Washington to host Cook Out | Eastern NC Now

    You've heard of McDonalds and Burger King, but have you ever heard of Cook Out?

    Well, in roughly four months, it will become a familiarity to Washingtonians, according to Cook Out Inc. President Jeremy Reaves.

    After recently opening two locations in Greenville, the North Carolina-based fast-food chain Cook Out is further expanding its belt and opening a location on the south side of Carolina Avenue in Washington, according to Reaves.



    The land bought by Cook Out Inc. was previously owned by Charles Phillips and Bob Rich, commercial real estate brokers and developers with The Rich Company in Washington. Over the past 10 years, Phillips and Rich have been incrementally acquiring all of the lots (four in total) facing Carolina Avenue between El Tapatio and Down East Motor Co. Inc., and back to West 10th Street and Hackney Avenue, said Phillips.

    Waiting to acquire all the adjoining lots, so that the land could be sold as one piece, was crucial, so the restaurant could have three entrances: two off Carolina Avenue and one off East 10th St.



    Thanks to persistent recruiting and years of preparation, according to Phillips, they smoothly closed the deal with Reaves, from Greensboro, on Jan. 8.

    "We're excited to be a part of Washington. We’ve always wanted to be in Washington," said Reaves.

    Construction will likely commence within the next month, and will carry on for approximately three months until Cook Out's completion, said Reaves.

    Excited food lovers can anticipate a wide selection of low-priced cook-out fare, made from quality ingredients. The Cook Out combo is all about variety. It comes with one main selection, and two, rather than just one, side dishes, plus a beverage for $4.25. There are several side dishes to choose from: fries, hush puppies, onion rings, chicken nuggets, a BLT sandwich, and more. In addition, Cook Out allows patrons to add toppings to create their perfect burger, instead of leaving them to modify already-built burgers. Cook Out is also known for its variety of 44 different milkshake flavors, made from natural ingredients.

    Cook Out is the epitome of convenience, with a double drive-thru and very late hours: open until 4 a.m. from Sunday to Thursday and until 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

    In a move that undoubtedly brands Cook Out as a phenomenon of the Bible Belt, a variety of religious phrases are printed on Cook Out's food packaging: "John 3:16" and "God Bless America" are printed on the cups; "God Bless the USA" and "Galatians 6:10" are printed on the French-fry bags; and "THANK YOU GOD FOR AMERICA" and "Psalms 119:165" are printed on the full size bags.

    "It's a combination of all our favorite Bible verses that we thought could help people," said Reaves.

    Since 1989, Cook Out Inc. has expanded to 69 locations across the state, with Washington's Cook Out set to be No. 70. Reaves attributes Cook Out's statewide success to the fact that it caters to local tastes, with char-grilled burgers and N.C.-style barbecue.

    "We're only in N.C. and don't have any plans to build elsewhere," he said.

    Cook Out, Inc. also bought the AVA Formals building to keep a buffer between themselves and the competition, according to Phillips.

    It's a possibility that somewhere down the road, the lot could be used for Reaves' other restaurant venture, called Fish Camp, said Phillips.

    But for the time being, Reaves says Cook Out is happy with having AVA Formals as its neighbor, and is planning to carry forward their lease for an indefinite period of time.

    "They seem like such a good quality business--we want them to stay right there," said Reaves. "They seem like good people."

    There are currently 10 to 12 people who live in Washington and drive to work at a Cook Out in Greenville, according to Reaves. These people will be those first hired at the new Cook Out in Washington. However, in three or four weeks, Reaves said, they will hire 10 to 12 additional employees, for a total of 20 to 25 employees.

   Before the sale, Phillips and Rich had partially donated a building on the land to The Purpose of God Annex Outreach Center for use as their 'Refuge House' which provided free housing to Purpose of God program participants. Now, the building previously used for the Refuge House is set to be demolished, and The Purpose of God Annex Outreach Center is looking for another location.