Ruby Tuesday coming to Athens

by Lauren McDowell
Staff Writer

Owners of the new Ruby Tuesday restaurant have discovered Athens' location and market to be gems for the future store.

Officials from Ruby Tuesday Inc. are making plans with the city to open a restaurant on East State Street, Senior Vice-President Richard Johnson said. The restaurant is slated to open in next spring.

The Ruby Tuesday will be located in the same area as the future Wal-Mart, said Athens City Councilman Ed Baum, R- at-large. The development will comprise a Wal-Mart on one end, restaurants and shops in the middle and another box store on the other end, such as a possible Home Depot, he said.

The store will be a typical Ruby Tuesday offering the regular menu, Johnson said. Between 85 and 100 part-time employees will be needed to work the roughly 5,000 square-foot space.

Because the store is a restaurant and not a bar, owners were able acquire a D4 liquor license, allowing a full bar, despite the city's exceeded limit, said Mike McSteen, D-1st ward.

"(The license) is exempt above and beyond any we already have," McSteen said.

The Athens City Council has the opportunity to petition the license, but this probably will not occur, he said.

"We will allow this most likely because it goes along with a piece of property we want to develop," McSteen said.

The company decided on the Athens location for several reasons, such as demographics and trade of the area, he said. The company's real estate team did extensive research to ensure Athens met certain criteria.

After the real estate team picks a location, the site selection team must make a final approval, Johnson said. The company is planning on opening about 85 new sites this year.

Ohio University sophomore Nora Tomazic said she is excited to see the restaurant's development.

"You'd have to go like an hour away to eat now," Tomazic said.

This addition could be a small step on the way to better shopping and dinning in Athens, she said.

"I think they are on their way," Tomazic said.