Atlanta-based PONKO Chicken is getting ready for a brand new chapter! The popular Japanese American Chicken restaurant will be opening their first drive thru location later this year in Newnan, GA.
Longtime Newnan residents and seasoned restaurant franchise owners, Bill and William Young will be opening the first PONKO Chicken drive thru in their hometown. The Young family owned several successful Zaxby’s restaurants in and around Newnan for 15 years before selling them in 2016.
“We are all about providing an exceptional experience for our guests and offering guests the ease of picking up their order without getting out of their car is just another step in making the PONKO experience even more convenient and enjoyable,” states Dr. Patrick Sallarulo, PONKO Chicken’s Chairman and CEO. “During the past eight years we have grown so much as a company and are excited about the winning combination of working with experienced franchise owners and increasing the accessibility of our business model with this drive thru concept,” Dr. Sallarulo concludes.
The Young family will open the Newnan PONKO Chicken drive thru at 125 Glenda Trace, near the Publix Shopping Center in Thomas Crossroads. The 2800 square foot location will feature PONKO’s signature warm, welcoming décor, as well as ample outdoor seating.
This newest “Eats Meets West” restaurant will feature the full PONKO menu, including their cravable chicken tenders, sandwiches, tacos, wings and salads, as well as all of their made-from-scratch sauces, dressings, crispy noodles and baked goods. PONKO is known for only serving fresh chicken in addition to a large selection of Vegetarian dishes.
“A few years after selling our restaurants in 2016, we began searching for a new and growing brand to bring to Newnan,” states Bill Young.
“We went to countless discovery days with a number of different concepts and the moment we first tasted PONKO Chicken, we both looked at each other and said – ‘this is the one,’” William Young reflected. The Young family have plans to grow the PONKO brand throughout Coweta/Fayette County by opening two additional PONKO Chicken drive thru locations in the coming years.
PONKO Chicken is the perfect destination for dine-in, take-out, and delivery services. In addition, individual and corporate customers can take advantage of the restaurant’s catering offerings. PONKO Chicken is known for its award-winning Japanese-American chicken tender, most recently PONKO Chicken was awarded Atlanta Magazine’s 2024 Best Fast Casual Restaurant in Atlanta. PONKO Chicken is the recipient of dozens of awards including being a three-peat Taste of Atlanta award winner and holds the titles of “Best Selling Taste” at Taste of Atlanta, “Best Fried Chicken” at ATL CLuckFest and “Top Selling Vendor” at SuperBowl Live 2019.
The flagship PONKO Chicken Restaurant in Chamblee, Georgia opened in 2017, and during the past 8 years PONKO has expanded to open restaurants throughout the metro area in Midtown Atlanta, Marietta, Alpharetta and Duluth, as well as in Auburn, AL and a PONKO Chicken Food Truck that is available for off-site events. For more information, visit www.ponkochicken.com as well as @ponkochicken on Instagram.
