Butterburgers, frozen custard and floats: This new restaurant plans to open in Macon

A Midwestern fast food restaurant chain is coming to Macon with their first store opening in Metro Diner’s previous location.

Culver’s Restaurant, based in Sauk City, Wisconsin, was approved by the Macon-Bibb Planning and Zoning Commission Monday to renovate Metro Diner’s building at 3710 Northside Drive to fit the needs of the new restaurant.

“I’m excited to bring butterburgers and frozen custard to Macon,” said Kyle Garretson, Culver’s operating partner for the Macon location, in the Planning and Zoning meeting.

The proposal included enclosing the existing outside seating to create a drive-thru window, adding a porch to the eastern elevation, a new dumpster enclosure and solar arrays that serve as covered parking while also supplementing some of the restaurant’s energy use.

Depending on how energy efficient the building is will determine the percentage of energy the solar panels will provide for the restaurant, Garretson said, but he estimated they would provide around 50% of the restaurant’s electricity use.

The solar array canopy will provide covered parking for 18 spaces that border the western property line.

The proposal was unanimously approved by the commission.

Metro Diner closed its doors more than a year ago in July 2019 taking with it its famed chicken and waffles with strawberry butter, according to a Telegraph article.

In addition to butterburgers and frozen custard, Culver’s features sandwiches, soups and milkshakes and floats as well as healthier options that include meals around 500 calories.

Culver’s Restaurant plans to be open seven days a week from 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. and plans to employ a maximum of eight people at one time, according to the proposal.

This story was originally published September 15, 2020 at 5:00 AM.