Smithville Mayor Josh Miller announced last week that the burger chain restaurant Burger King is planning a new location in Smithville. While the rumor had been going around town about the fast-food restaurant opening in DeKalb for several years, Mayor Miller said this is a totally different group that is currently making plans.

“This is totally different than the one that was looking years ago,” Miller explained. “This is a different franchise out of Atlanta. They’re ready to come. The site plan is already been approved by the Smithville Planning Commission, and they are currently waiting on some permits from TDOT.  State Representative Michael Hale is working on that, and we’ve made a few phone calls. We’re hoping to get that cleared up pretty quick.”

The restaurant will be located at 200 East Broad Street, the site of the former Kent’s Texaco station, on the corner of East Broad Street (Highway 70) and North Congress Boulevard (Highway 56). According to Miller, if all the permits are in order and everything goes accordingly, construction may begin as soon as the start of September. The development would be by GPS Hometown Hospitality, while the engineer for the project is Integrity Engineering & Development Services, Inc, in Dacula Georgia. GPS Hospitality operates more than 400 Burger King restaurants in 13 states.

In addition to Burger King, Mayor Miller said that at least one other national chain restaurant has expressed interests in opening a location in Smithville, though he said it is still in the preliminary stages.

“We don’t pick and choose what restaurants come here. They do their homework on zoning and demographics, and if they want to come, we want them here. I have talked to the owner of the Burger King franchise and seems excited to be opening here.”