A new eatery will join the mix of new businesses in the north Hixson area as part of the entry there by a Publix grocery store.

BiBa’s Italian Restaurant, a chain with three locations in Georgia, will open in the new center neighboring Publix by January, according to owner Krist Biba.

BiBa’s opened its first store in Lawrenceville, Ga., almost 11 years ago. Since then, franchises have been purchased and two other locations have opened in Gainesville, Ga., and Cumming, Ga.

But Mr. Biba said when the opportunity came to locate another restaurant in a center with Publix, he welcomed the opportunity to open in Hixson.

“I feel like Hixson is a growing area, and we wanted to bring a family-style resteuarant to a family community,” he said. “We target families.”

Marlene Green, director of leasing and marketing for Atlanta-based Watkins Retail Group, developers of the property, was familiar with the restaurant chain.

“They were a tenant of ours at another center, so I approached them specifically,” she said. “They are a fantastic operation with excellent food. And I think it will bring another much-needed family sit-down restaurant experience to the North Hixson area.”

The menu at the Chattanooga location will mirror the other three restaurants’. It will have two kitchens, one where lasagna and other house specialties are made, another for the making of the pizzas and popular garlic rolls.

Mr. Biba said he’s made a $500,000 investment in the 3,500-square-foot Hixson store that will seat about 130 diners.

Ben Keiss, manager of the Lawrenceville store, said the menu is mostly Italian, but a few dishes show a fusion of cuisines, such as the blackened chicken Cajun pasta.

Mindy Henck, owner of Chloe Haircolor and Design, another store recently opened in the center, moved to Chattanooga from Atlanta and is familiar with Biba’s, having once lived a mile from the Lawrenceville restaurant.

“I ate there regularly. They have really good Italian-style family food,” she said, adding that there is no other Italian restaurant in the area, and she’s looking forward to eating her favorite BiBa dishes again.

“The chicken picatta is very good, and the rolls, they just indescribably good. You could eat 14 at once if you could.”