“Despite the rain, we have sunshine and cheese biscuits,” said Jim ‘N Nick’s Community Bar-B-Q President Brian Lyman at the grand opening of the franchise’s newest location in Statesboro, Georgia.
City officials, local business owners, and plenty of hungry mouths came to watch the ribbon “torching” hosted by the Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce Wednesday, January 24, 2024, and to get their first tastes of the fresh made, slow-smoked southern Bar-B-Q.
“On behalf of the mayor we want to welcome everyone here, and we want to welcome Jim ‘N Nick’s,” said City Manager Charles Penny.
Lyman presented a celebratory donation check of $2,500 during the ceremony, which will go towards the opening of the new Statesboro Food Bank location on Northside Drive. The food bank’s Executive Director, Sheila Stewart, accepted the check and described the new facility's goals. Not only will the 12,000-square-foot building have a dining hall, but Stewart says it will also have classrooms to teach community members about nutrition, how to cook meals, and how to grow produce at their own homes.
“We would love to continue to be partners with them, even bring [community members] into our restaurant and teach, or we go there and teach,” said Lyman, “We want to make sure that we find a way to give back to them.”
Jim ‘N Nick’s will now be serving their slow-smoked southern Bar-B-Q every weekday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and until 10 p.m. on weekends, at 24106 Highway 80 East. Lyman said that because everything is made from scratch and their food is in high demand, they may occasionally have to close during the afternoon, to regroup and prepare for the dinner rush.
Customers can expect to meet new faces like General Manager Drew Perry, who relocated to Statesboro to take part in the restaurant's opening. The local owner, Reed Bowlby, is based in Georgia and has extensive experience in restaurant and hospitality management. They also picked 80 of “Statesboro’s Finest” from large volumes of applications, who will be providing the community-oriented service that Jim ‘N Nick’s is known for.
The new location is a casual spot with counter service, indoor seating, a covered outdoor patio and a bar, serving a menu with classics like pulled pork, beef brisket, and Bar-B-Q chicken.
Today, the company has 46 restaurants across six states, 17 of which are located in Georgia. Starting out at a reclaimed pizza shop in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1985, it's hard to imagine the founders Jim and Nick Pihakis ever pictured Statesboro locals enjoying their Bar-B-Q and community-focused service. But those locals are certainly happy they're here.
Find out more about Jim ‘N Nick’s by visiting their website.