Oconee County Issued Building Permit For Cheddar’s At Epps Bridge Centre

Without Liquor

The Oconee County Code Enforcement Office last week granted a building permit to C&P Restaurant Company of Macon for construction of a Cheddar’s restaurant at the Epps Bridge Parkway entranceway to Epps Bridge Centre.

The permit is for a 8,385-square-foot wood and steel building. Cost is listed on the permit as $2.3 million.

Insert Cheddar's Here

The permit does not give an estimated start or completion date for the project, but construction equipment was on the site over the weekend.

The construction planning documents filed with the county on June 25, 2014, show 60 parking spaces between the building and Epps Bridge Parkway and 145 parking spaces behind the restaurant.

Access will be from off the roadway from Epps Bridge Parkway to the main core of Epps Bridge Centre.

Liquor Not Necessary

C&P is going forward with the plans for the restaurant despite an earlier statement from co-owner Allen Peake that putting the restaurant in Oconee County was “economically unfeasible” without the ability to serve liquor by the drink in the restaurant.

Cheddar’s is described as a neighborhood-style restaurant that serves steaks, chicken, seafood, burgers, salads and desserts. The restaurants usually feature a full bar.

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners voted earlier this month to put a liquor-by-the-drink referendum on the November ballot, but Oconee County voters have turned down three such referendums in the past.

Epps Bridge Centre developer Frank Bishop has argued that he needs liquor-by-the-drink in the county to attract quality restaurants to his shopping mall.

The county’s Industrial Development Authority last month said it was not taking a side on liquor-by-the-drink, but it nonetheless urged the BOC to put the issue on the ballot to further the growth of restaurants in the county.

Freddy’s Too

Cheddar’s will join Freddy’s Frozen Custard And Steakburgers at the Epps Bridge Parkway entrance to the shopping mall.

TGC Development Group of Wichita, Kan., has submitted plans for the Freddy’s restaurant, which will have a drive-through operation as well as sit-down restaurant.

The two restaurants are spread across what originally was to be two separate outparcels, and traffic will be able to flow from the parking lot of one of the restaurants to the other.

The county has not yet issued a building permit for Freddy’s.

The Cheddar’s permit was signed by the county on Aug. 11.