A little known conglomerate aiming to build US businesses in sectors ranging from wine to private jets has announced plans to build a brand of 250 bread bakeries over the next 18 months, according to a company release from The Guess Corporation, based in Durham, North Carolina.

Breads, sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts, cheesecakes and wine will be part of the menu for dine-in or take-out at Guess Bread locations, which the company reported will be built at an average cost of $3 million. The restaurants will have an open kitchen, and bread will be baked fresh on-site.

Earlier this year, the Guess Corporation, which claims on its website (www.theguesscorporation.com) to be involved in 29 separate industries, announced plans to acquire at least 1,000 convenience store/gas station units over the next 12 months. Upon completion of the purchases, the company said that it intends to re-brand and renovate properties with innovative designs and provide enhanced customer relationship management technology. The company has invited brokers to provide buyer representation, according to the company.

GP Express units and Guess Bread units will share real estate sites, according to the company, and operating partnerships are being offered for both brands. Store design for Guess Bread was provided by Scott+Cormia, an architecture firm in Orlando, Florida.

"We are pleased to add another planned brand to our portfolio to be built alongside select sites of GP Express. Our c-store and hospitality concepts will be complementary to each other," Cutie Shrestha, senior executive vice president and chief development officer for Guess Corporation, said in a release.

The company could not be reached for comment on further details.

According to a company press release, Guess Corporation began as a luxury goods holding company in 2012, with a focus on diamonds, and has expanded into other business sectors including chocolate, specialty drinks, coffee, specialty tea and a wide range of non-food luxury industries.