Chris Bender, the restaurant impresario who brought Raleigh Five Star, the Hargett Street Chinese restaurant with a hip-hop flavor, signed a lease this week for a new restaurant venture in North Hills.

The new restaurant will feature more down-home frying pans and less Wu-Tang Clan.

Restaurant Savannah, a Southern-style restaurant, is slated to open sometime in October. The new venture will be nestled on the Six Forks side of North Hills, which is at Six Forks and Lassiter Mill roads. Savannah will be neighbors with Firebird's Rocky Mountain Grill.

As for Five Star, it's set to go the way of week-old lo mein once its building is torn down to make way for the Triangle Transit Authority's commuter rail station.

Bender also owns the downtown establishments Lizzie's and Martin Street Music Hall.

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Two North Raleigh businesses are teaming up Saturday on a fund-raiser for the Pretty in Pink Foundation, a Raleigh nonprofit that provides assistance for women undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The benefit will be hosted by restaurant Sweet Tomatoes and fitness gurus Velocity Sports Performance. Expect Ribbons, not Ringwald.

There will be appearances by Olympic hurdler James Carter and Stormy the underused Carolina Hurricanes Ice Hog.

The event starts at noon and runs until 5 p.m. at the Sweet Tomatoes parking lot at 5244 Capital Blvd.

Rain location is Velocity, 2400-120 Sumner Blvd.

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From the recent vacancy file:

A tear for those who would seek the J.Lo-inspired velvety sweat suits at OuterSkin at Crabtree Valley Mall.

The store's second location has shut its doors, leaving the space near the Barnes & Noble vacant for now.

In the mall proper, the contienental eatery Cafe Piazza, near Belk, has been vacated.

The Euro-eatery that featured lots of wine might have been best-known for its simulated sidewalk seating by the department store entrance.

The mall is currently in negotiations with the next tenant.