Thursday, May 7, 2020

[UPDATE] Chick-fil-A Planning "Custom-Designed" Restaurant Near Ponce City Market

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A is looking to open a new restaurant near Ponce City Market, where it would redevelop two adjacent parcels at 689 Boulevard NE and 513 Ponce de Leon Avenue.  The Atlanta-based chain, though its agent, David Kirk of law firm Troutman Sanders LLP,  has applied for a change of zoning for the properties, according to a filing with the city of Atlanta.  The parcels, which according to Fulton County records total just under one acre, are currently home to a Texaco gas station, convenience store and parking lot.  Joseph M. Davis of Newnan-based Jodaco Inc. owns the property, according to Fulton County records. 

The new Chick-fil-A, first reported by the Atlanta Business Chronicle,  would be situated next door to a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, a resurgent rival of the Atlanta chicken chain that last year introduced a Chick-fil-A-like chicken sandwich that became a viral sensation.  Popeyes, which until until 2018 was based in Dunwoody, moved its headquarters to Miami after it was acquired by Restaurant Brands International, owners of Miami-based Burger King.  Chick-fil-A founder the late Truett Cathy has long claimed ownership of the chicken sandwich with the restaurant's proud line: "We Didn't Invent The Chicken, Just The Chicken Sandwich."

Across the street from the would-be Chick-fil-A sits a Dunkin' [Donuts] that opened in 2013 in place of a former Church's Chicken, a onetime sibling concept of Popeyes former owner AFC Enterprises.  About two blocks west of the proposed Chick-fil-A, Athens-based Zaxby's opened a new restaurant in place of a shuttered KFC turned Church's in 2013.  

Documents filed with the City of Atlanta give a sense of what Chick-fil-A has planned for the property,  

"Redevelopment of two parcels currently containing outdated and essentially unlandscaped Texaco gas station/convenience store into custom-designed 3,367 square foot (+/-) Chick-fil-A restaurant with drive-through and extensive landscaping. Application requests rezoning from MRC-2-C to MRC-2-C for the purpose of removing conditions prohibiting drive-through service windows and drive-in facilities on the property as a principal or accessory use."  
The nearly 3,400 square foot size is smaller than typical modern-day Chick-fil-A restaurants, which range from 4,500-5,000 square feet, and far smaller than the planned nearly 8,000 square foot Chick-fil-A that ToNeTo Atlanta exclusively reported on this past November.  

The inclusion of the all-important drive-thru is the main component requiring approval.  If the current COVID-19 pandemic has taught us (and restaurant owners) anything, it's that drive-thrus are essential for quick-serve restaurants and serve as a way to continue to serve customers while limiting inside access.  Chick-fil-A, known industry-wide for superior service, is also a well-oiled machine when it comes to drive-thru operations, and the current crisis is putting a spotlight on their excellence in this area.  

Given the site's location, the rezoning request would need to be heard by Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU) M as well as the Design Review Committee (DRC) for the Atlanta BeltLine.  NPU-M is due to hear the proposal July 2.  

The Ponce de Leon corridor has long been an area of interest for Chick-fil-A.  In 2016, ToNeTo Atlanta reported that Chick-fil-A was linked to the potential redevelopment of Dugan's, a popular restaurant at 777 Ponce de Leon Avenue.  It's unclear why, but the deal never came to fruition.  

Chick-fil-A's early years were driven by expansion in metro Atlanta and in new markets through locations in mall food courts.  In Atlanta, that meant outposts in Greenbriar Mall, North DeKalb Mall, Northlake Mall, and Lenox Square, among others and in new markets like Charlotte where the chain entered the Queen City with a location in SouthPark Mall's food court.  In recent years, however, the chain has decommissioned several mall food court locations including those in North DeKalb Mall, Northlake Mall, and Gwinnett Place Mall, among others.  

At the same time, the chain is closing mall-based restaurants, it is opening new locations in densely populated intown markets.  Chick-fil-A has in recent years added new freestanding drive-thru enabled restaurants to Grant Park (June 2016) and Vine City (January 2018).  

Are you excited for the planned opening of a new intown Chick-fil-A?  What is your go-to fast food item/restaurant?  Who do you think makes the better chicken sandwich - Chick-fil-A or Popeyes?  

Please share your thoughts below.  

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

That’ll be the most ghetto chick fil a in Atlanta if it last longer than six months
Next to Popeyes, constant badgering of the homeless, etc.

Anonymous said...

yeah so much more ghetto than the vine city one amirite??

Anonymous said...

The Vine City location is very well operated. It has a constant police presence, it's clean, it's efficient...an excellent example of HOW IT'S DONE. The same thing can happen at Ponce and Boulevard - Bring it on Chick Fil-A!!! That Popeyes next door takes their customers for granted. Shake 'em UP, show THEM what consistent, kind, quality customer service looks like! 'Bout time!!!

Cody Cargle said...

Okay Anonymous said on May 7, 2020 at 9:18 Am You are telling the truth about Atlanta but honestly why are you being negative about both Popeyes and Chick-fil-A probably two of the best places to get chicken besides Bojangles and Guthrie’s honestly. 🤦🏻‍♂️ So therefore it will last longer than 6 months believe me. 😂

Anonymous said...

Thank Goodness. That convenience store is scary looking.

Anonymous said...

Doubt it Cody

Anonymous said...

Doubt it Cody

Cody Cargle said...

Anonymous said on May 11 and May 12, 2020 at 9:39 Pm and 11:48 Am You are doubting you are negative well bless your heart lol! 🤣 Anyways it will make it, your just a complainer who loves to whine about everything. 🤣

stumblebee said...

1. Cody go away
2. It will be interesting to see if it does well or not. 50/50.

Cody Cargle said...

Stumblebee said on May 12, 2020 at 11:48 Pm 1. No I will not go away I don’t how many times I must explain to you that, and 2. I already know it will do where, because Chick-fil-A is well oiled company believe me. 😅

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