Open for Business: Riad

|tab|

Riad opened Feb. 13 at 105 Park Central Square in about 5,000 square feet on the ground floor of the Holland Building. Featuring Mediterranean fare from countries such as Greece, Syria and Lebanon, Syrian native and owner Riad Matar offers cuisine ranging from shish kabab, hummus and baba ganoush to steaks and pasta. The restaurant seats 141, has a private dining room and there are plans for a piano bar to be added, he said. The restaurant has 16 part-time employees. Matar said his experience and "penchant for food" comes from 27 years in the food business, including 17 years training managers with Pizza Hut. Matar and building owner Allen Casey spent about $275,000 on the remodel, not including furniture. Matar has a five-year lease with a three-year renewal option. Hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The kitchen closes at 10 p.m. and the bar shuts down at 1:30 a.m.|ret||ret||tab|

Astro Truck Accessories opened Nov. 1 at 2140 S. Campbell. The factory-direct seller of camper shells, lids and truck accessories is one of eight open nationwide, said Jeff Jones, owner and manager. The 35-year-old company's production facilities are located at its Garnett, Kan., headquarters and in Detroit, Mich. Working out of 3,500 square feet, 1,500 of which is showroom, are four employees who also do installations. "We knew where the competition was; we felt like there was a need for our product," Jones said of the move to Springfield, adding the store's proximity to Bass Pro Shops has been a bonus. Forecast for 2004 revenues was around $750,000, he said. Plans are to add two more employees before year's end. The shop has a five-year lease. Store hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday.|ret||ret||tab|

KFC/Long John Silver's opened in Nixa as a joint enterprise Jan. 15 at 501 W. Mt. Vernon. The 3,600-square-foot operation employs 35 and has a drive-through for both brands. The store is one of 35 southwest Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Illinois KFCs bought Dec. 31 by Mike Treadwell for $17 million from partner Richard Pendleton. "We've tripled our sales by adding Long John Silver's. There was a great pent-up demand for fish in that town," Treadwell said. Since the brand addition, the store is doing about $34,000 a week in sales, said Malissa Hauswirth, marketing director. Previously, sales ran about $15,000, she added. Plans are to add A&Ws to the six Springfield KFC stores and the Lebanon unit by the end of 2005, she added. Store hours are 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.|ret||ret||tab|

Dixie Made Bakery at 1647 E. Sunshine opened Jan. 24. Trevor Clifton is the owner along with Jack and Annie Harris. Clifton manages the 1,980-square-foot retail and wholesale shop that has five employees. Inventory includes doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, muffins, brownies and cakes, he said. The store also sells its own blend of Churchill's coffee and carries a variety of Churchill coffee flavors. Clifton, who gainted experience working at Harris' Dixie Kream Wholesale Bakery in Branson, has a five-year lease on the property. Among his wholesale clients are Kraft Foods Inc., Prime Inc. and area Churchill Coffee shops. Store hours are 5 a.m.-12 p.m. Monday through Saturday.|ret||ret||tab|

[[In-content Ad]]