Cook Out—a popular fast-food restaurant chain—has finally opened a location in Chapel Hill, bringing enthusiasm from high school and college students alike.
With its affordable pricing and quick service, many students plan on making a stop.
“I think it’s good they opened a Cook Out in Chapel Hill because of all of the students,” senior Kira Martin said.
The new restaurant, located at 450 South Elliott Rd, is within five miles of Chapel Hill High School, making it easily accessible for many seniors to go during lunch.
“I’ve been to Cook Out a couple times this year, and it’s good because the drive through is pretty fast and it is close,” senior Fin O’Sullivan said.
Students seem to like the new restaurant for various reasons; however, one of the main factors is the price, especially for high school and college students.
“It is near campus, and the food is really cheap, which is nice for students,” Zuntue Pommerich, who graduated from Chapel Hill High School in 2020 and currently attends UNC, said; Pommerich also serves as a mentor for the school’s robotics team.
With 250 locations in the South, Cook Out boasts a menu that offers burgers, quesadillas, grilled chicken and other fried foods like onion rings and hush puppies, not to mention the chain’s wide variety of milkshakes. The menu has changed minimally over the years.
The new Cook Out—which opened September 9—formerly housed a Burger King.
“I like Cook Out; it is good especially since it is replacing the Burger King,” senior Matthew Mitchell said. Mitchell said it was difficult to find restaurants that are allergen friendly and close to the school, so he welcomes the new location.
While a popular lunch time destination, Cook Out is also known for drawing a late-night crowd.
“Cook Out is good if you want a burger at three a.m. It’s nice because it is always open when you need it to be,” senior Amir Lyons said.
While it isn’t open 24/7, most Cook Out locations open at 10:30 a.m. and close at 4:00 am, which seems to be the perfect window for a town full of students.
With the addition of the new Chapel Hill location, North Carolina now boasts 128 franchises, including the original Cook Out that opened in Greensboro in 1989. Since then, Cook Out has expanded to other states like Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
