An official groundbreaking was held for Buffalo Wild Wings in Pell City today, May 31. The restaurant began development on the facility last week, at it’s location on Vaughan Lane across from Home Depot, next to Zaxby’s. The restaurant is expected to be completed in late October of this year. 

“This is a great addition to Pell City,” Pell City Mayor Joe Funderburg said. “It gives the City a sports bar, but also a family restaurant. This is exactly the development that we want to see.”

The restaurant being built in Pell City is something that was greatly affected by the decision on seven-day alcohol sales, a vote which was passed in 2015. Before the vote was conducted, The City of Pell City commissioned a study from the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Jacksonville State University regarding the measure. 

The study indicated that Pell City met many economic and traffic factors required by chain and franchise restaurants to locate there, but some eateries won’t even consider coming to areas that don’t have seven-day sales. 

Sean O’Brien, of Moody, will be heading up the new location. He said that without seven-day sales, the chain could not consider putting a restaurant in Pell City. But after the seven-day law passed, things began moving.

“This project got started the day after Sunday sales were permitted,” Franchisee Sterling Barber said. “Bill Ellison called us and we go the ball rolling the next week.”

The chain’s newest location will bring its trademark wings, specialty burgers, and craft beers to Pell City, all aiming to create the ultimate sports viewing atmosphere to local residents. O’Brien said that he will be hiring around 150 employees to get the new restaurant up and running in the fall. 

“We are very excited to be bringing the Buffalo Wild Wings experience to Pell City, and we look forward to becoming a part of this dynamic community,” Tim Spencer, Area Director of Buffalo Wild Wings, said.

Net Lease Alliance, LLC is the owner and developer of the property for the Pell City location. The company has been a part of the team that orchestrated the deal it will be developing the site for Buffalo Wild Wings to occupy. 

The site will undergo 140 days of construction before opening. After construction is completed, there will be time for employee training and setup before the restaurant opens to the public.