Ask Us: What is going into the former Ryan’s restaurant?

Published 12:00 am Monday, May 27, 2019

Editor’s noteAsk Us is a weekly feature published online on Mondays and in print on Tuesdays. We’ll seek to answer your questions about items or trends in Rowan County. Have a question? Email it to askus@salisburypost.com.

By Samuel Motley

samuel.motley@salisburypost.com

A Post reader asked what is going into the former Ryan’s Buffet restaurant at 730 Jake Alexander Blvd.

The restaurant closed abruptly in August 2016 and has been vacant since. The closing was a business decision, according to Ovations Brands, the parent company of Ryan’s Buffet at the time.

The closure came as a shock to customers and employees alike. The staff was not notified in advance.

But the lot might be filled with another business. Culver’s Restaurant is expected to open there, said Catherine Clifton, development services specialist for the city of Salisbury. The building will be undergoing a “tear down and rebuild,” Clifton said.

Culver’s is a family-owned restaurant chain based in Sauk City, Wisconsin. The restaurant offers a variety of American foods but is best known for its butter burgers and fresh frozen custard. Most of the restaurant’s locations are in the Midwest, but it has three locations in North Carolina, according to the company’s website.

The development plan has not yet been approved, Clifton said. It was originally made last year, she said, and there have been several resubmittals since.

Because of the variables in the process, it is hard to provide a timeline, Clifton said.

Contact reporter Samuel Motley at 704-797-4264.