After beginning construction in July, Jim 'N Nick's Community Bar-B-Q restaurant in Statesboro is set to open to the public for lunch Wednesday.

The dining room of the 6,100-square-foot eatery on Highway 80 East, next to Harbor Freight and across from Parker's, will be serving ribs, chicken, burgers and more when it opens at 11 a.m. Wednesday. The drive-thru lanes also will be open, and take-out and catering will be available, too.

Statesboro restaurant manager Drew Perry and his staff received a final full training Friday and Saturday evenings, when members of the public were invited to try the hickory-smoked barbecue, chicken and fixings for a complimentary dinner.

The Statesboro eatery will be the 48th Jim 'N Nick's to open in the nation and the 19th in Georgia. The chain also has restaurants in Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida. The first Jim 'N Nick's was opened in Birmingham in 1985 by Jim Pihakis, an insurance executive, and his son Nick. 

According to city of Statesboro records, Jim 'N Nick's invested approximately $1.7 million in site development and construction to get the restaurant to Wednesday's opening. It is part of a development that will include a Texas Roadhouse restaurant and a Five Guys Burgers, which are expected to open in late April or May. Also in the development will be a Mattress Warehouse and an AutoZone auto parts store.

More information and a menu may be found at jimnnicks.com.