Plans to redevelop a former Advance Auto Parts store along Sycamore Road in DeKalb into a restaurant with a drive-thru are in the works.

The DeKalb Planning and Zoning Commission will advise the City Council next week on a petition submitted by local developer John Pappas. The topic is headed for review at 6 p.m. May 18 at the DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak St.

The former Advance Auto Parts, at 2151 Sycamore Road, closed in early 2025 and has since been subdivided into three separate tenant shops of 2,017 square feet in space, city documents show.

City officials are eying plans for an unidentified restaurant with a drive-thru at the south end of the site. Such a move requires a special use permit to make it a reality.

Under the proposal, the drive-thru would accommodate five to six cars at a given time, with stacking.

There will be space for parking. The lot currently accommodates 16 vehicles, but with the addition of the drive-thru, it would serve 12, city documents show.

Occupying the north end of the building will be a Tropical Smoothie Cafe, if plans are approved. It’s known not only for its smoothies but also for tropical bowls, wraps, quesadillas and flatbreads, according to its website.

The middle tenant space remains available for lease.