Newk's Eatery is the latest establishment opening its doors in the Heart of Auburn shopping center, having opened Monday, June 8.
Tom Cox, director of operations for Newk's in Auburn and Opelika, said the company was received so well at the Tiger Town location that they wanted an Auburn location.
"It's a great idea to get into Auburn," Cox said.
Cox said the location is ideal for them, especially because it fits the Newk's image and the downtown location.
Cox said they have received a mix of students and Auburn locals.
"I would say 50/50 at this point," Cox said.
Forest Cotten, planning director for the City of Auburn, said there has been a "pent-up demand" for new restaurants downtown, and a restaurant could be put there according to zoning regulations.
"There are a variety of different uses that are permitted by right, but [the developers] happen to want to establish a restaurant there, which is one of the permitted uses," Cotten said.
Cotten said there initially was not enough parking in the shopping center, but they dedicated a section, originally meant to be another building, to parking on the Gay Street side.
"I think what happened was simply understanding that the parking demands that were being driven and generated by the building up front ... it became pretty apparent that there was going to need to be more parking," Cotten said.
Cotten said Newk's meets the parking requirements set up by the City, and the parking is "self-regulating," and people will simply go elsewhere if they can't find parking.
"I think with opening up that southern part of that parcel for exclusively parking, that should immediately erase any issues quite well," Cotten said.
Cotten said he does not think there will be a major impact on traffic in that area, and the cut-through from Gay to College Street helps circulate traffic.
Cotten said the City does not want to widen the roads in the downtown area because he wants to promote pedestrians in core areas of the city.
"Just like it would be if you were a few blocks downtown, traffic is always going to move slower in core areas of town, and that's not necessarily a bad thing," Cotten said. "There's going to be some related effect on traffic, that's just inevitable, regardless of where you are."
Cotten said the area is designed for traffic to be slower so people can walk around, while cars still pass through.
"We've really tried to put an emphasis in our downtown master plan, which is pending approval, on being increasingly pedestrian-friendly," Cotten said.
Cotten said Newk's put several elements into making the area attractive to pedestrians, such as plants and awnings. He said the plan is for the downtown area to expand to the Heart of Auburn, and the shopping center represents the southern edge of that development.
Cox said business so far has been successful, and he is excited for events such as game days and recruitment to bring in business.
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