By: Anna Cox

The rumors about what may be put across the street in the new strip mall have been circulating Heritage for months, but one question remained unanswered until now. To the delight of most at Heritage High School, there will finally be a Cookout across the street. This rumor has been around for a couple of years and after a while, people started to believe that it wouldn’t happen. But, it is finally coming to Heritage. 

The Cookout will start being put into the strip mall on April 18, 2022 and is projected to finish construction in November of the same year. The popular burger restaurant has been desired by the residents of Wake Forest for a while now and their prayers have officially been answered. 

There are no updates on how this will affect traffic, especially factoring in school carpool lines. This will be the only Cookout in Wake Forest, with the closest one being in Raleigh, so it will most definitely be crowded. But, similar to the Chick-Fil-A next to Publix, there are ways that the traffic can be mitigated. Chick-Fil-A has managed to keep their lines relatively short, but will cookout be able to do this? It may seem promising, as the cookout has two lines to order and pick up food, but there is little room in the parking lot for the drive-thru traffic to go. And, like most cookouts, this restaurant will not have indoor dining, making it rare for people to park and eat the outdoor seating.

But, nevertheless, everyone in Heritage is excited for the long awaited restaurant to finally be available in town.