The only drive-thru restaurant in Southborough — previously serving up "old fashioned burgers" — is being transformed into a fast-casual spot known for fried chicken and vegetables that will open this summer.

The former Wendy's restaurant on 359 Turnpike Road (Route 9) in Southborough will house a second Nan's Rustic Kitchen & Market location sometime this summer, according to co-owner and chef Jordan Mackey. Its flagship eatery and headquarters opened in 2020 on Great Road (Route 117) in Stow.

Nan's crafts farm-fresh ingredients into nutritious meals like sandwiches, soups, grain bowls, salads, and also has a signature item — fried chicken sandwiches.

Nan's plans to maintain the drive-thru lane that was part of the Wendy's restaurant that closed in Southborough last year.

Nan's beginnings: Pandemic pivot for restaurateur

From the inception of Nan’s — named for Mackey's wife, Reanna — Mackey said they knew they wanted to follow in the footsteps of healthy, fast-casual companies and offer them in communities lacking them. He pointed to the Sweetgreen chain of salad restaurants, which blends convenience with high-quality food.

“We were just waiting for the right time and right location,” said Mackey. When Wendy’s closed and the building hit the market, Nan's owners jumped on it "almost immediately,” he said.

It was the only restaurant with a drive-thru in Southborough, and the town doesn't have many options when it comes to healthy restaurants — especially on the go, said Mackey.

The building was also already stocked with the equipment the market needed to operate its kitchen, which meant the space didn't have to be modified, he said.

“We felt that Route 9 is also going through a transformation, and all the traffic coming through is tremendous," he said.

The restaurant — which Mackey calls “the Boston Market for Generation Z" — will open the new location this summer, he said.

Demand for healthier fast food has been gaining momentum, and more consumers today are looking for restaurants with conscious businesses practices, said Mackey.

“The next generation is more educated — they're depending on more from restaurants,” he said.

In coming months, the Southborough building will evolve into more of a modern farmhouse cottage, said Mackey. A metal roof will be installed, along with split windows and — like the Stow location — vegetable gardens will be planted outside the building and used in its food.

The restaurant in Stow has a “tremendous" vegetable garden, said Mackey, growing produce like cucumbers, kale and chilis. Next to growing its own vegetables, the business also sources its fresh produce from farms throughout the state — specifically small farms.

“It’s part of the brand, and we’re looking at growing food at all locations,” said Mackey. "We're in the vegetable and chicken business — that's what we really say.”

The market's most popular item is its signature, Southern-style chicken sandwich, which features crispy chicken breast on a soft roll topped with smoky mayonnaise and a slaw of shaved cabbage, broccoli, kale and Brussel sprouts.

“The chicken sandwiches took off like a rocket ship,” said Mackey, and a spicier version — the Nansville Hot Chicken Sammie — is also sold.

A retail beer and wine license is in the works for the new location so it can sell similar wine and beer as its Stow location, said Mackey. In Southborough, Nan's will also offer its organic wine club.

Customers can also expect the same curated list of locally roasted coffees, brands like Dean's Beans Organic Coffee Company, based in Orange; Little Wolf Coffee, based in Ipswich; and Barrington Coffee Roasting Company, based in Lee.

The Southborough restaurant will be similar in size to the one in Stow, but will feature a little less seating with about a dozen seats, said Mackey. Along with inside seating, grab-and-go meals like soups and sandwiches, the drive-thru lane will be used for customers picking up online orders.

“We were excited about the drive-thru because all of our business is takeout,” said Mackey.

Mackey also owns Sobre Mesa in Sudbury, a restaurant serving southern Mexican cuisine that opened last year. Business is going great there, he said, especially when it comes to bar sales.

Authentic flavors: Sobre Mesa serving the cuisine of Southern Mexico

"The lack of Mexican food was a good motor, too,” he said.

While Nan's second location has yet to open, Mackey foresees a future in which a third restaurant — and possibly more — is serving more convenient, farm-fresh food across the state to communities lacking it.

“I think we have a really cool concept and people are really enjoying it,” he said.

Lauren Young writes about business and pop culture. Reach her at 774-804-1499 or lyoung@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurenwhy__.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Nan's Rustic Kitchen fried chicken to open second store in Southborough MA