COOKEVILLE – Interstate Drive has earned its nickname as Restaurant Row thanks to the many well-known chains that have set up shop on the popular strip. And now another franchise, Rib City, is set to move in.
After careful consideration of design/build bids from several area contractors, Rib City owners Steve and Chad Westphal selected Cookeville-based J. Cumby Construction to build a new location for its restaurant, which currently operates on West Jackson Street. The 4,500-square-foot facility will include more space to accommodate a growing customer base, both in the dining area and in the kitchen.
The Westphals decided the time was right to build a new restaurant that is completely customized for the way they want their customers to enjoy their experience. The current space doesn’t have enough natural light, and because it was an existing facility that they remodeled – the former Jackson Street Grill – it doesn’t allow for good wait staff flow. This keeps customers from getting the quick service that Rib City thinks its customers deserve, something that will be remedied in the new location.
Construction on the new Rib City restaurant is currently underway, with completion planned for sometime this summer.
“Creating an environment that is both family-friendly and allows for large private parties was very important in the design phase for Rib City,” said Justin Cumby, president of J. Cumby Construction. “The owners also made sure that serious thought went into the design of the covered outdoor patio area. Instead of patio guests looking out over an asphalt parking lot, we worked with Rib City to create a space that has established landscaping surrounding the patio, as well as a large two-sided stone fireplace. The building is also positioned so that there’s no parking on the patio side. These may seem like minor design elements, but they should make for a much better outdoor dining venue.
Rib City is based in Fort Myers, Fla., and started out as a small family operation in 1989 before expanding to its nearly 30 locations today in Colorado, Missouri, Ohio and more. The Cookeville location opened in 2010.
J. Cumby Construction, located at 165 W. Broad St. in Cookeville, is a full-service commercial, industrial, emergency restoration and water and wastewater construction company, offering general contracting and construction management services.
