Two new restaurants will open in early 2016 along Highway 58 in a pair of abandoned storefronts.
Bojangles, which already operates five outlets in Hamilton County, is converting a former Burger King location at 4417 Highway 58 into a 3,808 square-foot drive-through restaurant on the 1-acre site.
Just down the road in a renovated former FSG bank branch, Dunkin’ Donuts plans to open its fourth Chattanooga area location at 4535 Highway 58 next year.
The new restaurants are being built on sites along the north side of Highway 58 where thousands of Harrison commuters travel past on their way to work in Chattanooga each day. The highway carries an average of 36,000 vehicles per day. Within three miles of new restaurants, there are 1,564 other businesses and 20,065 residents and employees.
Raul Mendez walks to his car after eating a lunch of fried chicken at Bojangles’ on Lee Highway.Cliff Cermak, a public relations specialist for Bojangles in Charlotte, N.C., said the chicken-oriented fast-food chain of 635 stores ” is very excited about our new restaurant on Highway 58,” which he said is expected to open in early January.
The new restaurant will have 30 full and part-time employees who are now being hired.
“We’re looking forward to opening the doors and giving local residents a convenient location for Bojangles’ delicious all-day breakfast, lunch and dinner,” he said.
The company-owned Bojangles store is trying to sell the building to outside investors and will lease and operate the restaurant under a single-tenant, 15-year lease. The unit is listed for sale at $2,654,000.
Russell Smith, a listing broker for Trivanta in Houston, said the sale and leaseback arrangement by Bojangles is typical of what the restaurant chain does at many of its stores.
Dunkin’ Donuts, which is based in Canton, Mass., operates other local outlets on Highway 153 in Hixson, on East Brainerd Road near Hamilton Place and on Signal Mountain Road.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com.