Construction continues on two new restaurants in Poplar Bluff, with both expected to open in the coming months.
A 954-square-foot Rally’s building is nearing completion on North Westwood Boulevard near Highland Drive, in the same location as the former Pizza Hut.
Poplar Bluff’s other new restaurant is going up at the corner of Shelby Road and Kanell Boulevard.
The 2,200-square-foot building will be a Taco Johns. As of now, city officials say the scheduled completion date for Taco Johns is mid-March.
The estimated cost of the Rally’s building and property, according to city building inspector Tony Chilton, is around $128,130, and the permit fee was $474.
According to city officials, the business is owned by P&P Partners out of Cape Girardeau.
Construction of the building began in late October and now is wrapping up, with mostly concrete work left to complete.
Right now, Chilton said, it looks like Rally’s is on track to be complete by the end of January, with a potential opening date of around Feb. 1.
Rally’s will feature a double drive thru, Chilton said, but will not have any indoor dining, just like its other restaurants across the midwest.
However, for those who may want to eat there, there likely will be an outdoor dining option.
“I think you’ll be able to walk up to the window and order, and they’ll have some tables outside,” said Chilton.
According to company literature, the menu will consist of burgers, chicken and fish sandwiches, hotdogs, chicken wings, desserts and more.
Poplar Bluff previously was home to a Taco Johns location up until 1998, when the owner at the time did not renew the business’s license.
Ground was broken for the new, nearly $800,000 building in mid- to late-October, Chilton said, and the company paid $2,666 for its permit.
According to city staff, the owners are Thomas Pratt and others from Sikeston.
Taco Johns will be a full-service restaurant, Chilton said, with indoor dining and a double drive thru.
The menu will consist of Mexican-style fast food, including breakfast items.
“I’m thinking at the end of March, it should be open,” Chilton said.
Both restaurants, Chilton said, will be valuable additions to the city and continue the trend of growth and expansion over the last decade.
“Ever since we built the new hospital in 2012, this town has been growing steadily,” he said.
At the moment, Chilton said, he hasn’t heard of any other building permit requests in the city, but expects that will change as the weather warms in the spring.