Will Fusaiotti is a co-founder of the thriving Mobile-based chicken finger chain Foosackly’s. That’s not the restaurant he gets asked about the most. Chef Jeremiah Matthews runs Southwood Kitchen in Daphne, where you’d better plan ahead if you want a table at dinnertime, and that’s not the place he gets the most questions about either.

Everybody wants to know what’s up with Ben’s. As in, The Original Ben’s Jr. Bar-B-Que, a Fairhope landmark that’s been shuttered since its longtime owners closed shop and retired in late 2018.

Matthews said he gets asked about Ben’s “a minimum of 15-20 times a day.”

He and Fusaiotti are finally ready to unveil some of their plans. Yes, Ben’s is coming back. And the partners know that if they do it just right, they can tap into a wellspring of nostalgia with the funky little shack at 552 N. Section St. Because for Fairhope, Ben’s is personal.

“Everybody’s got a Ben’s story,” said Matthews.