An icon of Southern comfort food is making plans to serve up an extra helping of its signature cuisine to Memphis diners. Cook Out, which has been delighting diners with its burgers, chicken, barbecue, and wide range of milkshakes since 1989, has filed paperwork for a new Union Avenue location.
The fast-casual restaurant has applied for a commercial alteration permit for a storefront located at 1723 Union Avenue. Locals may recall that spot as the former home of Backyard Burgers; the neighborhood will no doubt be glad to see the building once again serving classic fast-casual American fare.
Cook Out restaurants have traditionally offered walk-up and drive-thru service without any dining room seating. Some locations have begun to offer dine-in options, however it is not yet clear which side of the coin the Union Avenue storefront will land on. The paperwork filed with the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development shows that the eatery will span 831 square feet, a relatively small footprint consistent with the established, take-out model.
Cook Out made its initial mark on the dining scene in 1989 in North Carolina. While the restaurant offers several classic options customers have come to know and love from an array of concepts, including chicken nuggets and hamburgers, it also features unique variations on beloved favorites and distinctive choices. Visitors can enjoy a barbecue sandwich or corndog, alongside an impressive array of char-grilled chicken breast sandwiches. Cook Out will particularly appeal to patrons with a sweet tooth; the concept features more than 40 milkshake flavors.
While a precise opening timeline isn’t yet available, Cook Out CEO Jeremy Reaves kindly made some time to express the concept’s enthusiasm for the new location to What Now Memphis, saying: “We are very excited to come and open our new location on Union Avenue- just waiting for our permits and ready to start asap and get open! We love Memphis and Union Avenue and can’t wait to get open.”
