KYLE MURPHY Staff Writer

“Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday,” as the restaurant closed its doors this week; meanwhile, what will take its place is a Wawa convenience store and gas station after the Tullahoma Planning Commission approved the site plan.

The site plan was brought forward to the Planning Commission at its meeting on Sept. 21. The applicant for the site was James Luety of CSC Properties. In attendance to represent the civil engineer Kimley Horn were Emily Zeller and Haley Popson, who informed the board they were ready to answer any questions about the site plan.

According to the memo that was given to the commission, the request is for the commission to approve the site plan for a proposed 6,374-square-foot convenience store with a 16-pump fuel station at 1936 N. Jackson St., the location of Ruby Tuesday.

For planning considerations, the property in question is zoned C-2 general commercial district, so the type of business is allowed. In addition, the existing building will be used with proposed extensive interior and exterior improvements.

When asked for staff comments, Nick Kimbro, Planning, Codes & Life Safety Director, said staff recommended the approval of the site plan. After the motion was made to approve the site plan was opened for discussion, where Mayor Lynn Sebourn, who also serves on the planning commission, said he has known for a good while that the property was going to be redeveloped.

“We’re just glad somebody’s coming in bringing a quality product like that,” he said.

Chair Alex Rice asked if everyone had time to look over the documents, and Sebourn added it was all good from staff with traffic inflow and outflow, which he noted was important for the site plan. With no further discussion, the planning commission unanimously approved of the site plan for Wawa.

Prior to the approval, there was discussion online about the future of Ruby Tuesday after residents took notice of the commission’s agenda. By Thursday, Sept. 24, the restaurant had a sign on its door that read “We are closed,” followed by a quick search online stating it had closed permanently and other comments stating the restaurant had closed the day before. Ruby Tuesday had been a staple on Jackson Street in Tullahoma since opening in late 1996.

As for Wawa, Tullahoma isn’t the only location, as Manchester will soon see its own Wawa location open in October. The Manchester Planning Commission approved the site plan for Wawa at 24 Campground Road in Manchester, the site of the former Arrowheads and Aerospace Museum, back in May 2023.