The Buzz: Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen to open Tuesday in Grand Chute

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Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is near Toys R Us and Red Lobster in Grand Chute.(Photo: Maureen Wallenfang/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)Buy Photo

Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, opening Tuesday, takes a different approach from many chains: it makes food from scratch on site.

At an average chain, a lot of food is pre-made and trucked in frozen, ready to heat and serve.

Cheddar’s building was also made from scratch at 4531 W. Wisconsin Ave., in Grand Chute, on the spot where the former Old Country Buffet was demolished last year.

The restaurant is a casual, full-service family eatery.

It will open at 4 p.m. every day for the next few weeks, and expand to include lunch when it’s up to its full staff of 150 people.

Darden Restaurants purchased the 165-location Cheddar’s chain last spring for $799 million. Darden also owns Olive Garden. Most of Cheddar’s locations are company-owned, and they’re primarily in the southern and eastern U.S.

It costs $3 million to $4 million to build and open each one.

This location is notable because it’s the farthest north the company has ventured. Its only other Wisconsin location is in Pleasant Prairie near the Illinois border.

“We identified Appleton as a great area where Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen can become part of the fabric of the community long-term, and we’ve received incredible support,” said spokeswoman Brittany Baron.

“We blend in here with the farm fresh community,” said Sean Ryan, the upbeat general manager who moved to the Fox Cities from Louisiana last month. Wisconsin weather doesn’t bother him, he said, as he’d seen far worse in his Air Force posts in frigid Greenland and snowy northern Japan.

The restaurant has a budget-conscious “20 menu items under $10” section, he said. Popular items include hand-battered chicken tenders, homemade chicken pot pie and honey butter glazed croissants. Ribs smoked in-house run $15.99 for a full rack with two sides. Prices, overall, are under $20.

The restaurant seats 287. Its modern decor includes earth-tone tile, wood, brick and butcher block, plus a large window to see into the kitchen. Phone: 920-749-0827

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