A motion to approve the Planning Commission’s site plan recommendation for Pembroke’s upcoming Huddle House on West Bacon Street passed during Tuesday’s city council meeting.

The Planning and Zoning commission unanimously supported its approval, according to planning consultant and Richmond Hill councilman Steve Scholar.

Although the applicants couldn’t make it to the city council meeting for questions, the plans were presented to the public with minimal adjustments.

“They have made the seating in there smaller. As you can see from the minutes, it is going to be down in the mid 50s as opposed to the upper 50s. That way the parking will adhere to standards,” Steve Scholar said.

A local resident raised concerns about whether or not Smith and Thigpen Lane, a future road between the Huddle House and Dollar General, would be fully paved. Scholar, however, maintained that only the portion connected to the future Huddle House will be paved.

“They’re only going to take the portion that goes in there, not the entire road,” Scholar said.

This approval is only the first step, however. The Huddle House applicants will later present further models and designs for the construction of the chain restaurant.

“They’ll come in [later] with building elevations and show us what it’s gonna look like,” Scholar said.

Huddle House, a casual dining chain, is another sign of Pembroke’s continuing growth. Businesses like Huddle House join Family Dollar on Highway 280 and an upcoming O’Reilly Auto Parts in trying to make a mark on the town.

“And I certainly will press that it won’t just be a run-of-the-mill Huddle House,” Scholar said. “I think we need to address that area a bit more.”