Long John Silver’s opens in Oak Ridge
A crowd gathered at Long John Silver’s in Oak Ridge for its first evening open on Thursday, June 27. (photo:Ben Pounds )
The new one is at 1150 Oak Ridge Turnpike.
The previous location was 1218 Oak Ridge Turnpike, which has been the site of Chicken Salad Chick since 2021.
After a Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on last Thursday morning, a crowd filled the dining area, and cars lined up at the drive-through well into the evening for customers enjoying fish, chicken and sides.
Joe Cummings, director of restaurant support for 70 Long John Silver’s locations, said he and his franchise group weren’t involved with the old location before it closed.
But he said he is confident in this new one. He spoke in between helping to cook, direct traffic and perform other tasks.
“The community is our kind of customer base,” he said, noting the long drive-through line.
“I’m glad they got it back,” said Jan Wilson, a Clinton resident in town for the grand opening. “We needed a fish place.” She said she would like to see one in Clinton, too.
“I’ll be here a couple of times a week,” said Braden Barrett another first-day customer.
Currently, Cummings said, the Oak Ridge Long John Silver’s has ordering available online through the restaurant’s app, although not through Doordash yet. The restaurant is hiring, and people can apply by scanning the QR codes available at the restaurant.