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Cook Out (restaurant)

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Cook Out
Company typePrivate
IndustryRestaurants
GenreQuick service restaurant
Founded1989; 35 years ago (1989)
Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
FounderMorris Reaves
Headquarters
Thomasville, North Carolina
,
U.S.
Number of locations
319+
Area served
Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Mississippi, Virginia and West Virginia.
Key people
Jeremy Reaves (CEO)
ProductsHamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, chicken fingers, chicken nuggets, chicken sandwiches, quesadillas, wraps, cheese curds, Carolina-style barbecue, and milkshakes
RevenueUS$125 million
OwnerMorris Reaves
Number of employees
13,000 as of May 2021[1]
Websitecookout.com

Cook Out is a privately owned American fast-food restaurant chain operating in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Mississippi. Founded in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1989,[2] the chain has since expanded and now has restaurants in over 100 cities. The chain itself has grown in size with many locations now spread throughout the Southeastern United States.[3]

The standard format of the restaurant features two drive-thru lanes and a walk-up window, but no indoor seating. Some newer locations have an indoor dining room and counter service similar to a traditional fast-food restaurant, but most still only have drive-thru and walk-up service. The restaurant specializes in hamburgers, milkshakes, and North Carolina-style pork barbecue.

History

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Many Cook Out locations feature only two drive-thru lanes and a walk-up window like this one in Cordele, Georgia.

Morris Reaves founded Cook Out in 1989. He is currently the owner of the company, with his son, Jeremy Reaves, serving as the CEO.

The first Cook Out location opened in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1989. Over 50 more locations opened in North Carolina before expanding out of the state.[4] As of November 2022, 326 locations are operating in ten states.

The company opened its first out-of-state store in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on July 30, 2010.[5] Cook Out opened in Clemson and Orangeburg, South Carolina, in 2010. At the end of 2011, Cook Out opened restaurants in Columbia, South Carolina; Blacksburg, Virginia; and Radford, Virginia. In March 2012, Cook Out opened its first location in Lynchburg, Virginia, and shortly thereafter in Harrisonburg, Virginia.[6] In October 2012, Cook Out opened a restaurant in Danville, Virginia.[7] 2013 saw new Cook Out locations in Georgia, and in 2014, there were plans to launch several more Georgia locations, including its first Atlanta restaurant.[8][9] In 2016, Cook Out expanded into the Mississippi with stores in Oxford, Jackson, Hattiesburg, and Starkville, and the company's first Alabama location, in Tuscaloosa.[10] Other locations in Alabama include Jacksonville (July 2017),[11] Auburn (December 2017),[12] Huntsville (January 2018),[13] Opelika (May 2018), Troy (June 2018), Mobile (December 2018), Montgomery (January 2019)[14] and Birmingham (January 2021).[15] In 2018, Cook Out expanded its Virginia locations in the Collinsville community of Martinsville, Virginia which opened in September 2019.[16] In November 2022, Cook Out opened a restaurant in Manassas Park, Virginia. In January 2024, Cookout opened a store in Newberry, South Carolina.[17][18] On August 5, 2024, it was announced Cook Out would be adding and opening new restaurants in Charlotte, North Carolina.[19] On May 21, 2024, Cookout announced it will be opening two restaurants in Tampa, Florida making it the chain's first Florida location.[20]

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Their menu primarily features grilled hamburgers and cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, chicken fingers, North Carolina barbecue[2] and quesadillas.[21] A signature to their menu is the Cook Out Tray, which features combinations of entrees, sides and a drink or milkshake. Another feature of Cook Out's menu is their selection of more than 40 flavors of milkshakes.[22] A featured drink on their menu is Cheerwine, a local North Carolina cherry soda usually only served in North Carolina and surrounding states.[21]

Sponsorships

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Since 2020, Cook Out has sponsored the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, annually held on Labor Day since 1950,[23] in addition, Cook Out has also sponsored the Richmond Summer Race at Richmond Raceway since 2023[24] and the Martinsville Spring Race held at Martinsville Speedway since 2024[25] for the NASCAR Cup Series.

References

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  1. ^ "Cook Out Overview". Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Could This North Carolina Fast Food Favorite Be The Next Five Guys?". Food & Wine. December 4, 2017. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  3. ^ "Cook Out Restaurant Raleigh-Garner-Durham -Review of Cook Out Restaurant Raleigh-Durham". raleighdurham.about.com/. Archived from the original on 11 July 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  4. ^ "Company | COOK OUT". Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  5. ^ "Cook-Out to crank up its first grill in Spartanburg". GoUpstate.com.
  6. ^ "Business Booming at New Cook Out in Lynchburg". WSET.com.
  7. ^ Okeefe, Patti (October 21, 2012). "Faithful foodies flock to newly opened Cook-Out". Danville Register & Bee. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  8. ^ "Cook-Out rolls into Rome". ToneToATL.com.
  9. ^ "Cook-Out is Coming to Atlanta". ToneToATL.com. September 4, 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  10. ^ "New restaurants coming to 15th Street". TuscaloosaNews.com. Tuscaloosa News.
  11. ^ Thornton, William (July 17, 2017). "Cook Out now open in Jacksonville". AL.com. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  12. ^ Weary, Scharis (December 30, 2017). "Cook Out opens a new location in Auburn". wtvm.com. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  13. ^ Thornton, William (January 5, 2018). "Cook Out now open in Huntsville, coming to Troy". AL.com. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  14. ^ "Cook Out opens Montgomery Location". wsfa.com. January 23, 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  15. ^ Byington, Pat (January 4, 2021). "Birmingham's 2nd CookOut slated to open on January 6th". bhamnow.com. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  16. ^ "Cook Out in Collinsville opens Tuesday evening". www.btw21.com. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  17. ^ "Cook Out opens in Manassas Park". Potomac Local News. 2022-11-05. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  18. ^ Henry, Zoie (June 5, 2023). "New developments in Newberry could also bring more people to town". wltx.com. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  19. ^ "Cook Out Firing Up Another Location in Charlotte". What Now Charlotte. August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  20. ^ Duffy, Maggie (May 21, 2024). "Fast-food chain Cook Out is coming to Tampa with 2 locations".
  21. ^ a b "Menu | COOK OUT". Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  22. ^ "Shakes | COOK OUT". Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  23. ^ "Cook Out, Darlington Raceway partner on entitlement for Cook Out Southern 500". August 25, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  24. ^ "July NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway becomes Cook Out 400". July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  25. ^ "Cook Out sponsoring spring Martinsville race". January 19, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
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