Owners of local restaurant chain open a new location to reach more Columbus customers
The owners of Shark’s Fish and Chicken opened a fourth Columbus location to reach a community that previously didn’t have quick access to the restaurant.
Yazeed Alwidyan and his cousin, Yousef Alodat, own and operate five Shark’s locations between Columbus and Phenix City. Customers told the family there was demand for another Columbus spot.
“When are you coming to Buena Vista Road?” customers asked Alwidyan.
The family began doing market research and found the perfect location on Buena Vista Road across the street from the Walmart Neighborhood Market.
“It’s a main, busy street here,” Alwidyan told the Ledger-Enquirer. “I see a lot of cars passing by every day. Even when we close, it’s still busy traffic out there.”
The restaurant officially opened two weeks ago, and in that time Alwidyan has noticed an increasing number of people coming in for a meal. This Buena Vista location has the same menu and pricing as the other Shark’s location, he said, so customers are already familiar with it when they come in.
Shark’s menu offers chicken, fish and shrimp dinners, including chicken gizzards, catfish and jumbo shrimp. They also offer fried rice, salads, sandwiches and desserts.
A sign on the far right side of the menu hanging above the counter reminds customers that while casual, Shark’s is not a fast food restaurant.
“We cook our food fresh when we have an order,” Alwidyan said. “When we send an order to the kitchen we cook it. We don’t prepare anything before.”
Since everything is cooked on order, this means customers should expect to wait at least 15 to 20 minutes.
Shark’s first opened in 2008 and has other locations on Wynnton Road, Veterans Parkway, Milgen Road and Highway 280 in Phenix City. The business is family-owned with Alwidyan, Alodat and other family members sharing the load to help operate each restaurant.
“We love serving customers and providing them the best experience,” Alwidyan said. “So, please come and try our food.”
This story was originally published July 25, 2024 at 1:50 PM.
