Chattanooga-based Krystal Co. made an added commitment to the city this week when the fast-food company began construction on the first of at least four area stores.
Construction engineers dropped in a new restaurant at 3409 Amnicola Highway, lifting the modular building in two 25-ton chunks from the back of two flatbed trucks as onlookers gawked from the safety of a nearby gas station.
The process took most of the morning, according to Davey Vining of Norcross, Ga.-based Venture Construction Co. The store is on track to open July 26.
"We got both buildings set, and everything's looking good," Mr. Vining said. "We're going to put the signs on the buildings and the awnings, and by the end of the week we'll have the canopies on it, then we'll pave it and we'll open it."
Krystal's Bob Marshall, vice president for development, said that the modular restaurant allowed the chain to quickly respond to demand for more fast food.
"The biggest advantage is construction timelines, five weeks from groundbreaking as opposed to normally where it's closer to 90 days," Mr. Marshall said.
The company plans to build on Broad Street, in East Brainerd and in the Cleveland area into 2011, according to Thomas Clark, new development project manager for Krystal.
"I think we're still excited about expanding through this recession," Mr. Clark said. "With three other locations within 30 miles, we are looking forward to building closer to home."
The new store will create 35 jobs. It will be the first time in 10 years a Krystal restaurant has been built in the city, the company said in a news release.
Fred Exum, president and chief executive officer for Krystal, said that the chain's expansion and Volkswagen's arrival are no coincidence.
"With the resurgence of development along the Riverwalk and major investments in the city like the Volkswagen plant creating thousands of new jobs, this is truly an exciting time for Chattanoogans," Mr. Exum said.
"Chattanooga has always been an important market for The Krystal Co., both from a strategic viewpoint and historically, and you can expect to see it become even more so in the coming years."
The Amnicola Highway outlet will feature an indoor ordering area with Wi-Fi, six drive-in stalls and a drive-through window creating multiple points of service for customers, two of which are accessible from a car, the company said.
The new Krystal is part of a nationwide expansion in the past year that has seen new restaurants in opened in Ellijay and Augusta, Ga, Jacksonville and Panama City Beach, Fla., and other markets in the Southeast.