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WHAT’S GOING ON? Owner of Dozen Hungry Howie’s Locations Buys Old Frogurt Property

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By Jesse Wood

Eric Fairbanks, owner of multiple Hungry Howie’s franchises in North Carolina, including the local one near Walmart, has a permit with the Boone Planning and Inspections office to replace culverts in the old Frogurt property.

The project name on the application is “Hungry Howie’s Pipe Replacement and Repair.”

The property owner listed on the application is Symax Properties, LLC and the company applying for the permit is E&F Pizza Perfect, LLC – both of which are owned by Fairbanks.

Fairbanks bought the property this summer and said he’s not sure yet what business will operate out of 668 Blowing Rock Road – whether its relocating the current Hungry Howie’s in Boone, opening a second Hungry Howie’s location in Boone or “maybe opening something else.”

“We are not sure yet,” Fairbanks said. “We are trying to get it fixed up right now.”

Fairbanks owns nine Hungry Howies franchises in the Charlotte area, one in Gastonia, and a Hickory location is under construction. (In 2008, he told the Charlotte Business Journal that he was hoping to open up to 20 locations in Charlotte.)

“Boone is one of our better markets. I love the area,” Fairbanks said.

Fairbanks said that culvert replacement extends onto the neighboring apartment complex lot owned by The Winkler Organization – as the two are looking to “save a few bucks” by working together with the same contractor.

In 2013, heavy rains caved in a portion of the old Frogurt parking lot, and the former owners of the property racked up more than $65,000 in fines for violating the Town of Boone’s Unified Development Ordinance in not fixing the sinkhole in a timely fashion.

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