TCBY fro-yo gears up to grow

As frozen yogurt joints continue popping up across the Charlotte area, TCBY has announced a major deal with a local franchisee to expand in the Carolinas.

Samuel Batt, who I previously wrote about here, currently owns and operates seven TCBY franchises in Charlotte. He brought the first self-serve TCBY format to the city, similar to popular new hotspots like Pinkberry and Yoforia.

Now, TCBY has signed a 10-year agreement with Batt to open or franchise another 23 stores in North and South Carolina, for a total of 30 stores. Batt has two more franchises set to open by the end of the year, one at the Quail Corners Shopping Center and one at the Town Center Plaza in the University area.

The move will increase TCBY's presence across the Carolinas by more than 50 percent. The chain currently has 29 stores in North Carolina and 14 in South Carolina.


"The company’s first self-serve location launched in Charlotte last year and set the stage for significant growth in the surrounding area,” said Batt in a statement. “This expansion of stores will provide more accessibility for customers by bringing locations closer to home."

Other notes:

The remodeled and expanded Belk store at Monroe Crossing mall is set to reopen Wednesday, Oct. 12. The store is undergoing a $5.8 million renovation. Belk has expanded the store by 30,000 square feet, to a total size of 90,000 square feet, and the store's fixtures, flooring and lighting have been redone. The children's department, formerly in a separate, nearby store in the mall, has been brought into the main store.

Carolina Ale House opens uptown

Beer drinkers uptown, rejoice: There's another spot to imbibe uptown, with the opening of Carolina Ale House.

The Raleigh-based chain's first Charlotte restaurant is now open, bringing its total number of restaurants to 16.

Located at 201 S. College Street, the new restaurant's menu includes food such as dry-rubbed chicken wings and burgers topped with chili and coleslaw, along with a pretty solid beer list.

Have you tried this place yet? Any thoughts?

Rock Hill Galleria J.C. Penney gets a facelift

J.C. Penney's Rock Hill store is scheduled for  a renovation that will grow selling space by more than 60 percent and add new merchandise lines, as the retailer works to raise slumping sales.

The department store, opened in 1991, is one of the mall's anchors. Construction will kick off shortly, the mall's owners said, and be completed by fall 2012. The store will increase to 83,000 square feet from its current 51,600 square feet.

"The JC Penney expansion is a positive step in re-energizing the retail offerings at the tri-county’s only enclosed shopping center," said Michael Wheat, director of leasing for the Galleria's developer, Cypress Equities.

The bigger store will also have more name brands in clothing, a new line of home goods and a Sephora cosmetics shop, according to Observer partner The Rock Hill Herald.

J.C. Penney has been reporting disappointing financial results lately. The retailer reported its second-quarter sales dipped about .8 percent, and in August J.C. Penney reported its monthly sales fell 4.5 percent compared to a year ago.

A major part of the company's efforts has been adding Sephora boutiques, which sell high-margin items, to its department stores. The company now has Sephoras inside about a quarter of its 1,100 stores, and added 22 more last quarter.

Events showcase products for blind at Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods

On Wednesday, eight area Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods will host events showcasing products with packaging for the blind, with a portion of proceeds going to benefit the visually impaired.

The event is in support of "Braille Awareness Day." Body care product company Cleanlogic CEO Isaac Shapiro says he started the day to honor his mother.

The Cleanlogic products feature Braille on the packaging. A portion of any proceeds will be donated to the Metrolina Association for the Blind.

Here's a list of the stores participating:
Harris Teeter:
Arboretum, 3333 Pineville-Matthews Road (free vision counseling at this location)

Steele Croft, 13000 South Tryon Street

Matthews Festival, 1811 Matthews Township Parkway

Cotswold, 112 S. Sharon Amity Road

Lowe's Foods:

Kenton Place Shopping Center, 17001 Kenton Drive, Cornelius

Mint Hill Town Center, 7036 Brighton Park Drive

Stockbridge Commons Shopping Center, Tega Cay

Schoolhouse Commons Shopping Center, 4445 School House Commons, Harrisburg

Brixx Pizza opens new Gastonia shop

Brixx Wood Fired Pizza, first opened in Dilworth in 1998, is opening its first restaurant in Gastonia.

The new restaurant is on Cox Road, across from the new Target store and I-85. Brixx said it is the restaurant's first location built from scratch, and will seat 139 customers inside and 30 on the patio.

The Gastonia location is owned by franchisee Dan Thrower, who also owns the Medical Center Pharmacy and diner in the same shopping center.

Brixx has grown to 22 locations, and the company says its looking to expand with additional franchises across the Southeast.

First Versona Accessories store to open next week

Charlotte-based apparel retailer Cato is branching out into more upscale shopping, with the launch of its Versona Accessories store concept next week in south Charlotte's Arboretum shopping center.

The store is set to open next Thursday, Sept. 29. Cato, which operates some 1,285 stores mainly focused on value-priced apparel, said the Versona stores will sell "jewelry, handbags, shoes, belts, scarves, hair accessories, sunglasses, gift items and more" in an "upscale shopping environment comparable to better specialty and department stores."

The new store will employ about 25 people, Cato said.

"Versona Accessories promises to be a unique fashion destination where women can find the perfect accents to any outfit, no matter what the occasion. We are excited about our first Versona store opening in Charlotte," said Cato CEO John Cato.

The Arboretum store will be followed by openings in Columbia, SC, Baton Rouge, LA, and Louisville, KY in October. Cato plans to open 40 to 50 more Versona stores over the next 18 months. The retailer's real estate materials say Cato is searching for 7,000 to 9,000-square-foot stores in high traffic shopping centers and malls with upscale fashion tenants.


For the most recent quarter, Cato reported in August that its profits rose to $18.1 million, up from $17 million last year. Total revenue rose slightly for the quarter, to $237 million.

But sales at stores open for a year or more, considered a key measure of retail health, slumped about 1 percent for the quarter, Cato said. Executives blamed the bad economy, and said still-high fuel and raw materials costs could dampen its results for the rest of the year.

Bi-Lo celebrating its 50th anniversary

Mauldin, S.C.-based Bi-Lo is turning 50, and a four-state tour celebrating the occasion will stop Wednesday at a store in Charlotte.

The tour, in a vintage Airstream trailer, will be at the 8120 South Tryon street store (at the intersection with West Arrowood Road) from noon to 2 p.m.

The tour stop will include prize giveaways to customers, including t-shirts and Bi-Lo brand products. Ten shoppers will receive $250 worth of groceries and ten will win $70 worth of gas. A six-pack of glass bottles of Coca-Cola will be priced at 99 cents, the same as they cost in 1961.

Bi-Lo operates 207 grocery stores in the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee.