Which out-of-town chain does Columbus need most? Here's how Dispatch readers voted

Last week, The Dispatch asked you, our readers, which out-of-town chain you would like to see come to Columbus.

The stores ranged from a beaver-themed convenience store to a chain slinging Chicago-style favorites. The only thing they all had in common was that they had yet to make their mark on Ohio's capital city.

Voters using our poll could choose from Buc-ee's, Publix, WaWa, Whataburger, In-N-Out Burger, Portillo's and Zaxby's.

And now, the results of this historic election are in.

Drumroll, please.

Which chain does Columbus need most?

Claiming the number one spot on our poll is grocery store Publix, which received 229 votes from readers, or 22.9% of the 1,000 votes we received.

The Florida-based chain known for its "Pub subs" has yet to make an appearance in Ohio, but the company does plan on opening two locations in northern Kentucky, not far from Cincinnati.

In second place was In-N-Out Burger with 218 votes, or 21.8% of the vote total. The California-based burger chain doesn't have any plans to expand to the Midwest. Its closest location is in Nashville, Tennessee.

And in third was Buc-ee's with 214 votes, or 21.4% of the vote total. The Texas-based gas station/convenience store chain plans to open its first Ohio location in Huber Heights near the end of 2025.

While the top three chains were in a close race for the number one spot, the vote totals drop off for the remaining chains. Here's what the results show.

• WaWa, 99 votes or 9.9%
• Portillo's, 76 votes or 7.6%
• Other, 70 votes or 7%
• Whataburger, 50 votes or 5%
• Zaxby's, 44 votes or 4.4%