Guess Corp. to Launch Upscale Dining Experience Alongside C-stores

DURHAM, N.C. — The Guess Corp. will launch a hospitality venture, The Guess Bread Co., in conjunction with certain sites for its GP Express convenience store brand. This upscale dining experience will feature an open kitchen and 20 tables per restaurant with two chairs per table to allow couples-only dining.

The menu will feature sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts, breads, cheesecakes and wine for dining in or take out, and bread will be baked fresh on-site.

"We are pleased to add another planned brand to our portfolio to be built alongside select sites of GP Express," said Cutie Shrestha, senior executive vice president and chief development officer for The Guess Corp. "Our c-store and hospitality concepts will be complimentary to each other."

The Guess Corp. is launching the chain through its subsidiary, The Guess Bread Co. Ltd. It will share real estate sites with GP Express locations. The Guess Corp. announced in July that it planned to acquire at least 1,000 c-store/gas station units within the next 12 months, as CSNews Online previously reported.

Operating partnerships are currently being offered for both The Guess Bread Co. and GP Express. The Guess Corp. plans to build 250 units for The Guess Bread Co. over the next 17 months at an average cost of $3 million per unit. The design for The Guess Bread Co. was provided by Scott+Cormia of Orlando, Fla.