306 Barbecue opens

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For months a sign at 13670 Highway 43 in Russellville has proclaimed, “Coming soon: 306 Barbecue.”

After several months of renovation, the “coming soon” sign is changing to an “open” sign for the newest addition to Franklin County.

“We are really excited to expand the brand and expand into Franklin County,” said operations manager Chris Whitten.

The business held a June 1 friends and family day before its soft opening June 2.

Whitten said the Athens-based barbecue location will be open for business but will not advertise or have its official grand opening ribbon cutting for a few weeks to give employees a chance to get used to daily operations.

The staff has undergone training at the Muscle Shoals and Florence locations, and the manager is someone who Whitten said has been with the company for years.

“I feel like this should be the easiest opening we have had so far,” Whitten said. “We anticipate things to go really smooth.”

The dining room will open first, and Whitten said the drive-through will open at a later date.

He said he also anticipates the location offering services through DoorDash after a few weeks.

The new location will be accepting catering orders but will be partnering with other locations to fulfill the orders for at least a month.

This will be the fourth 306 Barbecue location, with the original site in Athens and two other locations in Muscle Shoals and Florence.

“When you look at the building, you may assume it is a typical fast food, but we aren’t,” Whitten said. “Everything is cooked on site multiple times a day to ensure everything is always hot and fresh.”

Russellville Mayor David Grissom said he looks forward to seeing 306 Barbecue grow in Russellville.

“We are very excited to have them and look forward to seeing what all they can do,” Grissom said.