Worcester, MA Southwest Properties, LLC of Sutton, Mass. has signed a long-term lease with Worcester’s first Dairy Queen Grill & Chill franchisee, Thebe Enterprises, LLC of Northborough, Mass. on a pad site at its retail plaza located at 725 Grafton St.

Drew Higgins of Kelleher & Sadowsky, Inc. and John Benoit of Vantage Point Retail, LLC co-brokered the 20-year lease. Construction has begun on the $1.3 million restaurant with a drive-thru, which is scheduled to open February 2019, according to Lenny Brescia, managing partner.

Brescia acquired the 40,000 s/f plaza with several thousand feet of vacancy and the vacant PAD site in 2013.

Since then, Brescia has filled the vacancies and has updated the look of the plaza with a new façade which was completed in 2017.

“We are thrilled to have  DQ Grill & Chill as a new addition to our plaza and I am certain it will thrive in this location, as well as lead new customers to our existing tenants,” said Meghan Brescia, co-owner and partner.

Other tenants in the plaza include Family Dollar, Advance Auto Parts, H&B Liquors, Jay’s Smoke Shop and New England Home Furniture.

Southwest Properties, LLC also owns and manages other retail plazas in Worcester and Providence, Rhode Island