Health Express USA, Inc. (954-570-5900) is opening a Healthy Bites Grill restaurant in Boca Raton, FL. The restaurant will occupy approximately 3,900 sq.ft. and is centrally located near a major mall, a business district and residential neighborhoods of upscale homes, townhouses and apartments. The lease for the restaurant location runs five years with two five-year options. Initial monthly rental payments are $8,333, plus CAM of approximately $1,900 and real estate taxes of approximately $1,400 monthly.

Olive Garden (800-331-2729) and Bruster’s Ice Cream & Yogurt (724-774-4250) are opening locations at the intersection of Riverdale and Hacks Cross Roads in Memphis, TN. Olive Garden operates two other restaurants in Memphis, while this will be the first Bruster’s in the city. Darden Restaurant’s, Inc. operates 1,100 Olive Garden, Red Lobster and Bahama Breeze restaurants in North America. Bruster’s operates more than 100 shops nationwide.

Today’s Man, Inc. (856-235-5656) plans to open additional new-concept stores and superstores by the end of the year.

Designs, Inc. (781-444-7222) plans to open a Candie’s store in Las Vegas, NV this year, as part of the company’s West Coast expansion. The company also plans to open as many as 20 outlet stores, which will include additional Candie’s stores and an Ecko Unlimited store.

Elmer’s Restaurants, Inc. (503-252-1485) plans to open two Elmer’s restaurants throughout southern OR. The company owns and operates 10 Elmer’s restaurants and franchises 22 restaurants in six western states. The company also owns and operates five Mitzel’s American Kitchen restaurants in WA and 10 deli-style restaurants in OR.

H&H Gregg (317-848-8710) plans to open five electronics stores in Atlanta, GA this year. The stores are expected to average 30,000 sq.ft., which is typical for the chain. The company currently operates locations throughout IN, OH, KY and TN.

Worldwide Restaurant Concepts, Inc. (818-662-9800) opened its 15th Pat & Oscar’s restaurant in San Diego, CA. It is the company’s fourth Pat & Oscar’s restaurant to open this year. Worldwide Restaurant Concepts, Inc., formerly known as Sizzler’s International, Inc., operates, franchises or joint ventures 337 Sizzler restaurants woldwide, 107 KFC restaurants primarily located in Queensland, Australia and 15 Pat & Oscar’s restaurants.

Federated Department Stores (513-579-7000) will open a Rich’s department store at Arbor Place in Douglasville, GA off of Interstate 20. The 140,000 sq.ft. store will join Sears, Dillard’s, Parisian and Regal Cinemas as anchors at the center. Construction is expected to begin in 2003, with an opening slated for the 2004 holidays.

Party City Corp. (973-983-0888) is planning to open Party City stores in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties, NY. The company operates 446 company-owned and franchised stores.

Galyan’s Trading Co. (888-425-9267) is planning to open a two-story, 84,000 sq.ft. store in Omaha, NE next year. The store is expected to become an anchor of Westroads Shopping Center located near Interstate 680 and West Dodge Road. The company operates 28 sporting goods stores nationwide.

Dick’s Sporting Goods (412-788-6066) is planning to open a $1.5 million, one-level, 45,000 sq.ft. store at 3275 Oakview Drive, near Oak View Mall in Omaha, NE next spring. The company operates 132 stores nationwide, most of them east of the Mississippi River.

Scheels All Sports (701-232-3665) is planning to open a 120,000 sq.ft., two-level store at a 77-acre shopping center on the southwest corner of 168th Street and West Dodge Road in Omaha, NE. The store opening is slated for July 2004. The company already has an 80,000 sq.ft. store in Lincoln, NE.

Schlotzky’s, Inc. (512-236-3600) is planning to open a Schlotzky’s Deli in Austin, TX later this year. The company also has acquired two sites for additional restaurants in Austin.

Cabela’s Venture’s, Inc. (308-254-5505) is considering opening a $50 million store in Bethel, PA. The 250,000 sq.ft. store would have simulated mountains and a lake for shoppers to try out boats before buying them. The store also would have an aquarium stocked with native fish. Cabela’s operates seven sporting goods stores in five Midwestern states.

Shoe Carnival, Inc. (812-867-6471) plans to open 25 stores this year. The company operates 188 stores, located in the midwest, south and southeast.

The Bombay Co. (817-347-8200) plans to open as many as 25 stores this year, including nine outlets and six KIDS stores. The company also plans to convert eight stores and close as many as 10 during the year.

The Vitamin Shoppe (201-866-7711) opened its 10th store in the Long Island, NY marketplace. The 3,700 sq.ft. store is located at 1320 Stony Brook Road in Stony Brook, NY at the Lake Grove Shopping Center. Cotenants include Chase Bank, Starbucks and Duane Reade. The Vitamin Shoppe operates 110 stores nationwide and is expanding in major markets.

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (336-658-4000) plans to open 123 stores this year, increasing the company’s total square footage by about 18%. More than half of the company’s stores are located in metro areas with populations of at least 500,000.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. (336-725-2981) awarded a franchise for a new Krispy Kreme store in Greensboro, NC to Project Homestead, a community development corporation. The store will be located in a shopping center being developed by Project Homestead at 709 East Market Street near downtown Greensboro. The company has two other locations in Greensboro, including stores on High Point Road and Battleground Avenue.

Sonic Corp. (405-280-7654) is planning to open a Sonic Drive-In Restauant at the intersection of Little Creek Road and Mona Drive in Norfolk, VA. With the opening, Sonic will join Dollar Tree in the redeveloped property. The company operates 1,900 franchised units and 319 company stores throuhgout 27 states. Sonic currently has three Hampton Roads locations. The company plans to open additional sites in the market this year.