Texas Roadhouse held its ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday afternoon signifying the opening of the company’s newest location.

Dustin Matchett, Managing Partner of the Zanesville location, said he anticipates long wait times Monday afternoon when the restaurant opens to the public following its soft invite-only opening this weekend.

Matchett, who has worked in various roles at the Newark location for over 15 years, said the company has been eyeing an expansion into Zanesville for over a decade.

While the company has experienced many setbacks throughout that time and now handling an opening during a pandemic, Matchett said everyone involved has taken the initiative to ensure everything runs smoothly.

The Zanesville location will also be the first of all the company’s restaurants to have a dedicated drive-through lane for customers looking to take their meal home.

Paired with Texas Roadhouse’s mobile app, guests will be able to reserve seating ahead of time or order their to-go meal directly from their phone.

Matchett said that during his time in Newark he often noticed the number of customers coming from the Zanesville-Muskingum County area, which helped drive the company’s goal to expand eastward.

As Matchett and his team worked on training the over 250 new employees in the previous weeks, he cited the numerous individuals who would stop by thinking they were open by observing the packed parking lot.

“There is just so much community support,” said Matchett. “Everyone is very excited.”

As part of that connection with the local community, Texas Roadhouse has worked with both ForeverDads and Christ’s Table to select community members for the restaurant’s soft opening.

While guests won’t be charged for their meal during the invite-only event, Matchett explained that they will have the opportunity to donate to either of those organizations.

The soft-opening, as Matchett continued, will also allow his staff the opportunity to work with customers and prepare for when the restaurant fully opens Monday.

Following company tradition, the Zanesville Fire Department was invited to place both the American and Texian flag on the flagpost attached to the building.

As Matchett explained, not only does the company try to be actively involved with the community, but throughout the inside of the restaurant memorabilia and localized artwork can be seen representing both local sports teams and iconic sites.

As with many of his employees, Matchett said that he’s excited that after nearly a decade, his dream of a Zanesville location has finally come true.

“It’s awesome,” said Matchett. “I’m super excited, I can’t even put it into words.”

Following the soft-opening this weekend, Texas Roadhouse will open to the public on Monday, October 19 at 3 p.m.

The restaurant will then operate under the following hours: Monday-Thursday 3 p.m. until 10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.

Guests are encouraged to use the mobile app to secure a seat before arriving at the Zane Street location.