NATCHEZ — The likelihood of an Applebee’s restaurant locating in Natchez is so high, stakeholders said they can practically smell the burgers and fried food galore.

Dianne P. Brown, a local real estate broker who is serving as the liaison between the city and Applebee’s representatives, said residents shouldn’t pull up a barstool just yet, though.

“All I can say right now is we hope we can work it out, and nothing has been finalized,” she said.

Brown said the city has been talking with the popular bar and grill franchise about coming to Natchez for more than three years.

The tentative location for the restaurant, Brown said, is a portion of the Natchez Mall’s parking lot in front of the Belk department store on John R. Junkin Drive.

Natchez Mayor Butch Brown said he talked with Dianne Brown “several weeks ago,” and everything seemed to be in line for Applebee’s to establish a location in Natchez.

“She has told me on three occasions that they indeed are coming,” Butch Brown said.

At a recent Natchez Board of Aldermen meeting, Butch Brown asked board members if they would support giving the restaurant a minor tax incentive in order to encourage the business locating to Natchez.

Butch Brown said all board members supported that request.

“Last report I had, was that (Applebee’s) appreciated the help the city was providing, and there was a deal,” he said.

Interim City Planner Rico Giani said the planning department was still waiting on Applebee’s to submit their application, which would detail their construction plans.

Once that application is received, Giani said the Natchez Planning Commission would review it, and then pass it along to the city’s site plan review team.

Dianne Brown said because she signed a confidentiality agreement with Applebee’s, she couldn’t disclose any details on which the deal may hinge.

She did say, however, that the possibility of the restaurant coming was strong.

“I think we are very, very close,” she said. “We are just not there yet.”