Nashville's first In-N-Out Burger, along with two other fast food heavy hitters, planned for Antioch development
Fried chicken and burger lovers rejoice: Antioch's fast-food inventory is about to level up. Three of the nation's leading drive-through eateries — In-N-Out Burgers, Chick-fil-A and Whataburger ― according to city permits, are in various stages of staking claims in the 300-acre Century Farms development.
In-N-Out Burgers announced earlier this year plans to expand into Tennessee, with a forthcoming restaurant and corporate hub in Franklin. The California-based burger restaurant is notable as the progenitor of the "animal-style" burger with mustard-cooked patty and grilled onions.
The Antioch In-N-Out will be located at 4136 William Turner Pkwy, near the 15-acre Nashville Soccer Club training complex and the new Tanger Outlets at Century Farms. A plan application filed with the city Nov. 29 shows the building would be nearly 4,000 square feet with a drive-thru and patio.
In-N-Out plans to open the two new Nashville-area restaurants and a $125.5 million, 100,000-square-foot corporate office complex in Franklin in 2026. The Franklin eatery will be near Berry Farms off Interstate 65.
Chick-fil-A expands in Tennessee
Meanwhile, the California burger chain is in good company at Century Farms in Antioch, where Tanger Outlets opened in October.
Nashville Planning officials are also reviewing permit applications for a new Chick-fil-A restaurant with a drive-thru, canopies and an outdoor dining area. The fast-food chicken chain location will open at an unspecified time at 4234 Century Farms Terrace, also near the SC facility and outlet mall.
Chick-fil-A was the third-highest grossing fast-food chain in America in 2022 with $18.8 billion in sales, according to QSR’s annual industry report. In comparison, In-N-Out Burger came in 35th on QSR's top-50 fast-food restaurant list with $1.1 billion in sales last year.
Century Farms is a sprawling development that includes new roads, traffic signals and utilities on formerly undeveloped land. A new exit on the I-65 was built to accommodate the homes and businesses, which include Community Health Systems offices and an HCA Healthcare emergency hospital.
Whataburger's coming too
Whataburger continues to ramp up its Middle Tennessee takeover with another location slated for 2110 Century Farms Pkwy.
The Texas-based burger chain, known for its company-made sauces, including the oft-imitated "Fancy ketchup," expanded aggressively last year and added 52 stores nationwide. Its Antioch location could open in the next two years.
Whataburger sold $3.3 billion in sandwiches, sides and beverages in 2022, landing at 22nd on QSR’s Top 50 fast-food restaurant list.
Councilwoman: 'This is a bigger, better Antioch'
New restaurants at Tanger Outlets include Prince's Hot Chicken and Tailgate Brewery. The Century Farms development has also signed tenants Chipotle, Arby's and McDonald's, as well as a new Tiger Woods-back golfing-and-dining concept called PopStroke.
Councilwoman Joy Styles said the deluge of new Century Farms tenants is just the beginning of Antioch’s revitalization.
“If you haven’t been in Antioch in a long time, I promise you’re on your way back,” Styles said. “This is a bigger, better Antioch that’s offering you multiple opportunities to shop and eat, as well as revitalization of the old Hickory Hollow mall and the Starwood site.”
The success of Century Farms looked dour in 2018, when Ikea canceled plans to open there. Instead, Tanger Outlets was the first anchor tenant to open and has drawn daily crowds.
“There are lines every weekend to get in,” Styles said. “I’ve spent a considerable amount of time at Prince’s Hot Chicken. Tanger is the lynchpin for our revitalization. Everything that has followed is based on Tanger opening successfully.”
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: New Nashville In-N-Out Burger, Chick-fil-A, Whataburger sites planned
