Cheddar’s to Open New Restaurant in Gainesville

C&P Restaurant Company announced today it is breaking ground on its newest Cheddar’s Casual Café in Gainesville, Georgia. The restaurant is expected to open in late summer 2011 and will be the seventh Cheddar’s in Georgia for the Macon- based C&P Restaurant Company. The new location will employ approximately 150 people and will provide a payroll of over $1.2 million to the Gainesville area. Cheddar’s is the newest business to locate in the Beechwood Crossing Shopping Center on Dawsonville Highway following Olive Garden’s ground breaking in January 2011. The development is being marketed by Trivest Real Estate.

“We are very excited to be coming to the Gainesville area and look forward to serving our delicious food to the good folks in this community,” said restaurant owner Allen Peake. “If local residents haven’t seen our generous portions, incredible prices, and wide variety of menu selection, I can assure you they will be pleasantly surprised.”

Dick Valentine, Chairman of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Retail Development Committee commented, “This new restaurant and the future retailers of Beechwood Crossing will provide new jobs and will likely draw sales from East Forsyth consumers as well as keeping sales tax dollars in Hall County for education and infrastructure projects.”

Ruth Bruner, Mayor of the City of Gainesville stated, “We are excited about the new Cheddar’s and the Beechwood Crossing retail development. The City of Gainesville, Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Department of Transportation and other partners have coordinated efforts to facilitate these new retail developments to support the community’s growing population and demand for retail services.”

“The new Cheddar’s will have an immediate impact on the local economy; first with construction jobs and then with full-time employment opportunities,” said Tim Evans, Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Hall Chamber. “Cheddar’s will compliment our existing retail businesses by drawing people from around the region to shop, see a movie and stay for dinner. The new restaurant caps a number of recent retail successes in the area, including JoAnn Fabric & Crafts, ALDI grocery, Olive Garden, The Children’s Place, Michael’s and ULTA.”

Gainesville resident Tim Knight, co-owner of Trivest, said “Cheddar’s and Olive Garden will be great additions to this community. I think the community will enjoy dining at Cheddar’s, and we are very excited to bring a new restaurant concept to the Gainesville-Hall County market. The recent retail activity in this market is rare and speaks to the opportunity, growth and the resilience of the local economy. This community is at an advantage because of the way its leadership works together toward a common goal of retaining sales tax dollars in the community. We received positive encouragement from the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce and the City of Gainesville for this new retail development. Gainesville-Hall County is a regional center for counties in Northeast Georgia, and the new Beechwood Crossing development provided the right opportunity for Cheddar’s and Olive Garden to serve the community.”

The Gainesville-Hall County Metropolitan Area grew 29% from 2000 to 2010, and the MSA is a center for employment, medical, professional and retail services for the 14-county Northeast Georgia region.

For more information on Beachwood Crossing, contact Tim Knight, Trivest Real Estate, 404-736-3712. www.trivestusa.com

For more information on C&P Restaurant Company, contact Allen Peake at 678-450-4510. www.cheddarsgeorgia.com

About C&P Restaurant Company:  C&P is owned by Allen Peake and Mike Chumbley. The other Cheddar’s locations are in Macon, Warner Robins, Columbus, Pooler, Augusta, and Valdosta, Georgia. C&P has the exclusive rights for development in Georgia, and the panhandle of Florida, and plans to open 10 new units during the next seven years. Peake and Chumbley also own C&P Seafood Company, a 12-unit Captain D’s franchisee, with locations in the Middle Georgia area and the Augusta area. Peake and Chumbley were previously Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operations Officer, respectively, for Macon-based RMS Family Restaurants, a Shoney’s, Popeye’s, Captain D’s, and Fazoli’s franchisee, that was sold in 2000. In addition, both Peake and Chumbley are active politically. Peake serves in the Georgia House of Representatives for the Macon area, and Chumbley is a member of the City Council for Byron, Georgia.