November 28, 2005

Chain Expansion Report

Benihana, The Cheesecake Factory and Red Robin are among the chains to announce expansion plans.

• Benihana purchased a teppanyaki restaurant in Tucson, Ariz. The company now operates 57 teppanyaki restaurants and has two more in development: one each in Miramar and Coral Gables, Fla. The newly purchased Tucson location opened four years ago and measures 8,300-square-feet. The company will continue to operate it under the Sakura name until the new menu and other features are added.
• The Cheesecake Factory opened its 100th Cheesecake Factory last week in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The restaurant contains approximately 8,900-square-feet and approximately 250 seats.
• Kahala Corp., a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based franchisor of eight quick-service restaurant concepts totaling more than 1,000 locations, signed an agreement with franchisee Joseph Iannarone of Sound Franchise, LLC, to open a minimum of 20 Samurai Sam's Teriyaki Grill restaurants in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Thurston counties in Washington state over the next 10 years. Currently, there are nine Samurai Sam's Teriyaki Grill restaurants located throughout Washington state. They are presently found in Bellevue, Kennewick, Vancouver, Woodinville, Colville, Yakima and Pasco. The Samurai Sam's Teriyaki Grill franchise network was founded in Scottsdale, Ariz., in 1994, and has since expanded to 87 Samurai Sam's Teriyaki Grill franchises across the United States.
• Papa John's opened its first restaurant in the south of China. The restaurant located in Schenzhen is the first of many planned Papa John's locations in the region.
• Red Robin Gourmet Burgers added two new franchise partners: New Jersey-based TWG Management Co. Inc. and Texas-based West Texas Dining Management, LLC. West Texas Dining will begin development with an Abilene, Texas, location and is scheduled to open four additional Red Robin locations throughout the west part of Texas by 2009. TWG Management is scheduled to open the doors to its first Red Robin restaurant in South Plainfield, N.J., in early 2006, and will continue development with seven additional Red Robin locations in and around New Jersey by 2012.

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