Is Chili’s coming to Waynesville?

The Smoky Mountain News has it:

Even as one national retailer — Home Depot — is pulling its plans for a Waynesville store, the national restaurant chain Chili’s Grill and Bar is setting its sights on the small mountain town.

The West Waynesville commercial area near the new Super Wal-Mart has been pinpointed as a potential location for Chili’s by Jim Reid, the chain’s western region district manager who is in charge of scouting possible locales. Reid has family ties to the area.

“From my personal observations, there’s nothing (no Chili’s) further west than Asheville, and yet I think that whole area is growing,” Reid says. “And they did just get liquor by the drink — that’s certainly another enticement.”