New Okatie Burger King could open by September

A new Burger King planned for Okatie could be open by September, the restaurant’s owner said, and other area locations are getting facelifts.

The new fast-food location will be built on S.C. 170 near Zaxby’s. The interior will be the restaurant’s “Garden Grill” design, an upscale layout aimed at bringing an outdoor feel inside.

There could be outdoor seating utilizing a large live oak saved on the property, owner Gina Hubley said. A double drive-thru lane was considered but would not have been a good fit for the site, Hubley said.

“It’s going to be a beautiful restaurant,” she said Wednesday. “There will be no other restaurant like that in this area.”

Hubley, a Bluffton resident, spent months working with the corporate office and local Realtors studying potential new locations and settled on Okatie for its traffic and future development potential. She now owns seven area locations with a business partner via Rave Enterprises.

The Ridgeland restaurant recently reopened following a complete remodel. Hubley hopes to remodel Burger Kings on Hilton Head Island and in Hardeeville this year.

Those stores will be modeled after the company’s contemporary “20/20” design.

“We have a lot going on,” Hubley said. “We’re hoping to grow and develop more and bring more jobs to Beaufort County and the state of South Carolina.”

Hubley bought into the restaurant chain here in December 2014 after working 25 years for the Minnesota state lottery. Her brother operates a franchise in Jacksonville, Fla., and convinced her to do the same.

Before working for the Minnesota lottery, Hubley had briefly worked for Burger King’s corporate office.

“We’re very excited,” she said.

This story was originally published April 27, 2016 at 3:18 PM with the headline "New Okatie Burger King could open by September."