According to WNWS.COM, here’s the top 10 most visited business stories for 2018. The date of the story appears beside the headline in parenthesis.
1) Texas Roadhouse headed for Vann Drive (July 5)
Texas Roadhouse has submitted building plans for a new restaurant at 1203 Vann Drive.
Texas Roadhouse is an American chain restaurant that specializes in steaks and promotes a Western theme.
The restaurant will be constructed on a two-and-one-half acre site that was once home to one of the first buildings constructed on the west end of Vann Drive.
Total Construction Environmental Contractors from Milan razed the 20,000-square-foot facility for BayRock Investment Company, in August, 2015.
JHG Hospitality LLC sold the property at 1203 Vann Drive – located next to Dick’s Sporting Goods, and directly across Hilton Garden Inn on Vann Drive – to Norvell Management LLC, for $1,550,000.
NOTE: This story was the No. 1 overall story (news, business, sports) at WNWS.COM for 2018.
2) Tacos 4 Life announces opening date (October 12)
According to a company spokesperson, Tacos 4 Life Grill will open at 11 a.m., October 30, at 1481 Vann Drive.
The 3,900-square-foot facility is located next door to Robinson Toyota.
Headquartered in Conway, Arkansas, Tacos 4 Life Grill is a Christian organization that offers a unique concept – 22 cents of each taco sold goes toward feeding the hungry around the world.
Restaurant hours will be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday – closed on Sundays.
Interviews continue from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., today, and the same hours Monday through Friday of next week.
Founded in Arkansas, franchises are located in Conway (2), Fayetteville, Little Rock, Benton and Searcy.
Besides Tennessee, the company is expanding into Texas and North Carolina.
3) Cook Out restaurant moving into former Coyote Blues location
Cook Out, an American privately owned fast food restaurant chain is in the process of opening at 4 Stonebridge Blvd., in Jackson.
The menu includes grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches and North Carolina barbecue.
The property – formerly the home of Coyote Blues – sold for $1,490,000 in September, 2017.
Founded in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1989, Cook Out is located in over 100 cities with drive-thru restaurants in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Mississippi and Maryland.
Company officials could not be reached for comment.
CBI General Contractors, Cumming, Georgia is handling the build-out.
4) West Tennessee Healthcare buying Tennova? CHS divesting hospitals (February 28)
Tennova officials declined to comment, but a statement from West Tennessee Healthcare said, “There is some discussion in the community regarding the potential sale of CHS (Community Health Systems) hospitals.
“We know that CHS has announced that it is divesting additional hospitals in 2018, but it is not their practice to announce which hospitals will be divested unless and until they reach a definitive agreement for sale.
“WTH is constantly evaluating opportunities to improve and expand regional access to high quality, cost-effective healthcare.”
5) New luxury movie theatre scheduled to open on Vann Drive in early 2019 (August 2)
The construction activity you may have noticed between Gander Outdoors and FFO on Vann Drive, is Empire Theatre, presented by Phoenix Theatres.
Construction on the eight-screen theatre is expected to be complete by early February.
“We see the Empire 8 Theatre in Jackson being a 21st Century-type Theatre,” said Phil Zacheretti during a press luncheon and conference at the Hilton Garden Inn, Thursday. “It’s going to have amenities people not just in Jackson, but the county and the surrounding counties have never seen before.
“Electric reclining seats in every auditorium … every seat is assigned … you pick out the actual seat you want to sit in.”
Phil Zacheretti is president/CEO of Phoenix Theatres Entertainment.
Besides the electric reclining seats, attached trays will be available for snacks, appetizers, or the beverage of your choice.
Zacheretti said the new electric reclining seats are not only the latest trend in movie theatres around the country – they are the most comfortable seats among any area theatre, which will help assure the movie going experience will be a pleasurable one.
The theatre will have seating for 700, and parking for 500.
Phoenix Theatres Entertainment, LLC based in Knoxville, Tennessee, is currently among the largest theatre circuits in the United States, managing theatres coast to coast, concentrating on generating profits for owners of an individual theatre to groups of theatres.
6) Casa Adobe closed? (June 6)
Although there is no sign on the door that says Casa Adobe Restaurante has closed, there is no activity at the popular Mexican restaurant at 1110 Vann Drive.
No one answers the telephone and management cannot be reached for comment.
In a related story on June 20, its closing became official when Pride Brokerage Services – a real estate company in Franklin – placed a sign in a front window announcing the property is for lease.
“I don’t want to speculate, but we were surprised they closed,” said Steve Stanley, a leasing agent for Pride Brokerage Services, “We’ve shown the property twice, and it’s for lease, not for sale.”
Stanley said a national company wanted to build a new facility on the property after purchasing and razing the existing building which consists of 4,640 square feet.
7) Former Kmart getting new tenant (July 24)
The property Kmart vacated at 732 Old Hickory Blvd., in October, 2017, has been leased to Amerco, a real estate company in Phoenix, Arizona.
The 94,500-square-foot facility will be converted to a U-Haul center, offering truck and trailer rental, interior heating and climate controlled self-storage and U-Box storage.
Additional storage buildings will be constructed on the east side of the lot, which consists of 9.83 acres.
Kmart first opened at 732 Old Hickory Blvd., in early 1970, and closed in October, 2017.
8) New restaurant to occupy former Applebee’s (September 7)
A date has not been set, but owners of a popular restaurant in Cordova are scheduled to open Te’kila Mexican Bar & Grill at 155 Stonebrook Place in West Towne Commons.
Brothers Jose and Alex Gomez, who opened their first Te’kila Mexican Bar & Grill at 1335 N. Germantown Parkway in Cordova, have sub-leased 155 Stonebrook Place from its former tenant, Applebee’s.
The owners could not be reached for comment, but Te’kila Mexican Bar & Grill is described as “a festive, family-friendly restaurant serving up an authentic Mexican dining experience that’ll make any meal feel like a celebration.”
NOTE: Te’kila Mexican Bar & Grill opened Dec. 19
9) A Bargain Hunters Paradise – New outlet store opens in North Plaza Shopping Center (July 25)
Gimme A $5, a rapidly growing discount retailer, opens in North Plaza Shopping Center, 53 Carriage House Drive, Saturday.
Leased by Wyatt W. Woeltje, Hickman Realty Group, the 38,000-square-foot-store will operate in three areas – liquidated items, clothing and food.
Every item in the store is only $5 on Saturday and Sunday, $3 on Monday, $2 on Tuesday, $1 on Wednesday and Thursday, and only $0.25 on Fridays.
Store hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays.
The retailer is also located in Clarksville, Dickson, Lebanon and Madison.
10) Huddle House closes on Whitehall Street (August 13)
Huddle House, 1118 Whitehall Street, has closed due to franchise violations.
According to corporate officials in Atlanta, one violation included the non-use of approved menu items.
Owned by Donald and Kimberly Lloyd of Jackson, Huddle House opened in January 2017.
The Lloyds could not be reached for comment.
The 2,500-square-foot standalone facility is located next door to an 18,000-square-foot retail center under construction – Bre Avenue at Madison Place.
TOP 10 LOCAL NEWS STORIES FOR 2018 Click Here
(PHOTO: Construction continues on a Texas Roadhouse, 1203 Vann Drive)
David Thomas, Twitter – @DavidThomasWNWS
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