

“A lot of the student business that we used to get, we don’t have as much of now because it’s just not easy to, you know, get out of class, get to your car, get over here and go back. “The student population has grown and there’s been a lot of changes on campus as far as parking and that sort of stuff,” Jinnette said. If Panera Bread decides to open up a new location in downtown Auburn, Jinnette said they would still keep the Opelika Panera location as well.

“There’s a process that corporate goes through when they’re looking at locations and we have done a couple of the things that needed to be done in that process, but it’s not official yet.” “We are looking at that location, but it’s still in the developmental (stage),” said Mark Jinnette, general manager at the Opelika Panera location. There is speculation a new Panera Bread Company may open in the old Zazu location in the future. “I would like to thank Auburn students and the community for supporting us for seven years, and ask if they would still do the same when we’re in Opelika,” Hage said. Hage said many of his regular customers at Zazu Gastropub said they were sad Zazu Gastropub was moving locations. Our Opelika, AL restaurants are Southern Oak, featuring classic southern cuisine and Splash Pool Bar, with outdoor seating and poolside treats for the. “They’re really looking forward to it and can say nothing but nice things about it, so we’re excited about it.” “The response from the Opelika side is great,” Hage said. Hage said once the new location opens they will need more employees. “It will be like a fine dining experience and a pub atmosphere,” Washington said. Washington said many of the buildings in Opelika are historic and have a vintage, rustic look to them, so they plan on trying to keep as many of those elements as possible for the new location. “New location, new opportunities, a lot of new people to feed.” “I’m kind of excited about it actually,” Washington said about moving the restaurant to Opelika. Tavaris Washington, line cook for Zazu Gastropub, is one of the employees who moved to Halftime. Hage is also the owner of Halftime, and he said some employees have taken jobs there until the new location opens. “We had a huge increase in our rent and looked at some places in downtown Auburn, but nothing really fit what we were looking for, so we decided to look a little more in Opelika area,” Hage said. The old location closed at the end of June, and Hage said he hopes to open the new location sometime between January and March. “It was built by William Samford about 140 years ago. “There’s a building,” said Graham Hage, owner and executive chef at Zazu Gastropub. Zazu Gastropub is moving from its downtown location on East Magnolia Avenue to a new Opelika location in on 112 S. and Oakview farms Granary.This past year, downtown Auburn acquired a variety of new restaurants, such as BurgerFi and Uncle Maddio’s, but now, it’s losing one. They provide as much local produce as possible through collaborations with Opelika Grows, Alabama Seafood Co.

Zazu describes themselves as “fine dining” in a more relaxed public atmosphere. Zazu Gastropub Zazu hot chicken sandwich with slaw and butter green tomatoes. Address: 210 East Glenn Ave, Auburn, AL 36830.One of my favorite aspects of this restaurant is how the menu can change daily depending on what is available in their on-site garden. Head to Acre to enjoy fresh dishes from local farms and on-site gardens and orchards. Chef David Bancroft and his team partner up with Auburn University Meat Lab as well as local ranchers to serve responsibly farm-raised meat. Photo via Acre Facebook pageĪcre is one of Auburn’s most well known farm-to-table spots.

We’ve rounded up 3 of the best farm-to-table restaurants you have to try on your next visit to the plains. Photo via Maggie Dazzio for the Bama BuzzĪuburn-Opelika is home to multiple restaurants that prioritize where their food is grown. Facebook 30 Tweet LinkedIn Shares 30 Acre’s beautiful garden and front patio.
