 | |
 A newer-style Cook Out restaurant with indoor seating and counter service | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Quick service restaurant |
| Founded | 1989; 36 years ago (1989) Greensboro,North Carolina,U.S. |
| Founder | Morris Reaves |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Number of locations | 360+ |
Area served | |
Key people | Jeremy Reaves (CEO) |
| Products | Hamburgers,hot dogs,french fries,chicken fingers,chicken nuggets,chicken sandwiches,quesadillas,wraps,cheese curds,Carolina-style barbecue, andmilkshakes |
| Revenue | US$125 million |
| Owner | Morris Reaves |
Number of employees | 13,000 as of May 2021[update][1] |
| Website | cookout |
Cook Out is a privately owned Americanfast-food restaurant chain operating inNorth Carolina,South Carolina,Alabama,Florida,Georgia,Kentucky,Maryland,Mississippi,Tennessee,Virginia, andWest Virginia. Founded inGreensboro, North Carolina, in 1989,[2] the chain has since expanded and now has restaurants in over 100 cities. The chain itself has grown in size with many locations now spread primarily throughout theSoutheastern United States.[3]
The standard format of the restaurant features twodrive-thru lanes and a walk-up window, but no indoor seating. Some newer locations have an indoor dining room and counter service similar to a traditional fast-food restaurant, but most still only have drive-thru and walk-up service. The restaurant specializes inhamburgers,milkshakes, andNorth Carolina-style pork barbecue.
Morris Reaves founded Cook Out in 1989. He is the owner of the company, and his son, Jeremy Reaves, is theCEO.
The first Cook Out location opened inGreensboro, North Carolina, in 1989. Over 50 more locations opened in North Carolina before expanding out of the state.[4] As of November 2022, 326 locations are operating in ten states.
The company opened its first out-of-state store inSpartanburg, South Carolina, on July 30, 2010.[5] Cook Out opened inClemson andOrangeburg, South Carolina, in 2010. At the end of 2011, Cook Out opened restaurants inColumbia, South Carolina;Blacksburg, Virginia; andRadford, Virginia. In March 2012, Cook Out opened its first location inLynchburg, Virginia, and shortly thereafter inHarrisonburg, Virginia.[6] In October 2012, Cook Out opened a restaurant inDanville, Virginia.[7] 2013 saw new Cook Out locations in Georgia, and in 2014, there were plans to launch several more Georgia locations, including its firstAtlanta restaurant.[8][9] In 2016, Cook Out expanded into Mississippi with stores inOxford,Jackson,Hattiesburg, andStarkville, and the company's firstAlabama location, inTuscaloosa.[10] Other locations in Alabama includeJacksonville (July 2017),[11]Auburn (December 2017),[12]Huntsville (January 2018),[13]Opelika (May 2018),Troy (June 2018),Mobile (December 2018),Montgomery (January 2019)[14] andBirmingham (January 2021).[15] In 2018, Cook Out expanded its Virginia locations in theCollinsville community ofMartinsville, Virginia which opened in September 2019.[16] In November 2022, Cook Out opened a restaurant inManassas Park, Virginia. In January 2024, Cookout opened a store inNewberry, South Carolina.[17][18] On August 5, 2024, it was announced Cook Out would be adding and opening new restaurants inCharlotte, North Carolina.[19] On July 9, 2025, Cookout opened a restaurant inPensacola, Florida,[20] making it the chain's first Florida location. Two additional Florida restaurants are planned to open inTampa, Florida.[21]
Their menu primarily features grilledhamburgers andcheeseburgers,hot dogs,chicken sandwiches,chicken nuggets,chicken fingers,North Carolina barbecue[2] andquesadillas. A signature to their menu is the Cook Out Tray, which features combinations of entrees, sides and a drink or milkshake. Another feature of the menu is their selection of more than 40 flavors ofmilkshakes. A featured drink on their menu isCheerwine, a local North Carolina cherry soda usually only served in North Carolina and surrounding states.
Cook Out is noted for its value-oriented “Cook Out Tray”, which allows customers to choose one main item, such as a burger, barbecue sandwich, or chicken tenders, paired with two sides and a beverage. Some locations allow the beverage to be substituted for a milkshake. The Tray has been highlighted by food writers as one of the most affordable combo meals in American fast food, typically priced around seven dollars or less.[22][23]
The chain is also recognized for its wide variety of milkshake flavors, with more than 40 options available. Customers often combine flavors, creating thousands of possible variations. Cook Out’s milkshakes are frequently described as a hallmark of the brand.[24][25]
Some flavors are offered on a seasonal basis, such as the watermelon milkshake, which is typically available in the summer months. The return of this item has been covered in local and national media outlets due to its popularity.[26][27]
Since 2020, Cook Out has sponsored theSouthern 500 atDarlington Raceway, annually held onLabor Day since 1950,[28] in addition, Cook Out has also sponsored theRichmond Summer Race atRichmond Raceway since 2023[29] and theMartinsville Spring Race held atMartinsville Speedway since 2024[30] for theNASCAR Cup Series. In January 2025, they announced that they would be sponsoring both theClash and the Madhouse Classic races atBowman Gray Stadium.[31] Jeremy Reaves older sonMax Reaves is also an active racecar driver and competes part-time in theARCA Menards Series and theARCA Menards Series East, driving the No. 18Toyota forJoe Gibbs Racing.[32]
