Cook-Out opened its newest location in Monkey Junction on Aug. 29.

It is the second Wilmington location for the privately owned North Carolina-based restaurant chain, which also operates a drive-thru location at 716 S. College Road near the University of North Carolina Wilmington campus.

Cook-Out purchased the former Taco Bell at 5615 Carolina Beach Road in May. Taco Bell vacated the space last year after constructing a new restaurant at 5972 Carolina Beach Road near the Beau Rivage Golf & Resort development. The new 89-seat restaurant will offer the same menu as the South College Road location.

Cook-Out joins a number of new eateries that have moved to the fast-growing part of the county in recent months, including Hot Pink Cake Stand and Firebelly Lounge.

“We’ve been extremely busy since the day we opened,” said Cook-Out manager Dewey Payne. “The opening has gone very, very well.”

Founded in Greensboro, Cook-Out is known for its outdoor-style cooked burgers, chicken and hotdogs, and a wide variety of milkshakes. The company has been growing aggressively across the state and the Southeast – with plans to add new eateries in the Carolinas, metro Atlanta, Tennessee and Virginia. Representatives from the company said that there are not any other Wilmington locations currently in development.

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