There’s been a lot of buzz around Clark County surrounding new and improved places to eat. 2025 has brought many additions to Winchester, some of the most prominent being the highly anticipated restaurants Chipotle and Jersey Mike’s.
Winchester is considered a smaller city, so new buildings have a noticeable impact on our hometown. The process of getting new restaurants in town involves a few steps and a team of people.
“Really, we are trying to get the businesses to choose us, rather than us choosing them,” City Commissioner Hannah Toole said. “In turn, we work to provide incentives to potential businesses if they choose to come here.”
Once a restaurant company has decided to plant roots in Winchester, they must decide where the most ideal place for their business would be.
“Restaurants begin by understanding who they want to serve—families, young professionals, students, tourists, etc.—and looking for areas where that customer base is concentrated,” Executive Director of Industrial Development Authority Brad Sowden said. “They certainly consider population, median income, disposable income, etc.”
Understanding the citizens’ way of life in a potential building area is vital, but so is picturing how that community can grow in the coming years.
“Restaurants favor communities with strong future potential—areas with planned development, rising income levels, or evolving demographics can sustain growth,” Sowden said.
Now, with the future in mind, the building must get the legal green-light on their plans before they can begin the construction.
“A building permit is required for all new buildings, to ensure it is built to meet the State Building Code requirements,” Planning and Zoning Director Rob Jefferies said. “These requirements are in place to ensure new structures are built safely for daily use and human habitation.”
Restaurant companies create a development plan of their building based on layout, competition, accessibility, safety, and much more.
“A development plan is submitted and approved,” City Manager Bruce Manley said. “After that you might need grading permits, environmental analysis, engineering studies, building and electrical inspections, and for restaurants, a health inspection.”
At the end of the day, going through this long process results in benefitting the community with exciting additions for Winchester.
“New restaurants and options for our town show a positive trajectory we can provide for quality of life,” Toole said. “That is the main impact on the city, simply providing more for our citizens.”
