Crosland Brings Brixx to Foxcroft East, August 22,2003

Charlotte, N.C., August 22, 2003 – Brixx Wood Fired Pizza, one of Charlotte’s most popular local establishments, has signed a lease to open a new location in Crosland’s Foxcroft East shopping center off of Fairview Road in South Charlotte.

The family-oriented restaurant chain, known for hand-crafted pizzas cooked in a wood-burning oven, will take over the corner location previously occupied by Metropolitan Bakery and will serve as one of Foxcroft East’s anchor tenants. The 4,000-square-foot space will undergo a $350,000 renovation for the restaurant, which is scheduled to open early next year. A 600-square-foot patio will enable outdoor dining, another Brixx signature.

The original Brixx, which opened in Dilworth in 1998, has succeeded partly because it is surrounded by established residential neighborhoods with thriving office space nearby. Eric Horsley, partner and director of operations for Brixx, sees the same vitality at Foxcroft East.

“Foxcroft East is a great center in the midst of a solid community,” said Horsley. “The proximity to SouthPark’s office and retail districts generates a constant flow of traffic, and the shopping center is encircled by neighborhoods full of the young families who make up a significant portion of our business.”

Other tenants of the 28,000-square-foot retail center include Blockbuster Video, Ben & Jerry’s and Caribou Coffee. Foxcroft East is on Fairview Road between Colony and Carmel roads. Crosland’s future plans for the shopping center include expanding its lineup of neighborhood specialty tenants, enhancing the courtyard dining area, improving the building exteriors and upgrading the site signage.

“Brixx is an ideal restaurant for Foxcroft East, a recognized local brand that raises the profile of the whole shopping center,” said Megan Deblitz, the leasing agent who represented Crosland in the negotiations. “We’re excited to add Brixx to the mix.” Kivett Williams of the Shopping Center Group represented Brixx in the transaction.

The Brixx name is a play on the eatery’s brick oven and on a term used for measuring the sugar content of grapes, which is appropriate given the restaurant’s selection of 14 wines by the glass as well as 24 beers on tap. In addition to its renowned pizzas, Brixx offers a selection of signature sandwiches, pastas, salads and desserts. In June 2002, the locally owned chain opened its fourth restaurant in another Crosland development, Birkdale Village near Lake Norman. A fifth location is scheduled to open in Greensboro this fall. For more information, visit www.brixxpizza.com.

A division of Crosland Inc., Crosland Retail’s mission is to develop, invest in and manage retail property for the benefit of its communities, customers and associates. The division is known for providing distinctive shopping experiences to consumers and well-managed facilities to tenants. Completing its first retail development in 1938, Crosland Retail today owns or is affiliated with 35 shopping centers and either manages, leases or is developing more than 3 million square feet of retail space in the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida and Virginia.