New in Amarillo: National restaurant chains coming to Amarillo

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - National restaurant chains are taking advantage of Amarillo’s growing population and economy, as Chuy’s Tex Mex, Panera Bread Cafe and Jimmy’s Egg are coming to the southwest side of town.

Chuy’s Tex Mex

Chuy’s Tex Mex plans to open along Interstate 40 near Soncy Road on May 11.

This is the Austin-based chain’s 131st location.

Chuy’s staff says they have received many requests to open a restaurant in Amarillo, and are excited that Chuy’s customers no longer have to drive to Lubbock to eat at the restaurant.

General Manager Mike Bartels said the building is complete and they have staffed the location.

“We’re only a few weeks away,” said Bartels. “We gotta do a final cleaning in the restaurant, get some beer liquor and wine in here, do some hiring and do some training.”

Bartels said Chuy’s fresh food is what sets them apart from other chains.

Chuy’s makes their food fresh each morning, starting on items such as beans and ground beef hours before opening.

Bartels adds that Chuy’s does not freeze any items and makes their sauces, queso, beans and other items fresh every morning.

“We don’t have a huge freezer, we only keep a few items like ice cream and french fries in the freezer but everything is homemade,” he explained. “Our sauces, we make tortillas from scratch. Managers get here at six in the morning and start some beans in the morning...[and] start doing ground beef. All our fajitas are fresh from scratch, we marinate our fajita meat for 24 hours.”

Bartels adds their most popular dish is the Chicka-Chicka Boom Enchiladas.

They also say they freshly squeeze lemon juice every day for margaritas.

Jimmy’s Egg

Down the street, Jimmy’s Egg is opening a second Amarillo location along Soncy Rd.

The new location is expected to open in late May to early June.

A construction worker on the project said they have moved in some kitchen equipment and are painting the walls next week.

Jimmy’s Egg says they always planned to open a second Amarillo location and are excited to do so after the success of the location on Georgia Street.

Panera Bread Cafe

Amarillo will soon have its first Panera Bread’s location just a few doors down from Jimmy’s Egg.

On the corner of Soncy Road and Anton Kuster Avenue, Panera Bread Cafe will serve bagels, sandwiches, soup, baked goods and drinks.

Although Panera Bread finalized the sale of a 1-acre plot of land with Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate in December, they have not yet broken ground on the project. They plan to start construction in June.

“We are so excited to be part of the Amarillo community,” wrote a representative with Panera corporate. “With the new Panera Bread coming late fall, we plan on bringing more than 50 jobs to the community.”

The location will have patio seating, a drive thru and serve Panera’s full menu.

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