Jack in the Box is set to join Scotts Valley’s fast-food ranks in the beginning of 2010. The fast-food chain plans to build in place of the former Scotts Valley Diner and Denny’s, between Chevron and Best Western.
The Scotts Valley planning commission reviewed and approved the project in September, and if all goes according to plan, construction of the new Jack in the Box should start within the first couple months of the New Year, senior planner Michelle Fodge said.
“It’s at the building permit stage,” she said. “The building permit application is being reviewed as we speak.”
The Scotts Valley Jack in the Box will employ 85 workers and was approved for a 24-hour drive-through, according to the project’s description.
“They indicated they will not open for 24 hours, but they got approval for it,” Fodge said.
Jack in the Box’s Santa Cruz restaurant on Ocean Street often has a packed drive-through, especially after bars close at 2 a.m.
Pepe Abundis owns Cafe Carlos, right next door to where the new Jack in the Box will be built. Abundis said he hopes the fast food giant will help with his restaurant’s visibility.
Cafe Carlos is easy to overlook, he said, because it stands behind Chevron on Scotts Valley Drive.
“This could be potentially very good for business,” he said. “More people will see my restaurant, I hope.”
VeVe Norton, owner of Wendy’s in Scotts Valley, also thinks Jack in the Box will help her fast-food restaurant more than it will hurt it.
Norton said that Wendy’s does not get much business from Bethany University students, but it does serve quite a few from Baymonte Christian School.
“We think it’s great,” said Norton, who’s owned Wendy’s for 16 years. “It’ll bring people off the freeway, and they’ll see us, too.”
Information on Jack in the Box’s plans was available on the city’s Web site for a short time. After the planning commission approved the proposal, however, the listing was removed.
Fodge said that happened because the city is short-staffed.
Scotts Valley resident Paul Bach said he worries about the lack of public information and doesn’t think the city needs another fast-food chain.
“I think the location is an eyesore, and it’s good to do something with the empty building. I just don’t think a fast-food restaurant is the best idea,” said Bach, who heads the Responsible Local Development Political Action Committee.
Jack in the Box plans to remove the 3,506-square-foot Scotts Valley Diner and put up a 2,492-square-foot Jack in the Box in its place at 6014 Scotts Valley Drive.
However, the permit to build or demolish has not been issued yet, Fodge said.
“The first step will be to demolish the existing building. It will be open this year, but I can’t say when exactly. This economy makes it so hard to predict,” she said. “But they are excited and anxious to build.”
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