Starbucks signs on the dotted line at SuperKmart

SuperKmart will get the company of a Starbucks, a Quizno's and a Bully's, for starters.

Several more businesses - including a second anchor store - are expected to fill the three large buildings going up at the south end of the Kmart center by the end of the year, said Bruce Robertson, a realtor at Gold Dust Commercial Associates.

Starbucks Coffee has signed a 10-year lease for one-third of the 5,000-square feet in the building closest to Carson Street. Denver-based Quizno's Classic Subs and Bully's Sports Bar and Grill based in Reno are close to signing leases.

Robertson is in serious negotiations with five other businesses along with casual lease talks with another 10 companies looking for space in the three larger buildings that will form an L away from Kmart.

The mostly empty shopping center at the north end of Carson City has attracted only fleeting interest in the past five years.

Except for McDonald's, SuperKmart has sat alone on 30 acres at Carson Street and College Parkway since opening in October 1995. In April 1998, a bridge was built to a patch of sagebrush in anticipation of building out the Kmart center, but construction did not follow until early this year.

Starbucks was already scoping out Carson City four years ago but did not commit to the city until signing a lease last week. Seattle-based Starbucks, touting itself as the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world, has 2,500 coffee shops around the world.

Starbucks leased 1,680 square feet in a 5,000-square-foot building with intentions to serve coffee by the end of August, Robertson said.

Quizno's will have 1,400 square feet in the same building, likely opening soon after Starbucks. The first Quizno's opened in Denver in 1981 and the company now is looking for 500 more locations in 40 states and another 100 or more sandwich shops around the world, according to its Web site.

Quizno's has one shop in Reno and Starbucks has three locations in the Truckee Meadows.

Bully's Sports Bar and Grill also has three locations in the Truckee Meadows with the Carson City restaurant and bar the family operation's first excursion beyond Reno and Sparks.

Owners Paul and Jo Sonner want to open Bully's at the corner of College Parkway and Carson Street by mid-November. Construction on the 150-seat, 6,000-square-foot sports bar will start as soon as a lease is signed, which Sonner anticipates happening in the next week to 10 days.

The first Bully's opened in 1994 and Sonner said Bully's was voted the top sports bar in two Reno publications the past five years.

"If you can get it on TV, you can see it at Bully's," Sonner said. "We show every game that's on TV. Other places have one TV showing ESPN calling themselves a sports bar."

Sonner said the Bully's in Carson City, like those in Reno and Sparks, will have more than 30 televisions served by eight satellite dishes.

Sports isn't all at Bully's, which is open 24 hours and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sonner said Bully's is particularly known for its chicken wings.

Sonner has had his eye on Carson City for a year and he intends to open a second Bully's at the south end of town at a later date. He scouted out the north end of town and was attracted by the busy parking lot at Kmart and the nearby Silver Oak Golf Course and Western Nevada Community College.

Talking with Carson people further encouraged him.

"I guess all the people from Carson City who come here (to Bully's) and say 'why don't you open a Bully's in Carson City?'" Sonner said. "I'm not going to be satisfied with one place in Carson City."

Robertson said a second anchor store will fill all or most of the 39,000-square-foot building directly behind the Starbucks/Quizno building. A 20,448-square foot building is under construction behind the anchor and a 19,470-square foot L-shaped building will link this retail complex with Kmart.

Robertson expects construction on these four buildings at the south end of the property to finish in September.