Fast food restaurants hone in on Lane County for new locations | News

LANE COUNTY, Ore. — Lane County chicken lovers are in luck. The newest Popeyes location is now open on Gateway Boulevard in Cottage Grove.

Since Tuesday, the drive-thru line has stretched out into the main road during peak times as people wait to try the food at the new location.

“I’ve never had it before, and that’s about the only reason I’m waiting in the line for it,” Dalton Trim said. “I just want to try it.”

At some points, the line stretched from the building to the freeway, creating some concern.

“I know people are really worried because of all these entrances to Urgent Care and stuff, so that could be a problem, but I hope they figure something out,” Cora Boykin said.

Some customers, including Larry Files, said the tasty food was worth the wait.

“It was so packed in here,” Files said. “I went to go to the store to get a pop, and the line was all the way full. Everybody was glad to see this come in.”

To the north, a spokesperson for In-N-Out Burger confirmed the popular chain is still looking to open a location in Eugene or Springfield in the future.

“We believe Eugene and Springfield are wonderful communities and we do hope to be there in the future,” said Mike Abbate, Assistant Vice President of Real Estate and Development.

According to Abbate’s statement, discussions on a specific site have not been finalized at this time.

However, in March 2021, KEZI spoke with the owner of the a four-acre property located at the southwest corner of Gateway Street and Beltline in Springfield. He confirmed both In-N-Out Burger and Chick-fil-A were eyeing the location as a potential spot to open new restaurants.

KEZI reached out to the property owner and Chick-fil-A, but neither have responded as of Wednesday night.

Some people say new locations opening in Springfield would help bring jobs to the community.

“The idea sounds pretty good if it’s going to bring some type of income to the community here in Springfield, and it’s just like, you know, we’ve got to get something going on,” Springfield resident Harold Hoffman said. “People have got to get to work.”