BUSINESS MEMO: PLANET HOLLYWOOD COMING

Planet Hollywood has signed a lease agreement with Levee House Partnership to open a new restaurant in St. Louis.

The Planet Hollywood restaurant chain has leased a building at the Laclede's Landing area on the downtown riverfront.

The restaurant will occupy two floors of the Levee House Building, a late 19th century warehouse and is expected to open in the 16,000-square-foot area by the end of the year in .

Planet Hollywood is based in Orlando, Fla. Stockholders include film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis and Whoopi Goldberg, restaurateur and Planet Hollywood president Robert Earl and film producer Keith Barish.

Planet Hollywood is one of a growing number of "icon" restaurants. In addition to the food, they usually do a brisk business in logo merchandise. The concept was first popularized by the Hard Rock Cafe in the 1970s.

The rapidly growing chain has 25 restaurants in the United States and 57 worldwide. Last year, Planet Hollywood earned $37.7 million on sales of $373.4 million.

Sites include New York, London, Hong Kong, Chicago, Cancun, Orlando, Paris, Honolulu, Sydney, Berlin, Moscow and Atlantic City.