Foosackly’s, the locally founded chicken finger restaurant chain, opened the doors on its largest location yet Monday morning on Dauphin Street in midtown Mobile, replacing a much smaller drive-through-only spot that had served the corridor since 2008.
Outgrowing a Cramped Original Location
The previous Dauphin Street restaurant sat on the south side of the road near Springdale Boulevard and offered nothing but a drive-through, with no dining room for customers. According to Edward Robinson, a manager with the chain, that setup simply could not keep pace with demand. “It was tiny,” Robinson said. “It exceeded our expectations. We’ve grown so much as a company since we built that store.”
Robinson said the drive-through line regularly backed up to five cars deep, with the last vehicle spilling into the roadway. Rather than wait, many customers would simply drive away, while others resorted to parking in the grassy strip between the service road and Dauphin Street. “We were losing customers,” he said. “It was a bit of a headache to get into and out of. The new site represents an opportunity to take advantage of the demand.”
From University Boulevard to a Growing Local Chain
Foosackly’s traces its roots to a first restaurant that opened on University Boulevard on April 28, 2000. The chain’s distinctive name grew out of the difficult-to-pronounce surname of its owner, Will Fusaiotti, who liked the sound of “Foosackly” enough to build a brand around it, Robinson said.
The company has since expanded to seven locations across Mobile plus one in Baldwin County in Foley. Robinson said there is interest in eventually bringing a location to the Eastern Shore, though “nothing is definite yet.”
A New Look and New Amenities
The new restaurant sits just west of Sage Avenue, on a site formerly occupied by a Popeyes location that was demolished to make way for the build. Robinson described the interior as reflecting “a little different design,” with the chain’s familiar blue and green color scheme now joined by yellow and orange accents for what he called a more modern look.
One notable change from prior Foosackly’s locations: drinks will no longer be self-serve. Soft drinks and the chain’s signature sweet tea will be poured behind the counter by staff. “We’ll be making drinks for our customers,” Robinson said. “We wanted to add that layer of service.”
The new building seats more than 60 guests inside, with an additional outdoor patio along Dauphin Street offering seating for 16 at stainless-steel tables shaded by blue umbrellas.
The smaller original Dauphin Street restaurant closed for good Sunday night around 9 p.m. Robinson said company leaders are still weighing what to do with that space, including possibly reopening the drive-through for lunch service only or repurposing it to support the chain’s catering and delivery operations.