O'Charley's Closes, Chipotle Is Coming to Elizabethtown
O'Charley's has closed nationwide, and Chipotle is taking the Elizabethtown spot. Nate Bryan also reports on Burger 21, Dewster's second location, and new store openings.
Key Takeaways
- O'Charley's has closed its company owned restaurants nationwide, including Elizabethtown; the location is being replaced by Chipotle, Hardin County's first freestanding Chipotle
- Burger 21 has pulled out of a planned spot near Pizza Mavens by Central Hardin, unrelated to rent or the location
- Dewster's has closed on the land for a second Elizabethtown location on the south side, across from Long John Silver's; the original location is not going anywhere
- Openings on the way: Sierra Trading is now open, Zaxby's and Wendy's near Central Hardin are aiming for October 5, Buckle opens in November, and JD Sports targets October 10
- Nate tried Fly2Fit, the new bungee fitness studio, for himself on camera
Summary
Nate Bryan opened Business Buzz with the biggest local business story of the week: O'Charley's closing nationwide, including the Elizabethtown location a lot of Hardin County grew up going to. From there, a wave of other changes, a burger chain pulling out, a dessert shop expanding, and several new stores getting closer to opening.
Nate also tried something new himself this week, strapping into a harness at Fly2Fit, the county's new bungee fitness studio, and reporting back on what it is actually like.
Full Article
O'Charley's has closed its company owned restaurants nationwide, and the Elizabethtown location closed with them. Nate Bryan spent the top of Business Buzz talking through what that meant, both for the chain and for a place a lot of Hardin County grew up going to. The crew remembered it as one of the first sit down chains of its kind in Elizabethtown, before the Rafferty's and Cheddar's that came later, and traded memories of high school wing nights there. "We'd go for their wing night because they had 25 cent wing night, and they hated us there, I swear," Nate said.
The Elizabethtown location is being replaced by Chipotle, which Nate says will be Hardin County's first freestanding Chipotle location, since the only other one nearby is inside the Fort Knox PX. "O'Charley's is going to be replaced with Chipotle," he said. A second Seven Brew is also planned for the same area.
Nate had more restaurant news to close out, and not all of it good. Burger 21 has pulled out of a planned location near Pizza Mavens by Central Hardin. "Due to circumstances, not due to local realty, has nothing to do with the rent, nothing to do with that, nothing with the location," Nate said, adding that the chain does not appear to be expanding anywhere else in Kentucky right now.
There was better news for dessert lovers on the south side. Dewster's has officially closed on the land for a second Elizabethtown location, sitting across from Long John Silver's near the fire department. Plans have not been released yet, since the business is watching how the South Dixie corridor renovations play out nearby. Nate was clear about one thing: the original Dewster's location is not going anywhere. "The first one's not going away, but the second one, I think someone's got a great location," he said, pointing to its spot near the hotels, Elizabethtown High School, and several churches on that side of town.
On the openings side, 12 Ninja Gym, formerly in Towne Mall, is moving to a new home, though no move date has been set. Sierra Trading has opened at the mall, and Nate plans to check it out soon. Zaxby's, going in by Central Hardin and Wendy's, is now aiming for an October 5 opening after an earlier target slipped. Buckle is set to open at the mall in November, and JD Sports, which Nate describes as a Finish Line 2.0, is targeting October 10.
Nate closed the segment with something he had been putting off: trying Fly2Fit himself. The bungee fitness studio put him through a harnessed cardio workout, and after a rocky first thirty seconds getting used to the gear, he said he had a genuinely good time. "It was a fun workout," Nate said of the studio, run by co-owner Emili Padilla. He called it worth the money and a legitimately fun option for people who cannot do a standard weight room workout, including people managing joint issues.
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