Open now; opening soon

Uncle Maddio’s, a fast-casual pizza chain, opened the second of eight planned Charlotte-area locations this week in Huntersville's NorthCross Shopping Center, and will do a grand opening July 12, with free pizza (one 9-inch three-topping pizza to everyone in line 11 a.m.-2 p.m.) and someone winning pizza for a year. 10009 NorthCross Center Court; in the NorthCross Shopping Center.

Smashburger opens July 16 at Cotswold, its second Charlotte-area location (the other's at Ballantyne), with a complimentary burger to diners from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. that day. It'll also donate a dollar from every burger sold through Aug. 13 to Ace & TJ's Grin Kids, which serves kids who are terminally ill or chronically handicapped. The Cotswold location will feature the chain's Carolina Chili burger and a chicken sandwich topped with melted American cheese, beef chili, chopped yellow onion, Duke’s mayo and coleslaw on a pretzel bun. The chain uses Certified Angus beef for burgers that are "smashed" on a 400-degree flat grill.

Chicken Salad Chick, a fast-casual chain that began in Alabama, is slated to open a location Aug. 5 at Carmel Commons (7617-C Pineville-Matthews Road), and the owners plan 10 Charlotte-area sites. The press release calls it a "unique concept" (please see The Mayobird, already in Charlotte) with 15 flavors of chicken salad: 85 franchises have been sold across the south, according to the release.