By Michelle Price
Special to the UCBJ
COOKEVILLE – Fans of Texas Roadhouse won’t have to wait much longer for their favorite entrees. Texas Roadhouse is officially opening on April 12 at 3 p.m. A ribbon cutting ceremony with the Chamber of Commerce will officially welcome the restaurant to Cookeville.
A “dress rehearsal” will take place the days leading up to the opening for staff to prepare. Invited guests will enjoy made-from-scratch food and be asked to donate to two local charities. All proceeds will benefit Better Cookeville and Mission Mayhem.
There have been 225 employees hired for the restaurant according to Managing Partner Jim Jolly. Applications are still being accepted at their temporary office located in the shopping center behind the new restaurant. There is still a need for bussers and dishwashers, but applications for other positions will also be accepted for the next few days. Employee training is set to begin April 3.
The Cookeville Texas Roadhouse will not be open for lunch Monday – Friday but will open one hour earlier through the week than other Texas Roadhouse stores to better serve the Cookeville market.
Store hours will be Monday – Thursday 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Jolly was quick to credit Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton for being a great partner to get the restaurants doors open in Cookeville. Development issues and COVID-19 had presented some obstacles, but the tenacity of Shelton in assisting with finding a new location and cutting through red tape was a huge help.
“Cookeville has been a location of interest for quite some time. We are thrilled to finally have this site to open our restaurant here and are looking forward to growing our brand across the state,” says Texas Roadhouse Area Manager Richard Obayagbona.
