THE WOODLANDS, TX-In its first entree into Texas, Schoops Hamburgers from Whiting, IN has inked a 2,500-sf, 10-year deal in the under-construction College Park Village Center.

The restaurant and ice cream parlor's future home is a 21,327-sf retail center at the junction of College Park and Achievement drives. "We anticipate delivery of the space during June, with it opening in fall," says Jeff Beard of J. Beard Co. LLC in the Woodlands, who teamed with colleague Diana Gaines to negotiate the deal on behalf of Schoops' local franchisee.

The franchisee, Kay Co. Inc., chose the center for its inroad because of its location across the street from a high school, also now being built. College Park Village Center is owned by Houston's AmREIT Monthly Income & Growth Fund II Ltd. The center's quoted rate is $23 per sf, with negotiable tenant improvement allowances. Kristen Barker represented AmREIT in the transaction.

Beard tells GlobeSt.com that the Kay Co. has franchise rights for Schoops in North Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend counties, which are north and northwest of the metro area. "We're looking to help them expand in the market, but we're not sure of the timing," he says, citing smaller retail centers in family-oriented neighborhoods as ideal locations.