Years after closing original Athens location, deli restaurant chain makes its return

Longtime Athens residents who have passed by the new McAlister's Deli at 2033 W. Broad St. might recognize the name from over a decade ago when it was in business a bit further down the road. The enduring restaurant chain is set to open its new location on Oct. 11.

Formerly situated at 2440 W. Broad St. where the Blind Pig Tavern now operates, McAlister's will now occupy the former site of Steak 'n Shake, which closed in October 2020. McAlister's area director, Drew Skellie of Statham, estimated the original McAlister's location, which opened in 2001, closed 15 years ago.

"I remember when Steak 'n Shake opened here, the line of cars went out of the parking lot and into the street," said Skellie. "When McAlister's opens, I expect our line will reach all the way to Alps Road."

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General Manager Tara Dobbs, who also lives in Statham, was hired in June and spent five weeks training at the McAlister's corporate store in Oxford, Miss., where the company was founded in 1989. Skellie said the Athens location will be the chain's 501st in the United States.

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Dobbs is also in charge of hiring for the restaurant, and said they expect to open with 75 employees, a requirement for McAlister's franchises. McAlister's is a subsidiary of Focus Brands, which also owns the Schlotzky's and Moe's Southwest Grill locations in Athens.

The updated design for the new McAlister's features a drive-thru pickup window for mobile and online orders, a large covered patio seating area and other outdoor tables and benches.

"We've already seen a lot of customers in Athens, and we aren't even open yet," said Dobbs. "People have been coming to the door asking when we'll be open. I've handed out a lot of menus."

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On Oct. 9, McAlister's will be holding a "Heroes Night" with free food for local educators, medical workers and first responders. For the grand opening on Oct. 11, the first 50 customers will receive a card redeemable for free sweet tea for a year.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story stated in the headline that McAlister's closed 15 years ago, per a company employee. We have updated the headline to reflect that their timeline was incorrect.