Members of the public were lining up in the early morning hours Friday for the grand opening of Southern Roost’s Waycross location.
While some loitered in the parking lot, others came prepared with lawn chairs. They may have made such an effort to be ahead of others as the restaurant offered free food for a year to the first 25 customers arriving at the location on South Georgia Parkway.
The grand opening of the new location was treated as an event, with a parking lot party beginning at 7 a.m.. Not only were the first 25 customers attending guaranteed free food, the first 100 people were guaranteed winners in ongoing prize raffles and giveaways, winning anything from gift cards, to a Nintendo Switch, and even a free vacation.
To make it official, the Chamber of Commerce also was present for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to welcome the restaurant.
Southern Roost is a part of the Concept 99 Group, which also owns Hog ‘n’ Bones, Jerry J’s and Mass Vantage Purchasing. Co-owners Bengi Crosby and James Weathersby were present for the July 10 opening festivities.
Crosby said the company had been considering expanding to Waycross for a couple of years.
“We already had the Jerry J’s here,” he explained. “So (Jerry J’s) needed an update anyway, and Southern Roost is just easier to operate, so we decided to redo it to make it Southern Roost.”
The Waycross location marks the fifth Southern roost in Concept 99’s holdings, with the sixth nearing completion in Yulee, Fla.
“We’re very excited to be in Ware County,” Crosby said. “Ware County’s always been great to us and supported us, with Jerry J’s and Hog ‘n’ Bones, and I know they will with Southern Roost.”
