Now this was back in February when I first heard the news, but it's official now. Marion is slated for a new Huddle House at 305 Comfort Drive off of West Main Street. Owner Robert Jellen took out a city building permit June 19, though no deed has been filed yet. It will be two lots north of the 20s Hideout and across the street from the new Sunshine Gardens assisted living facility that will be opening soon.
The permit gives a construction value of $850,000, which is actually a bit less than the new Krispy Kreme franchise which broke ground in June as well. The June 4 permit for that project showed it valued at $900,000.
Back in February the developer of the new Huddle House had been looking at the former Shell service station location in between 7th Street and Interstate 57 on the north side of West Main. The station, which was torn down last year, operated independently as Fuel Mart. Since then I'd heard he'd changed his attention to the west side of the interstate.
If you're wondering just what is a Huddle House, you're in for a treat if you've not dined at the one in Paducah, or the fairly new one in Greenville, Illinois, on your way to Springfield. According to the frequently asked questions on its franchising site, a "Huddle House is a Southern-style dining experience and community gathering spot that has been serving comfort food at a great value for five decades. At Huddle House, we serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, and our motto is 'Any Meal. Any Time.'"
It's basically a modern, better decorated Waffle House, and the food is good - at least the one in Greenville is.
The restaurant is believed to be going on Lot 15 of Cree Commercial Subdivision, which contains .95 acres, slightly larger than the narrow .74-acre gas station lot on the other side of the interstate. The typical freestanding Huddle House restaurant is usually fairly narrow itself, usually "2,200 square feet on a lot between 25,000 and 30,000."
The company recommends a minimum traffic count of 12,000 vehicles a day. West Main Street offers 15,100 in front of the site and 25,900 cars pass over Main Street everyday on Interstate 57, according to the state's traffic count, which shows at least two-year data from 2013. They also suggest an area with at least 12,000 population within five miles, which Marion surpasses.
Huddle House celebrated its 50th anniversary last year with 34 new restaurants opening, 10 of which were new construction like the Marion one.
Typically open 24-hours, Huddle House serves breakfast, lunch and dinner all day. The menu offers a mix of Southern inspired comfort food, including signature Big House breakfasts, crispy hash browns, creamy grits, golden waffles and fluffy omelets, all made to order. Other favorites include Big Bold Burgers, Big House sandwich platters, country fried steak with green beans and marinated grilled chicken with sweet potato fries.
The core values on which Huddle House was founded – serving quality food in a warm, friendly environment that brings the community together – remain intact today.
If the new restaurant operates 24 hours a day, it would join the interstate McDonalds and Steak 'n Shake as the only 24/7 eateries in town.
Huddle House isn't the only new development heading for West Main Street and Halfway. More on that tomorrow or so.
