Restaurant boom continues on Dawsonville Hwy.

GAINESVILLE - C&P Restaurant Company confirmed Wednesday it is breaking ground on its newest Cheddar's Casual Café.

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.

Dick Valentine, Chairman of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Retail Development Committee said, "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 said, "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. We received positive encouragement from the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce and the City of Gainesville for this new retail development."