Four area developers will add 18 restaurants in four years in three Texas metros. In Dallas/Fort Worth, David Friedman, president of Little Foods Franchise Group Inc., will open five to seven restaurants, maybe more, in the next four years in a carved-out corridor of Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties. In Greater Houston, Westward Ventures LLC, led by Brad Bartlett and Mark Stewart, has franchise rights to six stores while Central Texas is being rolled out by Scott Parshall, owner of Austin-based Hilltoppers Inc., who has three sites in his sights. A longtime franchisee, Money Back LP, which has a Krystal's in Killeen, will open three more locations in its territory.

Friedman's flagship will be a 2,775-sf building on a half-acre tract at 2670 Midway Rd. in Carrollton, bought from the Miami-based Burger King Corp. Doors open next month followed by Westward Ventures' first ribbon-cutting in Houston's northwest submarket. The first Central Texas store, slated for Georgetown, will be ready to go in early 2005.

"It was a long process in looking for a space to put the first one," Friedman tells GlobeStRetail. His broker, Michelle Caplan, senior vice president of Dallas-based Weitzman Group, spent nine months on the search and closing the deal for the first site. Friedman says the Burger King can be easily retooled, but the going-forward plan will be to buy dirt and build. The "wish list" is a 35,000-sf to 40,000-sf tract, preferably a hard corner with two points of access.

Friedman, a Jackson, TN native, was exploring franchise opportunities when he thought about Krystal's. "I was looking for someone who had a name that wasn't in our market," says the 25-year manufacturer's sales rep. With Texas as a top relocation state, Friedman says there is a built-in following of Southerners for the burger, which is sure to hold strong appeal for transplants from the North and Midwest who grew up with White Castle.

Friedman says the feedback from the initial announcement has him considering expanding his plan before the first set of doors open. "I have had tons of calls," he says.

Foremost, Friedman says he's not hesitant about the fast-food industry despite the health-conscious campaign over Americans' eating habits. "It's four points on Weight Watchers," he says of the steamed fare. "They (customers) can come in, have a couple Little Krystals, a diet drink and feel good about themselves."

Krystal Co. execs weren't available to comment on the expansion and wouldn't address if it's headed farther West. The expansion relies on franchise development although there is a corporate-owned Krystal's in Beaumont near Houston. At last count, there were more than 430 Krystal restaurants in 12 states in the South. The eateries are 24/7 operations with franchisees holding rights to add more locations in respective territories.