Drive-Thru Buffet manager Michael Randall upgraded the former KFC building with a '50s retro look and Yellow Springs paraphernalia. (Photo by Megan Bachman)
Drive-Thru Buffet brings back fried
- Published: November 15, 2011
Fried chicken is the star of a buffet restaurant to open at the former KFC building, which was briefly home to CJ’s Southern Cooking after idling two years.
Building owners and fast food franchisers, Don and Joan Bowling, are going a decidedly non-corporate route with the new restaurant by sourcing some ingredients locally, preparing food from scratch and prioritizing quality over cost.
“We’ll have homemade recipes, not food dumped out of a can,” Don Bowling said last week.
The Drive-Thru Buffet, at 1535 South Xenia Avenue, opens at the end of the month. The vegetarian-friendly, diverse spread at the daily lunch and dinner buffets may include — in addition to the southern-fried staple — fried-green tomatoes, fish, spaghetti, turkey and dressing, pulled pork, stuffed peppers, cabbage rolls, meatloaf, potato and macaroni salads, coleslaw, vegetable salads and even a dish from India.
Last week the restaurant’s manager, Michael Randall, continued to hone the dining room’s retro look. Click on the photos below to enlarge.
See the Nov. 17 issue of the News for the full story.
4 Responses to “Drive-Thru Buffet brings back fried”
The Yellow Springs News encourages respectful discussion of this article.
You must login to post a comment.
Don't have a login? Register for a free YSNews.com account.
Ate there for the first time yesterday. Stuffing and mashed potatoes were great. The Fried Chicken was juicy enough but it had a lid on it at the buffet and the skin was soggy. Dumplings were undercooked and nearly inedible. I may revisit after a month or two to check in. But as it is now this place seems more geared toward the senior citizen buffet set. I’m not quite ready for that yet.
Mom and I had Lunch here today and loved it. The decor complimented with the jukebox, makes for a great dining experience. Will definitely return to try the Dinner Buffet.
Yellow Springs really needs this. The dining options in town are limited unless you like abusive tourist traps or expensive self conscious foodie menus. I really hope it lasts and they have determined what it takes to stay in business. There was absolutely nothing wrong with CJ’s and it was sad and surprising to find that it shut down (even after several community benefits).
This sounds great! I am so glad to hear that there will be vegetarian options, local sourced foods, and nothing dumped out of a can. It sounds like my whole family will enjoy it.