Dairi-O, the North Carolina fast-casual chain built on hand-pressed burgers and old-school milkshakes, is lining up a new Sanford spot at 127 Marketplace Drive with a targeted fall 2026 opening. The restaurant is planned as an outparcel with a drive-thru and family-friendly seating just south of the CVS on U.S. 1, and it is already working through city review as the company maps out permits and a construction timeline.
Chief operations officer Rusty LaRue confirmed the Sanford plan to WhatNow Charlotte, saying the company is "excited about the Sanford project" and expects a setup similar to its newest Harrisburg restaurant. WhatNow Charlotte reports the chain is targeting a fall 2026 opening, although that timing still hinges on how permitting and construction shake out.
Site and city review
Documents from Sanford and the Lee County Technical Review Committee list the project as "Dairi-O Restaurant at Tramway," record the parcel at roughly 1.71 acres and describe "proposed construction of a new Dairi-O restaurant with drive-thru, associated parking and landscaping," according to Sanford. The packet notes that public water and sewer are available along Marketplace Drive and lists Joe Schultz of Dairi-O as the project manager. Technical Review Committee scrutiny is the first municipal step before zoning and building-permit filings enter the pipeline.
Reporting from WhatNow Charlotte, which cites the Triangle Business Journal, says Dairi-O recently purchased the site for roughly $2 million and ties a 1.78-acre figure to the sale. That coverage adds that the outparcel sits next to a CVS and sits alongside plans for a roughly 300-unit apartment complex by Dominion Realty Partners, a development that could give the Marketplace corridor a healthy boost in foot traffic once residents move in.
Menu and footprint
Dairi-O traces its roots to a 1947 take-out hamburger stand in King, North Carolina, and the chain's current menu features hand-pressed beef burgers, 100% beef hot dogs and a long list of frozen treats, according to Dairi-O. The company has said the Sanford restaurant will carry its full menu, keeping the classic burger-and-shake formula intact.
The town's recent Dairi-O opening in Harrisburg, described by the municipality as roughly 5,000 square feet with dine-in seating and a drive-thru, offers a preview of the footprint the brand is targeting for Sanford, per the Town of Harrisburg. If Sanford follows that template, locals can expect a full-sized sit-down space alongside the drive-thru lane.
Timeline and local impact
The Technical Review Committee packet notes that technical review approval is only an early checkpoint and that the project must still clear zoning and building-permit review before vertical construction can begin, which is why the fall 2026 opening remains conditional, according to Sanford. If the schedule holds, the Sanford Dairi-O is expected to create hourly jobs during hiring and add daytime and evening customers to the Marketplace corridor just as nearby residential projects come online.
The Sanford project would be another step in Dairi-O's steady North Carolina expansion, with the company website listing multiple current locations and recent openings. Company representatives have not released a detailed construction schedule beyond the fall 2026 target, and the project will move forward only as permits are approved.
