Chain restaurant Chili's to open this month off East College Parkway

Chili's Bar & Grill is scheduled to open at 3205 Retail Drive, off East College Parkway in front of the Wal-Mart, on April 26.

The restaurant will employ about 125 people, said Tony Schembri, spokesman for Brinker International, which owns the chain.

Chili's submitted building plans to the city in July. The popular casual restaurant will be built on 1.1 acres in front of Wal-Mart at East College Parkway and Market Street.

This is the national corporation's first restaurant in Carson City. The closest one is located in Douglas County in front of the Wal-Mart. The new restaurant is 5,900 square feet.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT), based out of Dallas, is the world's No. 2 casual-dining restaurant in terms of revenue, behind Darden Restaurants, according to Hoovers.com. Its 2006 net income was $212.4 million, with $4 billion in 2006 sales.

It also operates Romano's Macaroni Grill, On the Border and Maggiano's Little Italy. Chili's boasts about 1,200 restaurants nationwide.