By GABE JORDAN

gabe.jordan@gaflnews.com

CORDELE — The local Quizno’s chain will close its doors Friday, according to owner/manager Tim Burnett, making it the second restaurant in the last five weeks to shut down permanently here.

Burnett said he will lock the doors at 3 p.m. tomorrow on the fast-food sub shop located in the commercial strip at 2010 Central Avenue.

“I appreciate all the good customers that we’ve had,” Burnett said. “We’ve had some really loyal customers, folks that eat here almost five days a week, and we’re sorry we have to do this.”

Burnett blamed the economy and the ongoing construction on I-75 that has temporarily made the county’s on- and off-ramps to the interstate difficult for many motorists to negotiate.

“It’s definitely the economy, and this work on the interstate is hurting everybody around here,” Burnett said. “We tried to hang in there, but we just weren’t making any money.”

Burnett said he is working to help his employees find new jobs, and that a few have already found new employment opportunities. But he isn’t optimistic about the job market.

“I had four people come in yesterday wanting to fill out job applications here, so I’m not sure what kind of shape this job market is in,” Burnett said, adding that he doesn’t have plans to re-open once the construction on I-75 is completed.

Craig Solomon with the Georgia Department of Transportation said the I-75 construction project is slated to be completed by Dec. 31, 2009, but the contractors performing the road work are slightly behind schedule. Once completed, the region’s main transportation artery will be six-laned throughout the state.