New Zaxby’s to have unique storm water drainage system

The first of what should be quite a few groundbreaking ceremonies along Highway 418 in Fountain Inn in the near future was held May 19 when Zaxby’s restaurant officially broke ground. While it had the look of any other groundbreaking, there’s already been a lot of preconstruction work done at the site. That includes the beginnings of a unique part of the property that most customers will likely never notice.

When StormTank, an underground storm water drainage system developed by Brentwood Industries is installed there, it will be unique to South Carolina.

“It’s been installed all across the country as well as a half-dozen foreign countries for the past seven years when it first went on the market,” said Dylan Faircloth, Brentwood Industries’ regional sales manager for the Carolinas. “We only started marketing the system in the Carolinas this year, and this will be the first installation in South Carolina.

“The advantage to our system is that you can store an equivalent amount of water in a much smaller area.”

Faircloth added that having an underground system saves new Zaxby’s owner Mike Godfrey valuable property space that could be used for additional parking. It also helps make for a bit of more family friendly atmosphere as cheaper alternative to an underground drainage system is having a pipe that empties into a detention pond.

“Those can be a haven for mosquitos and can be a safety hazard,” Faircloth said.

The land Godfrey purchased was owned by the family of John Roper as far back as the mid-1950s. In addition to selling the land, Roper, who’s the president of Roper Brothers Inc. in Fountain Inn, has also been part of doing the utility work on it.

Roper searched for and found the new drainage system.

“There have been drainage detention areas underneath parking lots for years now, but this particular one … it priced out very costly,” Roper said. “I got on the internet and found StormTank, which uses about 30 percent less footprint in the area you have to excavate.

“As a contractor, it’s my job to give my client the most economical package I can and this really fell into place.”

Roper added that the system has helped keep some plastic out of landfills as it’s made up of approximately 65 percent recycled material.

Godfrey said if the weather cooperates the restaurant will be up and running by the end of July. Stormy weather could push the opening to early August.

“The guy that is building mine has done about 125 (Zaxby’s), so he can do them in his sleep,” Godfrey said. “We got all the permits in and the site work done, so now we’re just putting up the building.”

Godfrey is excited to be part of the retail growth of Fountain Inn, specifically at what city leaders call the 418 corridor. The half-mile stretch of land from Interstate 385 to South Main Street in Fountain Inn currently features only a Bojangle’s when it comes to retail stores there.

In addition to Zaxby’s, a McDonald’s and a yet-unnamed national hotel chain that will be Fountain Inn’s first hotel are on the way. A new Bon Secours St. Francis Health System’s health-care facility is also set to be built there.

“I think in the next couple of years, I think it’s going to be a real busy corridor that’s going to attract even more things. I’m happy to get in on the ground floor of it,” Godfrey said.

Godfrey’s also excited with a projected opening date of before fall.

“Zaxby’s is big into college football and from talking to Clemson and Carolina fans, I think we will have a spot right off the Interstate that people going to Clemson or Columbia on Saturdays will have easy access to,” Godfrey said.