New fast-food restaurant in the works for downtown Columbia

Another fast-food chicken restaurant could be popping up on Providence in Columbia.

Raising Cain's Chicken Fingers, represented by Van Matre Law Firm, has applied for a concept review and is requesting a conditional use permit to construct a drive-through on the corner of Providence and Locust Street.

Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission held an informational meeting Tuesday night to answer question from the public.

An engineer for Cane's said Tuesday if the conditional use permit is not approved, the restaurant will likely look for a different location in Columbia. She said 50 to 60 percent of the restaurants' business comes from drive-through purchases. 

A spokesman for Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers told ABC17 News the company hopes the restaurant will be open by late Summer or Fall of 2020.

He said the project is in the beginning stages, but once they receive a building permit, it will take 150 days to build the eatery from the ground up.

According to a concept review presentation attached to the business's application, the restaurant will employ up to 100 full and part-time workers, with six to eight managers with "executive-level salaries". 

The presentation says the eatery will be a multimillion-dollar investment for the company, which will own the restaurant.

Robert Hollis, the attorney representing the restaurant here in Columbia, said they have not run into any push back yet about the proposal.

Patrick Zenner, Development Services Manager for Columbia Community Development, said the concept review has been completed and the conditional use permit review process has begun.

Zenner said the hearing before the planning commission for this permit  is tentatively scheduled for December 5. It will then be introduced to City Council on January 6.