PDQ’s commitment to Cornelius appears to be pretty darn quantifiable. The Tampa, Fla.-based restaurant chain expects to close on the corner lot across Hwy. 21 from its flagship store, Tenders.

The asking price for the 1.63 acre parcel was $725,000, according to Cornelius real estate agent Terri Mayhew of RE/MAX Executive. The deal is expected to close before the end of the year, she said, without disclosing the purchase price.

PDQ, which actually stands for People Dedicated to Quality—not Pretty Darn Quick—is the parent company of Tenders, the original concept for the fast-growing restaurant chain.

Tenders originally came out of the locally based 131 Main chain of upscale restaurants. It caught on fast, and caught the attention of a nationally known restaurant entrepreneur, Bob Basham. His base is in Florida, where the PDQ chain of 46 restaurants is headquartered.

PDQ and Tenders offer a limited menus of chicken tenders, chicken-based salads, chicken and turkey sandwiches, hand-cut fries and hand-spun shakes. It lets them focus on delivering fresh food fast, like In-N-Out Burger does with burgers.

Jack Murray, PDQ Carolinas Development Partner, says the plan here is not to close Tenders and re-open as a PDQ across Hwy. 21 any time soon.

Rather, it’s a matter of controlling the chain’s destiny in Cornelius. PDQ doesn’t own the Tenders site, so, should some kind of large-scale development take place on the southwest corner of Hwy. 21 and Westmoreland, PDQ can hop across the street to a site it already controls on an intersection they really like. It’s like

“We don’t own the building, and there are no assurances that long-term we can acquire it,” Murray says.
“It would be our hope to be where we are forever. But the acquisition is a realization we don’t control our own destiny. We are committed to Tenders and to the concept. We bought it as a security blanket just in case we have to move our restaurant,” Murray explains.

Meanwhile, PDQ is asking the Town of Cornelius for approval for a drive-in window at the new property, just in case. Plans call for a 3,300 square foot restaurant with a drive-through window that would face the public right of way—which is not normally allowed in Cornelius.

PDQ is seeking a conditional zoning permit. The town’s fee is $1,250.

Murray calls it a security blanket. The corners at Westmoreland and Hwy. 21 have “perfect visibility,” he says.

The old Bridgeport Fabric Co. is the owner. It also owns several parcels going south on Hwy. 21 as well as the old Anchorage Marine property on the northeast corner of Hwy. 21 and Westmoreland.

Mayhew has that parcel listed at $1.7 million. It consists of 3.64 acres.