Johnston County residents will soon have three new restaurants to enjoy.
Plans have been submitted to the Town of Smithfield to construct Starbucks Coffee, Buffalo Wild Wings, and a Chipotle Mexican grill restaurant on South Equity Drive in Smithfield.
Smithfield Planning Director Paul Embler said Carolina Holdings Inc. of Greenville, SC will be developing the commercial site for the three businesses. Starbucks and Chipotle will be located in one building. A second building on the same lot will house Buffalo Wild Wings.
The lot had previously been considered for a Red Lobster and Olive Garden but those plans fell through about two years ago.
Embler said Carolina Holdings had been working with the state on a permitting issue for a storm water retention pond. A contractor completed work on enlarging the pond in July and plans have been moving forward since that time.
The site was already properly zoned for the businesses, however, Carolina Holdings will appear before the Smithfield Town Council on September 1st seeking a sign permit.
