New Peabody restaurant to focus on Greek cuisine

Greek-American fare with gourmet flair is headed for Peabody, where the founder of the popular Brothers Deli restaurants plans to open Brothers Kouzina, at the former site of Bickford's on Route 1 north.

James Christopher, a Greek immigrant who operated Brothers Deli locations around the North Shore, plans a restaurant a bit up more upscale than the cafeteria-style restaurants he started more than 30 years ago in Mattapan Square in Boston.

Brothers Kouzina will be full-service, offering a mix of traditional Greek and American dishes. The restaurant, named for the Greek word for cuisine, will have an open kitchen, meaning food will be cooked in view of diners. A rotisserie will spin ribs, chicken, and gyro. Lamb, chicken, fish, and other dishes will be on the menu, too, said Penny Christopher, Christopher's wife and business partner.

''It won't be just Greek food," Christopher said. ''It will have a variety of things, from burgers to gourmet dishes, that we think will appeal to a lot of people."

But, of course, there will be baklava. And spirits, too. The Peabody Licensing Board approved the license for the restaurant on July 11. The state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission now is reviewing the application, and then will send it back to the Peabody board to issue the license, said board chairman Joe Delaney.

In the meantime, the Christophers hope to start work as early as this week renovating the old Bickford's, next to Bertucci's on Route 1. The couple plan to invest at least $200,000 to build a 140-seat restaurant that will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Christopher said.

Brothers Kouzina will be James Christopher's newest restaurant venture. Christopher, 57, opened his first Brothers Deli in Mattapan Square in 1973. He later sold the location, and operated Brothers Delis at various times in Chelsea, Lynn, Peabody, Wakefield, and Salem. Although he has since sold them, the restaurants still bear his name, which he'll incorporate into the new restaurant.

''My husband picked the name Brothers after his four brothers came to Greece to work with him," Penny Christopher said. ''And when he left, each restaurant kept the name. It means a lot to him. That's why we're calling our new place 'Brothers Kouzina.' "

Extra Innings sells more franchises

Extra Innings of Middleton continues to be a hit with baseball entrepreneurs. The company has sold four new franchise territories, which will take the indoor baseball training center as far afield as Arizona. The new locations, planned for Norfolk, Nashua, Cleveland, and Goodyear, Ariz. -- bring the number of agreements to 17 since Extra Innings started selling franchise rights last June.

A franchise agreement costs $20,000. It includes the Extra Inning playbook for running a facility, including practice tunnels, batting cages, and a pro shop. Once a franchiser signs an agreement, they may also buy the future franchise rights for another location for $10,000, said Jesse Peterson, director of sales and marketing.

''The response to our franchising has been great," Peterson said. ''We've had a lot of interest from people all over looking to get into the business."

But Extra Innings has its challenges. Although it sold the rights to 17 franchises, so far only six locations have opened. That's because it's hard to find a a commercial building large enough to accommodate a baseball training center. On average, a facility should be 10,000 to 25,000 square feet, located in an area zoned for recreation, Peterson said.

''It really can be hard," Peterson said. ''But we do provide them with help finding a facility. They can e-mail us pictures of the site, and we can advise them through the mortgage or lease negotiations. We inspect and sign off on each location."

PR firm expands to Manchester

Calypso Communications of Portsmouth this month expanded to Manchester, putting the public relations company closer to its fast-growing business clients. ''We have an increasing number of clients in the I-93 and Route 128 area," said Kevin Stickney, the company president. ''It just makes sense for us to have a presence where they are."

Founded five years ago, Calypso specializes in public relations for high-tech, energy, environmental, and healthcare companies. The private company now has $2 million in revenues, and 11 employees, including three that staff the new Manchester office, Stickney said.

Datebook The North Shore Business Forum will hold its weekly breakfast meeting at 7:30 a.m. Friday at Danversport Yacht Club, Route 62 East, Danvers. The guest speaker will be Elaine Abramo, owner of Abramo Business Consulting, who will speak on ''Small Business Record Keeping." The cost is $8. For information, go to www.nsbforum.org.

Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com.