RETAIL EXPANSION: RUST & MARTIN REVEALS BUILDING PLANS

Microsoft and ComputerLand will present two seminars on computer usage August 22 at the Computerland store, 2121 William St.

"At 10 a.m. a Microsoft representative will show Microsoft Office," said store owner Curt Smith. "It features four individual software programs." The programs, Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Mail, are designed to perform daily business functions.

Microsoft Windows will be demonstrated in an afternoon seminar starting a 1. It will provide information on Windows' graphic applications.

Persons interested in attending should call 335-4171 for reservations.

ComputerLand handles computers, supplies and accessories, including Apple, IBM, Compaq, Epson, Okidata, Hewlett-Packard and others.

EL CHICO RESTAURANT TO OPEN MONDAY

Cape Girardeau's newest restaurant opens its doors Monday.

The Mexican restaurant, El Chico's, is located at 202 S. Mt. Auburn Rd., between West Park Mall and Doctors Park.

"This is the second one in Missouri," said general manager Russ Neal. "The other existing restaurant is located in Springfield. There are about 100 El Chico's across the country. The corporate headquarters is in Dallas, Texas."

The restaurant serves Mexican food primarily but has some other types as well. He said it prepares all its food fresh daily. The hours have not been set but the tentative schedule calls for it to open at 11 a.m. and close at 10 or 11 p.m.

The new restaurant has a seating capacity of 260 to 280 people. Neal indicated it will open with seating for 150 and expand as necessary later. He said El Chico's also has a full-service bar.

"We have 125 employees, and about three-fourths of them are full time," Neal said. He has 12 years' experience in the food service industry.

Neal said this is the 13th restaurant in Missouri and Illinois for its owner, Dennis Stockard of Cape Girardeau. His Applebee's restaurant and bar at Route K and Broadview is scheduled to open next month.

DAIRY QUEEN REOPENs

The Dairy Queen restaurant at 913 Broadway has reopened.

Owner Frank Bean of Cape Girardeau, who closed the restaurant June 26, said the plan to consolidate it with the Dairy Queen at 31 S. Kingshighway did not meet with approval with the company's regional office in St. Louis. He said he will keep it open to abide by the franchise agreement.

Bean said the restaurant has a new manager, Mike Kitchen, formerly with the Hardee's restaurant at 1330 Broadway. "The Dairy Queen will have 14 to 15 employees," he said. "Some of them are new and some are former employees."

Bean said no changes have been made there. It is open 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. seven days a week. A re-opening promotion will be held in a few weeks.

He indicated that university students are the predominant customers. It is located to the south of Southeast Missouri State University.

Bean and his wife Mary Ellen acquired the franchise of the Broadway restaurant in 1978. They opened the South Kingshighway one in 1986 and opened one in Scott City the same year.

RUST & MARTIN REVEALS BUILDING PLANS

Rust & Martin, Inc., which has evolved from an upholstery shop in Cape Girardeau during the early depression years to one of the notable furniture and interior design businesses in the immediate Midwest, is expanding to a new location in Cape Girardeau.

Harry Rust, president of the firm which now has operations in Cape Girardeau and Columbia, and Paducah, Ky., has announced plans to build a new store and relocate its home furnishings business to the Cape Centre.

The new, 25,700 square foot structure will be located adjacent of Route K, next to the new Applebys Restaurant, which is already under construction there.

"The new building will feature a state of the arts lighting system," said Rust. "It will have 12-foot ceilings, and will include 9-10 foot high partition wall."

Rust said the new partitions would permit better furniture displays to go along with the current trend toward building new homes with 9- to 12-foot ceilings.

"The new building will be classical contemporary in styling, and will have entries on both the west side and south sides," said Rust. "It will be constructed of drivet."

Construction is expected to get under within a few weeks.

"We're looking to move into some time around the first of the year," said Rust.

Penzel Construction Co. is the general contractor for the new facility, with Tom Phillips architect.

"We'll continue to feature the many specialized departments we now have," said Rust.

That includes furniture, floorcovering, wallcovering, lamps, pictures, accessories, window treatments, contract furnishings and interior design.

"The custom departments of reupholstery, custom draperies, and bedspreads will be located elsewhere in Cape Girardeau," said Rust. "We also have some plans to add new departments and lines of merchandise in the new store."

Rust & Martin was established as a reupholstery shop on Broadway in Cape Girardeau in 1933, by Wayne Rust and Bud Martin. Following Martin's death, Wayne Rust purchased his interest, but continued the business under name of Rust & Martin.

Through the years, Rust & Martin has added its many departments, which has made it the complete home furnishings center it is today.

Rust & Martin opened a store in Columbia in 1975, and started an operation in Paducah in 1987. Stephen Rust manages the Columbia operation, Michael Rust is manager at Cape Girardeau, and David Rust manages the Paducah store.

Rust & Martin employs approximately 70 people in their three locations.