AHOSKIE – At their Oct. 7 meeting the Ahoskie Town Council unanimously approved rezoning a triangular parcel of land located at the east end of the intersection between US-13 South and NC 561 East within the city limits from light industrial (1H) to business (B2) for the purpose of establishing a business at that location, specifically a Hardee’s Restaurant.

Hardee’s has been on Ahoskie’s business radar since the Buxton Group, a Texas-based company that three years ago conducted broad based marketing research to attract new business to the market, noted that Ahoskie would be an ideal location for its expansion into the market.  The business would then have to decide on a location.

The Ahoskie Planning Board unanimously endorsed this re-zoning at its Sept. 3 meeting and made a motion to recommend to the Town Council that they set a public hearing date on the rezoning request.  At that meeting, a representative from Boddie-Noell Enterprises, a restaurant and real estate group and owners of Hardee’s, headquartered in Rocky Mount, confirmed the company’s interest in the location in question: parcel 5992-83-7856, and developing it for business.

After some discussion by the Planning Board, member Wendy Ruffin-Barnes made the motion to approve the re-zoning request and it was seconded by member Meryl Brown.

The property is currently owned by MF Perry Johnson Properties, LLC, and with its industrial zoning status it is located near the Enviva Pellets plant, the former Georgia-Pacific sawmill; among other businesses located nearby.

Hardee’s has 336 restaurants in six mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states that include Kentucky, West Virginia. Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Hardee’s is a franchise that was once located in Ahoskie on Memorial Drive before it closed its doors in the 1980’s.  At the Planning Board meeting their representative said the company looks forward to serving this community.

“We’re always looking for new business,” said Town Manager Tony Hammond. “We welcome anything business-wise that gives a boost to our local economy.”

Hammond said Hardee’s has not confirmed their final future business plans with the town, as they are still collecting data before their final submission.  They do expect to possibly break ground in early 2015.