GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - A national restaurant chain that specializes in international noodle dishes is setting up shop in the Grand Valley.

Noodles & Company is opening it's newest location at 2474 Highway 6 & 50, in the same building that once housed Panchero's Mexican Grill. The location is shared by Cold Stone Creamery and Genghis Grill.

The stretch along Highway 6 & 50 between 24 Road and the Rimrock Trade Center is experiencing a boom in business. C-DOT restructured that particular stretch of highway in 2011, adding driving lanes, new concrete driving surface, updated signals, lighting, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and landscaping.

Within the last year, Splish Splash Car Wash opened for business across the street from Mesa Mall. Since then, dirty cars have been streaming in nearly non-stop. Says Jake Morgan, builder of the wash equipment, "It's been a little better than we thought. After C-DOT redid this intersection, it's been great. We're pretty excited to hear about the new shops coming in."

Garden of Eatin' owner Kathy Griffith says she's not worried when she hears a new restaurant is moving in down the street. Garden of Eatin' specializes in fresh salads and soups. Since it opened at 2502 Highway 6 & 50 in the same complex as Jimmy John's, Verizon, and the U.S. Armed Services Recruiting Center, Griffith says business has been good.

She says, "The last two years, we were definitely impacted by the economy, like so many other businesses. But this year we've seen a spike in sales, and we hope it will continue in that direction."

When asked about incoming competition for diners, she says, "Business brings business. When Verizon did the $2 convenience fee for customers, there was a lot of backlash, and we had a spike in sales that day."

Buffalo Wild Wings is moving on to Mesa Mall property this summer, into the same building that used to house Smuggler's Brewpub and Krispy Kreme.

Noodles & Company will begin hiring in April, and will open for business in May.