OPENINGS AROUND THE SOUND

A look at the area's new stores

Posted February 2004

Bonefish Grill, a specialty seafood restaurant, opened on South Lake Union, marking the Florida-based company's first appearance on the West Coast. Throughout the new restaurant, which is number 33 for the chain, guests experience Floridian art and scenery such as mangrove sculptures, fishing scenes and fish rubbings. Fresh fish is brought in daily.

Fatburger, a national, California-based chain, opened in downtown Bellevue. The location is the company's third in the Puget Sound region, joining the Issaquah and Redmond stores.

Troiani, an upscale Italian grill, opened on Third Avenue in downtown Seattle. The new restaurant combines an Art Deco-style dining room and three private dining salons with a menu full of grilled meats and seafood among other selections.

OPENINGS TO LOOK FOR

Over the past several months, several retailers have embarked upon substantial growth initiatives in the Puget Sound region and Pacific Northwest. These are a handful of openings you will soon see:

BluWater Bistro, which opened its first restaurant on Seattle's Lake Union in 1997 and its second in the Green Lake neighborhood in mid-2002, will add a third location. The latest BluWater, which is slated to open in March on the site of the former Leschi Lake Cafþ, will offer a view of Lake Washington from Seattle's Leschi neighborhood.

Jo-Ann Fabrics will capitalize on the departure of Gottschalks from Bellevue's Crossroads Mall. The fabrics and crafts supplies retailer will assume most of the available space and replace its existing 14,000 square-foot store with a 35,000 square-foot superstore mid-year. Jo-Ann superstores offer a larger scope of products and sport a more upscale look than the chain's traditional stores. There is also more emphasis on home dþcor items and classes. The new store will be the first on the Eastside. The chain also has superstores in Federal Way and Tukwila.

Panda Express, a California-based chain with 12 restaurants in the Puget Sound region, announced plans to add four more in the area. Specifics on locations are yet to come.

Romano's Macaroni Grill, a national, 213-unit Italian casual-dining chain, will open in Alderwood Mall late next year. The location will be the chain's first in the Puget Sound region. According to the franchisee, the 290-seat restaurant is one of 12 total units that are planned for the region over the next five years.

Sport, a new sports-themed restaurant and bar, is in the planning stages with local restaurateur John Howie and several high-profile investors, including Gary Payton. To be located in Seattle's Fisher Plaza, the new venture will offer a menu ranging from burgers to steaks and thin-crusted pizzas to big salads. Sports memorabilia will decorate the place, including a "500 Club" case filled with autographed baseballs. High-definition TVs and booths with personal TVs are sure to entertain the restaurant's avid sports fans. The restaurant is slated to open this summer.

Whole Foods, which operates one store in the Puget Sound region and 168 stores total, has announced expansion plans. Its Roosevelt store has performed well, producing the third-highest sales in the company. As a result, Whole Foods plans to add six more stores within the next two years. Each of the new locations will be approximately 50,000 square feet with the exception of the Bellevue store, which is estimated to end up at between 57,000 and 60,000 square feet. In addition to Bellevue, the other sites being looked at include Magnolia/Ballard/West Queen Anne; North Seattle from Edmonds to south Lynnwood; Capitol Hill/South Lake Union/Belltown; Issaquah/Sammamish Plateau/Preston area; and Redmond and neighboring eastside communities.