Roanoke Times:
A national sandwich chain is the only retailer with definite plans to open at a retail center that is under construction on Blue Hills Drive in Roanoke.
Jimmy John’s, a gourmet sandwich chain based in Illinois, will land inside a 1,500-square-foot building with a drive-through at the Shoppes at Blue Hills Village. The center fronts U.S. 460.
New Century Development of Roanoke is the owner and developer of the retail center set to house five or six tenants and cover 9,300 square feet, said John Shoulders, an owner of New Century.
Shoulders is talking with three other tenants about opening at the center, but no leases have been signed. He’s considering retail and service businesses, such as a hair salon or other restaurants.
Meanwhile, the Jimmy John’s structure is going up, and the restaurant could open in late winter or early spring, Shoulders said.
Jimmy John’s already has restaurants in Christiansburg and Blacksburg. Its locations average $1.1 million in gross sales, according to the company’s Web site.