Major metro areas are to going to see a few more Checkers Drive-In Restaurants. The Tampa, Fla., double-drive through chain has signed agreements with four franchisees to develop a dozen new restaurants in Baltimore, Detroit, New York and Philadelphia. At least four of the units will be opened by the end of the year. It’s…

LongHorn Steakhouse, part of the Darden family of restaurants, has opened its ninth unit in Darden’s home base, Orlando, Fla. The Lake Buena Vista location is the first LongHorn Steakhouse—and one of 10 Darden restaurants overall—designed to seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. This 6,400-sq.-ft. restaurant is part of Darden’s Sustainable Restaurant Design…

Australian chain Oporto Chicken & Burgers opened its first American unit in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., in February. The fast-casual concept focuses on grilled chicken burgers and a Portuguese-flavored menu. The restaurant is the first of three California locations planned by Cluck Ltd.; the cities of Ontario and Glendora will be home to the other sites.…

Former NFL coach-turned-restaurateur Don Shula plans to debut yet another concept bearing his name. Shula Burger will feature gourmet burgers and a build-your-own burger menu. The concept, now franchising along Florida’s east coast, expects to have more than 100 locations under development within five years. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., company operates Shula’s Steak House, Shula’s…

Foodservice contract management firm Sodexo will be providing foodservice at 31 Marine Corps garrison mess halls in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C. The company also has signed a master retail license agreement with celebrity chef Mai Pham to bring her concept, Star Ginger Asian Grill & Noodle Bar, to Sodexo operations. Star…

The rapidly expanding 600-unit pizza, pasta, salad and dessert buffet chain has inked agreements for the addition of 16 units over the next five years in the Houston and San Antonio areas. The moves are part of CiCi’s growth initiative, with the goal of adding 500 restaurants in the next eight to 10 years. Wingstop…

McDonald’s is one of many chains making inroads in feeding India’s fast-growing fast-food appetite. The Oak Brook, Ill.’s Indian franchisee Hardcastle Restaurants Private plans to set up 30 restaurants in the southern and western parts of the country this year. In 2010, McDonald’s opened 33 Indian restaurants. Hardcastle will invest $111 million in India over…

Chili’s made its Russian debut with the February opening of a restaurant in Moscow’s city center, Novy Arbat. This store marks the first of more than two dozen Chili’s stores planned for Russia during the next six years. Chili’s has also recently entered the Indian market by opening four restaurants in that country. The casual…

Chick-fil-A’s growth plans call for some 90 new stores in 2011, including 71 stand-alone locations, four mall/in-line restaurants and 15 licensed outlets. In ’10, the fried chicken franchise debuted some 80 new units, including its first three restaurants in the Chicago market. Chick-fil-A expects to expand further in the Chicago area this spring, and will…

As part of its multiyear focus on conservation, the National Restaurant Association has teamed up with Chicago’s Kendall College School of Culinary Arts to explore restaurant waste reduction and sustainability efforts. The Int’l. Foodservice Sustainability Symposium will hold its inaugural meeting in Chicago immediately after the NRA Show, on May 24-25, 2011. IFFS is billed…