Former Village Inn demolished to make way for Chicken Salad Chick, Tropical Smoothie

Next spring, Burke County residents and visitors will be able to enjoy fresh chicken salad and smoothies as Chicken Salad Chick and Tropical Smoothie Cafe will be moving to Burkemont Avenue.

The businesses will be where the Village Inn was previously, at 1016 Burkemont Ave. The building has since been demolished, and Dustin Davis, CEO of DDI of Hickory General Contractors, said his team is ready to begin building.

Having picked up his building permit from the City of Morganton this week, he said he’s ready to take the next steps, which include surveying and grading. In about four weeks, after the utilities are in, he said people will be able to see work begin on the building itself.

Davis said he anticipates construction being completed sometime around April. Then it may take another month or two for both tenants to set up their spaces. Tropical Smoothie, he said, doesn’t require a setup that’s as intensive as Chicken Salad Chick, but once they both get set up, he expects them to be a hit.

Having worked on the Chicken Salad Chick location in Hickory, Davis said that within the first few months of its opening, the location was one of the leading Chicken Salad Chicks in the nation. Currently, Hickory is western North Carolina’s only location.

A Southern tradition, Chicken Salad Chick was founded in Auburn, Ala., in 2008. Now, there are more than 300 restaurants in 22 states. The menu offers a dozen different selections of chicken salad that range from the Classic Carol, the signature chicken salad with minced celery, mayonnaise, and secret seasoning, to a bold Kickin’ Kay Lynne, a chicken salad with a combination of buffalo sauce, ranch, bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, jalapenos, and sriracha.

The closest Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations are the two locations in Hickory on U.S. 70 and 2nd Street Northeast. The company was founded in 1997 in Florida and is known for its handcrafted smoothies, bowls, wraps, sandwiches, and flatbreads.

Davis said that while it’s sad to see the old Village Inn building go, he knows what’s coming will be a great addition to the community. Born and raised in Glen Alpine, Davis has a lot of history with the Morganton area, and he’s excited to get the project started.