The strip:

26,000-square-foot Italian restaurant to open at the Forum Shops

A construction wall inside the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace advertises the future Las Vegas arrival of Carmine’s restaurant, Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012.

A Times Square Italian restaurant that serves 1 million people a year is planning to open an even bigger location in Las Vegas next year.

Carmine's will sprawl over 26,000 square feet of space at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. The restaurant will be twice the size of the Times Square location and among the biggest eateries on the Strip.

Construction is set to begin in January, with hopes of an April opening. The 800-seat Carmine's will take over the space previously inhabited by Planet Hollywood.

As many as 300 workers will be hired, said Jeffrey Bank, chief executive officer of owner Alicart Restaurant Group.

Carmine's will feature two levels of dining and private areas for special events, including a terrace facing the coming Linq entertainment promenade.

The restaurant will be designed by Bill Johnson, who has worked on the Eiffel Tower restaurant in Las Vegas, R'evolution in New Orleans and the Ritz-Carlton in his hometown of Atlanta.

Carmine's also will have take-out service catered to locals.

Alicart signed a 25-year lease with Simon Property Group, which operates the Forum Shops.

The first Carmine's opened in Upper Manhattan 22 years ago before expanding to Times Square; Washington, D.C.; Atlantic City, N.J.; and the Bahamas. The restaurant serves family-style dishes, including a 9-inch high plate of eggplant parmigiana.

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