000 sq.ft. open-air shopping center being developed at the intersection of Eight Mile Road and Woodward Avenue in Detroit, MI. The store and the center are slated to open during March 2009.