As Rome has grown over the years, so has the assortment of restaurants in town. Notable additions over the last six years include the hot spots in East Bend, including Texas Roadhouse and Chipotle, as well as Aventine and Blossom Hill in the downtown area, and the Chophouse on Broad Street. In the future, there are a few nailed-down restaurants on the way, and a few rumors swirling regarding big-name spots possibly making an appearance.

 First Watch, a dedicated breakfast, brunch and lunch spot, is expected to take the place of La Parilla in Charlie High Square near Publix. The chain has a high concentration of locations in the Eastern US, with the majority being in Florida. First Watch will be a bit of a unicorn in town, with the only other focused breakfast spots being Eggs Up Grill and iHop. The restaurant’s best-selling plates include the “Tri-fecta”,  a combination of eggs, bacon, pancakes, and a choice of meat; as well as the “The Traditional,” which serves toast, eggs, a choice of meat, and breakfast potatoes.

 A new coffee shop appearance is also in the near future, with Mountain Mamas, originating in Blue Ridge, Georgia, joining the cafe possé in town. The shop is comparable to Swift and Finch downtown, bringing more cozy vibes and study spot potential. However, Mountain Mamas tends to price their drinks higher than local coffee shops like Swift and Finch and Lumina Coffee, which could be bad news for students.

Two extremely popular fast food chains may squeeze their way into Rome in the future. While unconfirmed, there is potential for Raising Cane’s and Culver’s to set up a shack across the street from Zaxby’s in East Rome. The two restaurants have locations near Rome, with Culver’s being a 20-minute drive away in Cedartown, but Raising Canes being all the way in metro Atlanta. Raising Cane’s would certainly pose competition to its possible neighbor, Zaxby’s, but also to Chick-fil-a, the widely considered dominant restaurant in town.

 “I would like to see a new sushi restaurant, for example, a sushi chain or maybe a new pizza restaurant,” senior Jake Absher said. “I think there are too many fast food restaurants. There’s a McDonald’s, a Chipotle and a Wendy’s.”

 The new restaurants will likely be well received by customers, like the rest of the influx of newcomers over the past few years. Despite numerous restaurants in town, a craving for more diversity and more traditional restaurants is still present, and the desire will likely be satisfied quickly.

 “I think we will see more restaurants here because of the Atlanta sprawl coming to Rome. I think it will impact and change Rome, and we will have more people move over here to come and eat,” said Absher.