For the Japanese food connoisseurs in Elizabethton, another convenient option is right around there corner.
The popular Japanese restaurant Lakeo, located off Hudson Drive in the city, is gearing up to open up Lakeo Express on US 19E near the old Betsy Town Shopping Center across from Arby’s.
“The opportunity really just presented itself,” owner Orlando Meza told the Elizabethton Star Wednesday. “We thought about it and knew there wasn’t a lot of fast food restaurants in that area, then the building became available. We’re looking forward to opening it up to the public.”
Meza added that Lakeo Express is looking to open on October 3.
“That’s when we’re looking to open up,” Meza added about the date.
Fans of the current restaurant won’t see much of a change at the new location.
“We’ll have the same items that we have at our other restaurant,” the owner said.
While having the same items, Meza added customers won’t see a hit on their wallets.
“We’re looking at have cheaper prices at the drive thru location,” Meza explained. “Our portions are bigger at our restaurant, but at our drive thru location, there won’t be much overhead to pay so we can offer cheaper prices to customers.”
During the newest endeavor by the restaurant, Meza thanked their patrons for the support over the years.
“We’re very happy about the way things have gone,” he said. “We’re very appreciative of all the support that the community has given us over the years. When we announced this, we received a lot of support from patrons that seemed excited about our new location.”
Lakeo Express will set up shop in the building that once housed Blue Circle, which closed this year. That restaurant took the mantle of the building in 2015 following the closure of the former Sammon’s restaurant.