Photo courtesy of Wayne Morris, City of Chelsea
During the March 16 Chelsea City Council meeting, mayor Tony Picklesimer shared in his mayor's report that two new restaurants will be opening in Chelsea later this year.
“I’m excited to announce that Southern Wings has purchased property next to Tractor Supply and will be opening Arby’s on one lot and the Buffalo Wild Wings on the other lot on Atchison Parkway,” he said.
Tim Spencer and Sterling Barbour, partners with Southern Wings Inc. Buffalo Wild Wings Franchises Central Alabama Area, approached mayor Tony Picklesimer about wanting to bring the new eating options to the city.
“AlI I did was facilitate,” Picklesimer said. “They took the bull by the horns and I’m so appreciative of their desire to be in Chelsea and be a part of our city. I look forward to them being here.”
Spencer and Barbour, who both live near Chelsea, have operated several Buffalo Wild Wings locations in Central Alabama since 2002, and Chelsea will be their ninth store. They also recently signed a deal to expand to another brand: Arby’s. Chelsea will be their first Arby’s location.
“The owners are very community minded and are excited to have a hometown national brand come to the city of Chelsea,” Picklesimer said.
“We hope to be open late fall at both locations,” Spencer and Barbour said. “The stores will be side by side. Arby’s will build faster since it is smaller, but our goal is to be open before the end of year.”
The Buffalo Wild Wings will be based off the most recent model of the restaurant chain. A group in Atlanta came up with new design fixtures and updated finishes and will be around 4,500 square feet, while Arby’s will be around 2,500 square feet.
These openings will bring more jobs to Chelsea. The owners said they will probably hire a total of 125 employees for both locations, and plan to start filling those positions in early summer. Joseph Palladino, a Chelsea resident, will be the regional manager for the restaurants.
Word has already begun to spread about the news and Picklesimer said all of the comments he has seen and heard have been extremely favorable.
They owners said they chose Chelsea because it has been the fastest growing city in the state and continues to grow at a rapid pace. Spencer and Barbour said they plan to give back to the local community by helping schools and other groups.
“One thing about us, we are a national brand, but Sterling and I both live local, so we are a hometown national brand,” Spencer said. “We will do anything to help out the community. Buffalo Wild Wings is over 1,200 stores strong in the country but we want it to be your local place to go.”
