As Guthrie’s first restaurant in Athens prepares to open, plans might already be underway for another
After almost 20 years without a Guthrie’s in Athens, there soon may be not one but two locations in the Classic City.
According to an Oct. 26 plans review agenda from the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government, Guthrie’s is planning on constructing a new restaurant on Lexington Road.
The restaurant will be an extension of the Marathon Gas convenience store at 1580 Lexington Rd. by B&B Theatres. Guthrie’s did not immediately respond when asked to confirm this new location.
While the second location is only in the planning stages, construction is already underway on the first, which will occupy the endcap at 3465 Jefferson Rd. This restaurant will also share a building with Marathon Gas, along with a Subway, replacing the Dairy Queen that was located there prior.
The grand opening date for the Jefferson Road Guthrie’s has yet to be announced, but residents can expect giveaways and more when the day does roll around. At the Peachtree City grand opening in July, the first 50 customers received vouchers for a free box meal.
Bring on the chicken: Guthrie's and its chicken fingers to return to Athens next year
Guthrie’s currently has 11 other locations in Georgia including new restaurants in Cumming and Peachtree City. A new location is reportedly arriving in East Cobb in the coming months as well, but the chain has been experiencing ongoing zoning issues with the Cobb Planning Commission.
The chain originally came to Athens in the 1980s, occupying the building on Baxter Street that is now Raising Cane’s. However, to many people's disappointment, the location closed its doors in 2004, leaving Athens residents driving to Cumming or Hartwell to get their Guthrie’s fill.
Serving as the model for later chains such as Cane’s and Zaxby’s, Guthrie’s boasts the distinction of the world’s first chicken-finger only restaurant, opening in Alabama in 1965. Cane’s CEO and Founder Todd Graves even worked at Guthrie’s while he earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Georgia in the 1990s.
On the menu customers can pick from a snack box, a bucket, a chicken sandwich, or a “Gut Box,” which features all the fixings. With these selections, Guthrie’s keeps it uncomplicated and focuses on what they do best–golden fried chicken fingers.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Guthrie’s restaurant planning to open a second location in Athens
