It appears burgers on the grill will be replacing chicken in the deep fryer on Raeford Road, a longtime location of a Fayetteville KFC.

According to county records, a subsidiary of fast-food chain Cookout recently purchased the land and building at 3002 Raeford Road from KFC of Raeford Road, LLC, a firm associated with Fayetteville-based KFC franchisee Paris and Potter Management Corporation. 

Cookout-Fayetteville, Inc., which is associated with Thomasville, N.C.-based Cookout, paid $750,000 for the 4,000 square foot building, half-acre site near Tallywood Shopping Center. The transaction was completed July 23. According to Cumberland County tax records, the property has an assessed value of $817,909. The current building was erected in 2002.

Although all signs point to a fifth Cookout for Fayetteville, a person reached Friday at Cookout’s corporate office would not confirm it. Such a move would be typical of Cookout. The chain’s focus on drive-thru and walk-up service has helped it thrive during the pandemic and, according to Triangle Business Journal, it has recently bought two Applebee's locations in the Triad. 

(While Cookout has been adding locations, Applebee’s has closed 130 of its restaurants in recent years.)

Paris and Potter has a long history with what once was popularly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken. Steve Paris opened North Carolina’s first KFC in Fayetteville in 1961 and there has been a KFC on Raeford Road since 1968. Today Paris and Potter operate 29 KFCs across North and South Carolina. The company also owns Cici’s Pizza and Taco Bell franchises.

The Greater Fayetteville Business Journal reached out to Paris and Potter officials Friday for more details on why the Raeford Road location was sold but there had been no response as of 4 p.m.

Cookout, which is privately owned and does not offer franchises, was founded in Greensboro in 1989 by Morris Reaves. Reaves remains the owner of the chain, which operates nearly 300 locations in 100 cities, mainly in the Southeast.

The menu primarily features burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches and North Carolina-style barbecue.