Cook Out to open new restaurant in Raleigh

Popular North Carolina fast-food chain Cook Out appears ready to test a new restaurant in the Raleigh market.

Driving the news: The Thomasville-based company has filed permits with the city of Raleigh to renovate a former KFC location into a "Roo's Chicken," as first reported by the Triangle Business Journal.

• The building at 1221 New Bern Avenue also now sports Roo's Chicken signs.

Roo's Chicken will be next to an existing Cook Out on property the company bought for $900,000 in 2021, according to county records.

• It's unclear what sort of menu Roo's will have. A Cook Out spokesperson has not yet responded to a request for comment.

The intrigue: This isn't the first time that Cook Out has used the "Roo's" moniker.

• It previously tested a TacoRoos concept in Wilmington in 2020 — though that location has since reverted back to a Cook Out.
• Previously filed permits show that Cook Out was considering placing a TacoRoos on the New Bern Avenue property.