By Mike Hazlip–
Things began rapidly taking shape on Monday for a new burger drive-thru in Citrus Heights, as trucks delivered pre-built portions of the building and a crane set the pieces in place.
Checkers, a Florida-based fast food franchise has over 500 locations across 25 states, according to the company’s website. The only other California location is in Bakersfield.
Local franchise owner Ben Aibuedefe has plans to open the location at 7911 Auburn Blvd. by the end of the year. The modular building can be seen under construction in the parking lot outside Steve Cook’s Fireside Lanes.
Each section of the building is assembled out of state before being trucked to the building site, according to Joe Perez, the general contractor for the project.
There are plans for ten additional locations throughout the Sacramento region and the Bay Area, with the next building set to go up in Rocklin, according to Perez.
The builder hopes the new drive-thru will further efforts to redevelop the Auburn Boulevard corridor. Phase one of the Auburn Boulevard Complete Streets Revitalization Project made improvements from Sylvan Corners to Rusch Park, and was completed in 2014, while construction on Phase 2, which will extend to the Roseville border, is expected to begin within several years.
Asked about opening a new business at a time when many businesses are struggling to stay afloat, Aibuedefe previously called the Rally’s-Checkers drive-thru-only concept the ideal for a time when sit-down restaurants have shuttered their doors and are operating only drive-thru service, or takeout and delivery.
“This is a unique concept, Checkers and Rallys is the only fast food concept with a closed kitchen,” said Aibuedefe, noting his 827-square-foot drive-thru will offer no sit-in dining by design. “This concept is built for the time we are in… it is the beneficiary of the time we are in.”
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