NATCHEZ — A chicken franchise may soon be frying its way back into the Natchez area.

The Natchez Planning Commission approved Thursday a site plan for a Church’s Chicken location on U.S. 61 North. Church’s Chicken, at one time, had a location on Martin Luther King Jr. Street, though it has been closed for several years.

Property agent Glenn Green said it is premature to say the fast-food chicken franchise is coming to Natchez for sure, though the site approval was a key step in that process.

“Now they have to lock in all their prices with their contractors, they have to get building permits and all of that sort of thing,” he said.

“Things are looking likely, but they are not definite. It is 99 percent, but there is still that 1 percent chance something could change.”

The site approval was for a location in the Beechwood development area, where the new traffic light has been erected near the flyover.

According to one of the Church’s Chicken websites, the restaurant chain has three options for franchises, a freestanding restaurant, an inline restaurant or a convenience store or travel plaza location. Green said his understanding is the new Natchez location will have sit down and drive-through service.

Green said if all goes according to plan the restaurant would be built on the corner across from Concordia Bank’s U.S. 61 location.

When that might be, however, is unknown.

“They don’t have a date of when they will start construction or when they will close (on the purchase) of the lot,” Green said.