Pictured above is the former Dairy Queen location in Muscle Shoals, which became a Shakers before closing.

This picture shows the site after being renovated and re-opened as a Bojangles. Work will begin soon on the former Russellville Dairy Queen location, which is also set to re-open as a Bojangles.

A new restaurant is set to open in Russellville later this year.

Bojangles’ Famous Chicken n’ Biscuits will open in the former Dairy Queen location on U.S. 43 across from the Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Owner/Franchisee of North Alabama Bojangles’ Famous Chicken n’ Biscuits chain Justin Haddock said the decision has been made and operations in Russellville are set to begin near the end of this year.

“We have purchased the old Dairy Queen building and hope to get in there by the end of 2010,” he said.

“We knew we wanted to open a chain in Russellville at some point and what prompted us to take action now is due to the availability of that particular building which is located in a pretty strong spot.”

Haddock said renovations of the building would be extensive, as if the chain had always been there.

“We are not just going to go into the building, slap on a coat of paint, pop up a new sign and open up,” he said. “We are going to do a very thorough renovation and make it appear as though Bojangles’ has always been in that exact location.”

The North Alabama Bojangles’ franchise covers eight counties and has opened five restaurants with locations in Florence, Athens, Huntsville and their newest addition in Muscle Shoals.

“We have been really pleased with the opening of our branch in Muscle Shoals and have had great feedback from our customers there,” Haddock said. “We have actually had Russellville residents to visit the Muscle Shoals restaurant and ask questions about bringing the franchise to Russellville. We have had comments such as ‘we are just the sort of thing Russellville needs.’ Now it is safe to say we are on our way.”

Haddock said some of the aspects that set Bojangles’ apart from competitors include:

• Breakfast is served all day

• Biscuits are made from scratch all day long

• Dining is upscale with classical music playing all day

• There is more of a focus on booths than tables and chairs in the dining area

• There are no trash cans inside the dining area

• Oak trim can be found throughout the dining room

• A host or hostess will be on-hand to fill drinks and buss tables once customers are finished with their meal

“I believe in the Russellville market since there are hardly no full-service dining spots, our level of service and atmosphere in our dining room will help us in the area and will serve as a nice option for families who are searching for an upscale dining experience,” Haddock said.

“We are considered to be a fast-food place and our execution of speed is the number one priority, but the dining experience won’t seem like you are in an ordinary fast-food place.”

Haddock said there would be a drive-thru option available for those who are “on the go” and believes it will turn out to be a great addition for the area.

“We are anxious and excited to make the move,” he said. “We are now in the process of hiring a management team who are more than capable of running the new restaurant and are now accepting applications for positions.”