As part of a continued statewide expansion of restaurants, State College will soon see a new T.G.I. Friday's at the site of the former Chi Chi's Mexican Restaurant, 1215 N. Atherton St.

Maureen Gallagher, marketing coordinator for T.G.I. Friday's franchise company, Northeast Restaurant Group, said the new restaurant would open soon, though no exact date has been determined.

Gallagher said the restaurant would be trying a different design at this particular location.

"T.G.I. Friday's has been around for almost 40 years. They felt it was time to get a fresh look," Gallagher said.

"They wanted to preserve the heritage and get a fun new look," she added.

Trisha Lang, Ferguson Township planning director, said the owners are experimenting with a new floor plan and outdoor seating, which is responsible for the delay.

"They wanted this new building in the State College area. That's the reason it's caused a little delay and is taking longer to get approved," Lang said.

"It seems to be right on track now," she added.

Gallagher said the restaurant will be 6,400-square-feet.

She also said its memorabilia would be more streamlined, using stainless steel instead of brass to decorate the interior building.

"[The State College location] will be the twelfth franchise in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey market," Gallagher said.

Ferguson Township board chairman Richard Mascolo said the township approved a resolution supporting a liquor license transfer for T.G.I. Friday's on Jan. 17.

Molly McGowan, Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board spokeswoman, said they have not received the application yet.

She said that transferring a liquor license takes a minimum of 30 days to a year, but she added that it's rare for the transfer to take a year.

"We got a land development plan from the board of directors and it was approved," Mascolo said.

Lang said T.G.I. Friday's would be building a new structure.

"They're taking the Chi Chi's structure down and building a new one. They're going to build on the same foundation of Chi Chi's," Lang said.

Lang also said the owners of T.G.I. Friday's are revising their plans before they meet with the Ferguson Township Planning Commission on Feb. 14.

If the Planning Commission recommends approval for the project, the proposal will then go before the Board of Supervisors at its next meeting on Feb. 22.

"If the Board of Supervisors recommends approval, [usually upon meeting certain conditions], the applicant's next step is to meet those conditions from the supervisor's action and then they can start construction," Lang said.

The conditions could be paying fees or getting signatures on the plan, Lang said.

"It's usually just minor things that need to be corrected," she said.

Mark Kunkle, Ferguson Township manager, estimated that it takes about six months to move from a a project's design through its approval.

If the Board of Supervisors approves the proposed restaurant project, Kunkel said construction could start soon.

"They could probably start mid- to late-March," he said.

Kunkel said the new restaurant could provide more eating options for State College residents.

Even though the restaurant's look is new, the menu will stay the same, he said.

The restaurant offers menu items such as Jack Daniel's chicken, shrimp and steak entrees, and cheesecake.

"Their menu is somewhat different from other restaurants in the area and will provide some variety," Kunkel said.