UPDATE: The Salem Zaxby's should open around the middle of May, potentially on May 12 or May 19. Franchisee Tom Noelke said he's awaiting a certificate of occupancy for the new eatery. Also, it takes about a week to train new employees, though Noelke is using the Roanoke Zaxby's as a training location.

In case you haven’t noticed, construction is going on right now at a former Wendy’s on West Main Street in Salem, preparing for a new Zaxby’s.

Here are a few more details about this fast food chicken chain’s new location. The Salem restaurant will measure about 2,375 square feet, and it will seat 56 patrons, according to a news release about the eatery.

Tom Noelke, the franchisee, last said the restaurant would open in May. I've asked about a specific opening date, and I'll update you when I find out.

The Salem Zaxby’s will employ 40 to 50 people, primarily cooks and cashiers, and Jeff Loving will be the general manager.

This will be the second location for Zaxby’s in the Roanoke Valley and in all of Virginia. Noelke, who lives in Charlottesville, opened the first area Zaxby’s on Ordway Drive in Roanoke in 2006.

Noelke apparently is no stranger to the restaurant business. A native of Texas, he used to manage a string of eateries that his parents owned. Noelke has a degree in restaurant management from Texas Tech University, and he studied finance at the University of Georgia. That’s where he learned about Zaxby’s, which is based in Athens, Ga.

There are more than 420 Zaxby’s in 11 states.

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• Posted by Jenny Kincaid Boone in Restaurants
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