Cheesecake Factory, Crate & Barrel coming to mall

Cheesecake and contemporary furniture will be added to the retail mix at Westfield Annapolis mall.

The Cheesecake Factory will debut with its fourth Maryland restaurant this fall, according to a press release issued yesterday.

Meanwhile, Crate & Barrel will open its third store in the state in August 2009.

A 9,400-square-foot Cheesecake Factory restaurant is set to open between JC Penney and Nordstrom, facing Jennifer Road. The restaurant offers more than 50 types of cheesecakes and desserts and 200 menu selections ranging from pizzas to steaks.

The company currently has locations in Baltimore, Columbia and Montgomery County.

Meanwhile, a 33,165-square-foot Crate & Barrel store will be located between the mall's Macy's and Lord & Taylor stores. The national chain is known for its collection of housewares, furniture and gift registry services. It has other locations in Bethesda and Towson.

Construction on both stores recently began, mall officials said.

The deals come roughly two months after mall officials announced leases with a dozen new stores including The Buckle Inc., a growing Nebraska-based company offering laid-back West Coast styles, Swarovski, high-end crystal jewelry and Punk's Backyard Grill, a restaurant concept re-creating the American backyard cookout.

Last year, the mall unveiled its $160 million expansion project featuring a 240,000-square-foot wing and 60 new stores including Pottery Barn, Under Armour's first retail store and McCormick & Schmick's. It was heralded as a key revitalization project by county officials.

Additionally, the mall also has been upgraded with new entrances and atriums, a children's "Playtown" area and more than 1,000 new parking spaces.

Scott deGraffenreid, mall marketing director, said deals with Cheesecake Factory and Crate & Barrel were finalized over the past couple of months. He said mall customers wanted more options in the home furnishings and restaurant categories.

Cheesecake Factory, which has restaurants at other Westfield properties, sees the benefits of a partnership with the company "and they see the potential of this market," said Mr. deGraffenreid. "To have them here, it's really such a nice complement to our already strong and existing store and restaurant mix. We're really adding a lot of great restaurants."

The new stores are part of a destination that offers plenty of amenities, strong national retail brands, dining options and theaters, he said.

As people become more careful about how much they drive in the midst of higher gas prices, the mall provides a one-stop shopping experience, he said.

Bob Burdon, president and chief executive officer of the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce, said the openings of these "two retail powerhouses" is a testament to the local economy's strength.

"These are more than just retail stores, they are almost retail institutions," he said. "They have a big following, Certainly, this has got to be a big plus for Westfield."