Four national restaurant chains opening in The Mercato in Naples

The Lutgert Companies has announced the addition of four casual dining restaurants - AZN, Piola, The Pub and Stage Deli - to establish their first Southwest Florida locations at The Mercato in Naples. Construction is underway on each of the restaurant locations with the new eateries anticipated to open in early 2009.

AZN is a new Asian steak and seafood restaurant prototype that is being introduced by the Atlanta-based owners of Silk Restaurant in multiple cities throughout the Southeast.

Established in Italy in 1986, Piola currently operates four pizzeria locations in the United States in addition to locations throughout Italy, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico.

The Pub is an authentic, high energy British pub concept with locations in Ohio, Kentucky and, most recently, Fort Lauderdale.

Founded in 1962, Stage Deli is an upscale Jewish deli-style restaurant in Detroit offering a wide range of high quality food, including soups, sandwiches and salads made fresh daily.

"We are delighted to welcome AZN, Piola, The Pub and Stage Deli to The Mercato," said Dougall McCorkle, Senior Vice President of Commercial Real Estate for The Lutgert Companies. "These new casual dining concepts fit well with our mission of bringing together the latest and freshest national and specialty retailers with an exceptional collection of restaurants, thereby creating a totally energized main street environment."

Located on 53 acres at the intersection of U.S. 41 North and Vanderbilt Beach Road, The Mercato is a premier lifestyle center that is scheduled to open in early 2009. The project is a joint venture of The Lutgert Companies and the Barron Collier Companies of Naples.