One of metro Atlanta's last remaining 90s era Chick-fil-A restaurants is being given a facelift. The freestanding restaurant at 5700 Buford Highway in Doraville closed earlier this week to undergo a significant renovation. Property records indicate that the restaurant first opened in 1990 making it one of the Atlanta-based chicken chain's oldest restaurants company wide.
Directly adjacent to the Chick-fil-A is a Chase Bank branch which, had Chick-fil-A been ready years ago, perhaps they could have secured instead. The .68 acre parcel was a Long John Silver's years ago before becoming a variety of local eateries. Krispy Kreme built a new restaurant on the property in late 2013 but closed the shop permanently in February 2016 after which Chase converted it in 2018.
The Chick-fil-A Doraville's Facebook page has been sparingly updated since last November with no mention there, or even on their exterior signage, regarding the "temporary closure" other than a mention on the store specific website. Even Google indicates the restaurant is open as normal.
In our attempts to confirm the status and plans for the restaurant, we found Chick-fil-A's media relations team to be uncharacteristically slow and unhelpful and we never received any response to both emails and phone messages this week.
A representative from the City of Doraville was far more responsive, confirming that Chick-fil-A is doing "some renovations to the building and resurfacing the parking lot. The renovations include expanding the drive-thru." When we visited the restaurant Friday we noted that the playground seems to have been removed, with the Doraville representative indicating that the restaurant's plans were unclear as to whether the interior playground would remain part of the restaurant after its renovation.
Chick-fil-A has in recent years replaced the vast majority of its 90s era and even some 2000s built restaurants as it works to better prepare its restaurants for both the volume and variety of orders it receives today.
One of the more notable advancements the chain has made to its drive-thru is the removal of the "window," opting instead for a door that allows for faster and easier delivery of food and movement of its team members from back of house to customers' vehicles.
The company has in recent years completed "scrape & rebuild" or replacement projects of 90s era Chick-fil-A restaurants on North Druid Hills Road near Brookhaven (rebuild), Lawrenceville Highway in Lilburn (rebuild), Holcomb Bridge in Roswell (rebuild), South Cobb Drive in Smyrna (rebuild), Johnson Ferry Road in East Cobb (rebuild), Peachtree Parkway in Norcross (rebuild), Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in Duluth (rebuild), Atlanta Highway in Cumming (relo), Hugh Howell Road in Tucker (relo), Highway 138 in Conyers (relo), Sandy Plains Road in Marietta (rebuild), Peachtree Boulevard in Chamblee (rebuild), Highway 78 in Snellville (relo) and Georgia Highway 5 in Douglasville (rebuild), among others.
Another rebuild is currently nearing completion at 5925 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.
There is unfortunately a dwindling number of "classic" Chick-fil-A restaurants in metro Atlanta (or anywhere) which is disappointing given the boring nature and lack of identifiable character of the new, boxy restaurants the company has been building.
Three of the last remaining 90s era Chick-fil-A restaurants in existence in metro Atlanta are located in Clayton and Gwinnett counties.
For now, Chick-fil-A continues to operate a Dwarf House at 1570 Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth as well as a restaurant similar to the Doraville restaurant at 680 Duluth Highway in Lawrenceville. The Lawrenceville restaurant, which according to its Facebook page celebrated its 33rd birthday earlier this week, was built in 1991, according to Gwinnett County tax records. Those same records indicate that the Duluth Dwarf House was built in 1993. Clayton County tax records indicate the Forest Park Dwarf House at 4959 Jonesboro Road opened in 1993.
The Doraville Chick-fil-A will reportedly reopen by October.
Are you, like us, saddened to see so many "cool" restaurants replaced by sterile boxes? What is your favorite fast food restaurant? What chain of yesteryear - D'Lites, Burger Chef etc. - do you miss most?
Please share your thoughts below.
16 comments:
I am little sad to hear that changes are being made to this location. I appreciate the classic CFA
The CFA in downtown Decatur is interesting. It is a converted Hardee's and they had to maintain the same footprint account of zoning. Inside and drive-thru always packed, but there's not much they can do with it.
Maybe a facelift with help the lousy service at this location
Don’t forget the CFA on Memorial Dr in Stone Mountain!
CFA relo in Snellville was 78 location. Scenic Hwy is still there.
I find the newer format which is uniquely applied to each restaurant is far more interesting than the older establishments. I especially am fond of the Chamblee location that was rebuilt not too long ago. The innovative drive-through holds at least 24 cars end to end. The restaurant itself is very interesting. The architects did really good job with that location.
Pros and Cons I suppose. I understand the nostalgia for the older designs, but the new restaurants are so much better. The new v. old Tucker location isn't even really a debate. Easier access, better parking, improved drive thru, etc.
Who cares?
The Doraville location is some classic late 80s architecture. We have lost a lot of it in recent years.
There is still a classic CFA on Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain, and I didn't see mention of the (very) recently replaced double drive-thru on N Druid Hills by North Dekalb Mall or the rebuilt restaurant on Thorton Rd in Lithia Springs. It is so sad that all of these classic restaurants are disappearing.
Keep up the good work!
Chick-fil-A,
Chick-fil-A Chick-fil-A I’m gonna get me some Chick-fil-A! “Oooooo Chile”!
Yo mama
Listen to the Chick-fil-A cows: Smoke Mor Hukah.
They don’t have chile
You mean Phar Mor? Puke?
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