Chains growing locally

National chains are expanding in the Triangle -- not just opening new stores, but introducing new concepts designed to build on already-familiar brands.

The practice isn't necessarily new, but it is growing. A forerunner in this area was The Gap, which was founded in 1969. It has added Gap Kids, Baby Gap and Gap Body over the past 20 years, and has started an outlet division and a line of maternity clothing.

As retail becomes more competitive, companies are looking for ways to stand out, and that's what's behind this latest wave of Gap-like brand expansion.

The two latest examples here are Rooms to Go, which will open its first area Rooms to Go Beds store this summer, and Dairy Queen, which signed a deal for five Triangle DQ Grill & Chill restaurants.

Rooms to Go is already working on the 6,000-square-foot Rooms to Go Beds store on Capital Boulevard in Raleigh, just north of Millbrook Road in front of Home Depot. The store specializes in bedroom sets and bedding, but customers can order any Rooms to Go products by using computers in the stores.

DQ Grill & Chill features an expanded menu in addition to the normal frozen treats found at a regular Dairy Queen store. So far, there's only one in the state, at 7201 Old Wake Forest Road in Raleigh. The first of the five new ones is already under construction at 5260 New Bern Ave. in Raleigh and will open in April.

When Michael and Lisa Lotz moved here from Chicago, they were surprised to find few fresh meat and butcher shops. So they decided to open one. Meats Etc. debuts Wednesday at 844 Gulley Drive in Clayton, across U.S. 70 from Wal-Mart. Beef, pork, lamb and buffalo are packaged and ready to go, and the store can fill special orders.

In that same shopping center, shipping and eBay auction store ShipOnSite is now open.

California gourmet pizza chain Zpizza will open its first North Carolina store in March in Falls Pointe, just north of Interstate 540 off Falls of the Neuse Road. The chain's ingredients include roasted eggplant, pine nuts, truffle oil and shittake mushrooms. Franchisees and brothers Dan and Steve Drotts plan at least eight stores in Raleigh and Durham over the next few years. There are also franchisees planning Zpizzas in Charlotte and Greensboro.

Items of note: Land's Jewelers in Tarrymore Square at 3901 Capital Blvd. in Raleigh is now Swift's Fine Jewelry. Former employee and new owner Barbara Swift kept the staff, renovated and brought in new merchandise. ... The Applebee's at 1389 Kildaire Farm Road in Cary is closed, but the franchisee says it's not a permanent change. Plans are not final, but the restaurant will either be renovated or a new location will be found. ... The Window Gang, which sells custom replacement windows and doors, opened at 9521 Lumley Road, just around the corner from Angus Barn in Raleigh. ... Chick-fil-A off U.S. 70 in the Brierdale shopping center opened Thursday.