A new chain, Highway 55 Burgers, Shakes, & Fries, (formerly Andy's Burgers, Shakes & Fries) is set for a major push into western North Carolina, starting in Charlotte this fall.
The 1950s diner-style restaurant company has agreed to franchise 75 restaurants in western North Carolina over the next decade. Plans call for 23 restaurants in Charlotte metro area, starting with one in the University Pointe shopping center.
Highway 55, based in Mount Olive, had 2010 sales of approximately $50 million. There are currently 100 Highway 55 locations, mostly in the eastern part of the state. The company is planning to open 250 more restaurants outside the state, in Florida, South Carolina, Ohio and Virginia.'
The University Pointe store is set to open in September. Terrell and Brett Rhye, father and son, are going to be building that and the other new locations. Terrell Rhye, of Mooresville, founded the real estate firm InterSouth.
In February, the company changed its name to Highway 55 as it prepared to expand, after discovering another company already had the federal trademark on "Andy's." Highway 55 isn't the first local burger chain to have to change its name when it decided to expand: Bad Daddy's Burger Bar used to be Big Daddy's, but someone had already trademarked that name.
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