PepperJax Grill opens in Northland with another coming in November

PepperJax Grill, a fast casual restaurant chain based in Omaha, has opened a location in the Northland’s The Plaza at Shoal Creek.

The new restaurant, at 9263 N.E. 83rd Terrace, near Liberty, offers Philly sandwiches (steak, chicken or vegetarian), as well as gourmet rice bowls (with a choice of steak, chicken, shrimp or vegetables), large burritos, loaded nachos and fresh entree salads. Ingredients are grilled to order and customers have a choice of more than 35 toppings, including sauces on its signature sauce bar.

Construction is scheduled to start this week on a location in Antioch Crossing, 5235 N. Antioch Road, with an opening planned for late October. A location in Cornerstone Commons, 5922 Barkley St., Mission, is scheduled to open in late October, and a Blue Ridge Crossing restaurant is scheduled to open in early December.

“There is just a lot of potential down here, a lot of good retail spots and the more locations we have the more exposure,” said Mark Burrus, director of real estate for PepperJax Grill. “We are starting to get all the areas covered, but I think we still have room for four or five more.”

The first PepperJax Grill opened in Omaha in 2002. The company currently has 31 locations in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

Zaxby’s for Clay, Jackson counties

Zaxby’s has signed new franchise agreements that will bring eight new locations to Clay and Jackson County.

Zaxby’s, which focuses on fresh ingredients, was founded in Athens, Ga., in 1990. It now has more than 680 locations in 16 states. Zaxby’s is known for its chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw and Texas toast. It also has sandwiches, wings and salads, as well as appetizers like fried white cheddar bites, onion rings, tater chips, spicy fried mushrooms and a new line of premium milkshakes, including birthday cake and banana pudding flavors.

Customers will place their orders at the counter and will be called to pick up their prepared-at-order meals when they are ready.

It also plans to open locations in Johnson and Wyandotte counties.

This story was originally published August 18, 2015 at 8:21 PM with the headline "PepperJax Grill opens in Northland with another coming in November."