Spicy Pickle Franchising Inc., operator of the fast-casual restaurant chains Spicy Pickle in the U. S. and Bread Garden Urban Café in Canada, announced the opening of a second franchised restaurant in downtown San Diego, directly across the street from Petco Park, home to the San Diego Padres baseball team.

The franchisee that owns the newest restaurant has a multi-restaurant development package. There is a third Spicy Pickle restaurant in San Diego County in Poway, California, that is owned by a different franchisee. These three restaurants that are opened along with the Spicy Pickle under construction in Temecula, California, will give Spicy Pickle a four-restaurant footprint in Southern California.

Spicy Pickle also announced a new franchise agreement for Billings, Montana, its first in that state. Site selection for the restaurant will begin shortly.

Construction is also underway for a third Austin, Texas, franchise restaurant, a second Las Vegas restaurant, and a second Houston restaurant. All are expected to open in the first half of 2010.

“It is gratifying, especially under current economic conditions, to start up with a new franchisee in a new market so we are particularly pleased to be working on a new Spicy Pickle restaurant in Billings,” says Marc Geman, president of Spicy Pickle. “It is also very satisfying to have franchisees that are getting financing to be able to move ahead with building programs. In addition, we have activity in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where we anticipate being able to announce something shortly. Our existing Bread Garden Urban Cafes in Canada are gearing up for the Winter Olympics in February in Vancouver and on Whistler Mountain.”