by Oliver Longenecker
“Texas Roadhouse is coming.” “We’re getting Jersey Mikes.” “We’re getting 7-Brew.” Throughout this past year, as well as back in 2025, rumors floated around Danville about what was coming in the next year or two. Whenever you open Facebook, you’d see a post on the “What’s Happening in Boyle County” account saying this or that is coming. In a small town like Danville, word spreads quickly, and so does false information.
Ever since the Chick-Fil-A opened in the fall of 2023, rumors spread like wildfire as to what was coming for that area. A bunch of different names were thrown around: Texas Roadhouse, Culver’s, Sonney’s, and other retailers. Now, three years later, none of those have been built. However, in August, construction behind Chick-Fil-A began on what is now a new, and rather large, parking lot. Throughout the summer of 2026, everyone in town kept saying Culver’s was coming, people claiming they knew the manager, just a bunch of wild stuff. Since the parking lot completion, people have now been re-claiming Texas Roadhouse coming, with one person on Facebook claiming they’re related to the new manager and has heard information about their new position. Now, is this true? That’s for us to continue to speculate until we see a foundation laid, or see signs.
Now, what has actually been added to Danville? Well, quite a lot. Before I get to the star of the show, some of the smaller places that has opened since last school year includes Jersey Mikes Subs (located on Hustonville Road across from Taco Bell), Firehouse Subs (located next to Just Love Coffee next to Wings and Rings), and a new pizza place on Main Street that has replaced La Cosa Nostra. Next to Asuka, a new strip mall has been built; there has been nothing confirmed for these spots yet. Before I get to the crown jewel of what’s new, although many of us likely know, and or have been there, I have to mention some of the things Danville has lost. One of them is O’Charley’s which has been replaced with something much better.
At the end of last school year, demolition began on the old O’Charley’s next to Burger King. The town immediately began panicking, wondering what was coming. Within weeks of the site being cleared in late April/early May, semis were spotted coming into town with large, prefabricated sections of a new building. It was soon apparent this was a 7-Brew Coffee. Over the course of the summer of 2026, the site was transformed, and, on July 20, 2026, 7-Brew officially opened.
Now what’s next in Fall 2026? Honestly, hard to tell. The rumors for Texas Roadhouse are slowly becoming less crazy now that the new parking lot has been built behind Chick-Fil-A, but only time will tell. We should expect to see ‘something’ break ground on this site by the end of the year. As to what it will be? That’s up to us to speculate! We can only hope and pray it’s something worth it!