BATAVIA – In the coming months, Batavia could see the opening of several new restaurants, and work soon will start on the expansion of Walmart at Fabyan Parkway and Randall Road to include a full-service grocery store, Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke said Thursday.

"Batavia continues to be on the upward trend," Schielke said as part of his address during the Batavia Chamber of Commerce's annual mayor's breakfast.

Schielke said work is set to start next week on Walmart's expansion into a superstore. The 35,911-square-foot addition will bring the store's size to 189,343 square feet.

Batavia residents also are about to get some new restaurant options. Open Range Southwest Grill, located at Bliss Creek Golf Club in Sugar Grove, will open a second location in the former Lodge on the Fox restaurant in Houston and North Water streets in downtown Batavia, Schielke announced.

Construction also continues to move forward on a new McDonald's in downtown Batavia.

"I was told on Wednesday that it plans to open around Nov. 20," Schielke said.

The former McDonald's restaurant, which first opened its doors in 1978, was razed in September to make way for a modern-looking restaurant with a double drive-thru designed to reduce traffic backups.

"It will have a brick exterior with a limestone facade," Schielke said. "We are hoping we will have something that will have somewhat of a historical connection to Batavia,"

He also provided an update on the Golden Corral restaurant at the corner of Main Street and Randall Road. The building, which had been tied up in foreclosure, has been unoccupied since completion of construction in October 2008. The restaurant is set to open on Nov. 17.

"The restaurant has already hired 130 people to work there," Schielke said.

Residents also will see the opening of a new Chick-fil-A restaurant in the coming months, Schielke said. Chick-fil-A is building a 4,869-square-foot restaurant with a two-lane drive-thru at the corner of McKee Street and Randall Road in front of the former Wickes furniture store.

Chick-fil-A is set to open Feb. 7, he said.