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San Antonio, TX – Who will be the first customer to order a plate of famed fried chicken or a slice of just re-introduced Maple Pecan Custard Pie at the brand new Earl Abel’s? The wait for an answer won’t be long.

The new owners of Earl Abel’s announced today that they have finalized a deal to relocate the iconic San Antonio restaurant and coffeehouse to a new, larger home nearby on Austin Highway, less than 2 ½ miles from its current Broadway location.

Earl Abel’s will take over more than 10,000 square feet of space once occupied by the Hometown Buffet at 1201 Austin Highway in the Terrell Plaza Shopping Center, Roger Arias and Gene Larsen announced.

The big move begins on May 15, with the Broadway restaurant closing its doors forever at the end of the day on Sunday, May 14 (Mother’s Day).

The new Earl Abel’s – which will have the instantly recognizable neon sign, similar décor including a custom-made new carpet that is an exact replica of the restaurant’s retro-funky deep red and green carpet, and the famous food made by the kitchen hands who have been with the restaurant for decades – will open its doors sometime in June.

Earl Abel’s is relocating because former owner Jerry Abel sold the restaurant and property that opened its doors 66 years ago on Broadway at Hildebrand to development group Koontz McCombs, which plans to build luxury condominiums on the 2.2-acre site.

Abel, who had not found a buyer that he believed could carry on his family’s rich restaurant legacy, was set to close the restaurant when he struck an 11^th hour deal with Arias and Larsen, selling them the rights to the famed coffeehouse’s name, recipes and fixtures.

“This is an incredibly exciting time for us,” said Arias, a former top executive with one of the nation’s largest fast food chains. “We are working hard to re-create much of the magic of the Broadway location at the new Earl Abel’s, including the retro décor, instantly recognizable neon sign and the signature menu items.”

The owners are even bringing back some items that had fallen off the menu, including a few that haven’t been served in well over a decade. Desserts such as Maple Pecan Custard Pie and strawberry shortcake, entrees such as a Fisherman’s Platter with oysters, shrimp and catfish, and kid-friendly side dishes like macaroni and cheese have been drawing rave reviews from loyal customers, and will be featured at the Austin Highway Earl Abel’s.

The owners will be adding a separate children’s menu and moving the restaurant into the WiFi age by making it a wireless hotspot, which is sure to draw tech-savvy patrons who need to stay in touch with work or home via laptop computers, PDAs or other wireless devices.

In addition, ordering to-go from Earl Abel’s soon will take just a few clicks of the mouse as an online website is set to launch within the next few weeks -- EarlAbelsToGo.com.

Austin Highway is a perfect home for the new Earl Abel’s. Back in the 1950s and 60s, it was a radio road to the state capital that was home to nightclubs, hotels, sleepy inns and restaurants catering to the city’s elite and young adult crowd. When Interstate 35 opened in the mid 1960s, Austin Highway became something of a ghost town, but in the past five years, a strong redevelopment movement has helped breathe new life into the roadway.

An army of new businesses, from big-box retailers like Wal-Mart and Lowe’s to strip center mainstays like the UPS Store and Payless Shoes to a new Spectrum health club, locally owned businesses and the nation’s largest private charter school all have come to Austin Highway in less than three years, making it one of the most vibrant redevelopment districts in San Antonio, and possibly South Texas.

But one thing Austin Highway has been missing, according to leaders in the redevelopment movement, is a mid-priced restaurant with widespread name recognition. Earl Abel’s is certain to fill that need.

“Earl Abel opened his first restaurant in San Antonio more than seven decades ago, and the Broadway restaurant had a great run for 66 years,” Arias said. “We’re looking forward to spending a long time on Austin Highway.”

Future plans call for expanding the Earl Abel’s franchise across the city, with full-service restaurants and even “to-go only” stands serving that delicious fried chicken.