Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A will next week debut a new restaurant format never before opened by the 3,000+ unit chain. Originally described in a July 2023 release, the new Chick-fil-A prototype features an elevated kitchen, conveyor belts, and first-to-market technology meant to speed service times and enhance the overall customer experience.
Chick-fil-A has not yet publicized the opening date, and the Jodeco Road specific page on the company's website identifies the restaurant as "Temporarily Closed," but multiple well-placed sources close to the restaurant have confirmed to ToNeTo Atlanta that the restaurant is to open Thursday August 22!
The elevated restaurant features 4 drive-thru lanes, with 2 lanes dedicated to traditional drive-thru service aid by Chick-fil-A Team Members and 2 lanes for the company's Mobile Thru orders, those made via digital ordering platforms including the Chick-fil-A app. There is no inside dining.
"By building the kitchen above the drive-thru lanes, meals are expedited to the Team Member who delivers the order directly to the customer in a space protected by the upper level, so hospitality won’t be sacrificed for speed of service," Chick-fil-A said of the prototype.
Chick-fil-A quietly retired its popular "First 100" store opening promotion during the pandemic. Instead, Chick-fil-A Jodeco Road plans to recognize 100 local heroes making an impact in the Stockbridge area by providing them with free Chick-fil-A entrées for a year.
The "get" of the first ever of these ultra-modern Chick-fil-A restaurants is surely a shot in the arm for the Stockbridge area, perhaps even challenging the excitement of the development also landing a new Costco that opened this past November.
A 34 second "reel" we shared to our Instagram page in June of the restaurant under construction has been viewed a staggering 525,000 times, equaling more than 2,300 hours of "watch time."
Brett Lewis, formerly owner/operator of the Chick-fil-A at Dalton Mall in Dalton, was entrusted with operating the new Chick-fil-A in Stockbridge. Lewis and his wife relocated to nearby McDonough in advance of the new opening.
The elevated drive-thru restaurant is one of several new formats the company has experimented with in recent years.
A new Chick-fil-A opened at 5925 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs in late July in place of an early 90s era Chick-fil-A on the same site. The new restaurant is far larger than its predecessor and employs new back-of-house technology meant to increase efficiency.
ToNeTo Atlanta was first to report in June 2023 that Chick-fil-A plans to bring another prototype restaurant to metro Atlanta with the opening of a mobile/takeout/delivery-oriented (non-drive-thru) unit at 3232 Peachtree Road in the heart of Buckhead. The company filed permits for the 5,200 square foot restaurant this past July with an expected construction cost of $1.4 million.
ToNeTo Atlanta in 2022 was also first to report on a Brookhaven Chick-fil-A which opened last April, also without a drive-thru. Another Chick-fil-A restaurant devoid of a Drive-Thru opened this past June on North Druid Hills Road near "Lulah Hills" (North DeKalb Mall) where it replaced a Drive-Thru Only location nearby. The company also plans to open a new non-Drive-Thru unit at 777 Ponce de Leon Avenue near Ponce City Market.
At the Chick-fil-A at Chastain Square near Chastain Park, the company is experimenting with autonomous robot delivery. The company has tested similar technology at other Atlanta area restaurants including those in Woodstock and Alpharetta, as it continues to evaluate the offering.
Chick-fil-A in April released its latest Franchisee Disclosure Document (FDD) showing that the chain’s average unit volumes for non-mall locations in 2023 reached a record $9.3 million!
Do you plan to visit the new elevated drive-thru Chick-fil-A? Are you pleased with the advancements and improvements Chick-fil-A has made to its restaurants in recent years? What is your favorite Chick-fil-A restaurant?
Please share your thoughts below.
19 comments:
I like the innovation but CFA is too damn expensive. You can eat "slow food" just about anywhere for the same price and not feel hungry a few hours later. If not for the kids requesting it we'd never go.
It is nice to see a company investing in improvements and innovations while many can't even maintain what they have. The new technology can catch some off guard like when a robot delivered my order to the table at the Scott Blvd Chik-Fil-A. I thought it was super cool, but the folks next to me seemed really confused.
Not sure why CFA builds units with dine-in seating at all. Every CFA I pass by has lines wrapped around the building for the drive thru. Years ago when I patronized CFA, it was amusing when I would get out of my car, go in and order and then come out to see that the line had only moved one or two car lengths.
Agreed about the cost. My sister told me recently that she paid $9 for one sandwich. It will be a cold day in Hades before I pay that much for a "fast food" product.
CFA is always playing chess while its competition is stuck playing checkers with missing pieces. I don't get the expense complaints. It's a couple dollars more than it was a few years ago, but what isn't? It's not like slow food has remained static. My last order of a CFA sandwich and medium waffle fries was $7.78. No sure where you can go sit down and eat for that.
It’s not $9 for a regular chick fil a sandwich except maybe at the airport. Go to McDonalds and see…its more expensive now too. All fast food places are around $10 for a combo with regular items. Some have $5 deals on junior sized items.
Except the new one on North Druid Hills by “Lulah Hills fka North Dekalb Mall.” With no drive thru. Now they are advertising “park ‘n order” there because their business dropped off double digits when they left their old drive thru only unit to open a new eat it only unit.
Chick Fil A quality has severely dropped in the last couple of months.
This innovation is great. Perhaps the Kathy family can innovate their personal thinking when it comes to gays and women's rights
Funny you don't even know how to spell their name, but shouldn't surprise anyone since you don't know your facts either. You probably blindly repost 'misinformation' on your social media channels too.
or maybe you can stop shoving your personal thinking down everyone else's throat. It's okay to have different beliefs. If you feel so strongly about your political beliefs that you refuse to eat at CFA, that's cool too. One less person in line in front of me. Good Day.
Taco Bell already has this exact setup. CFA is far from leading the industry in innovation.
Yes one less person in line behind you too. I might be gay, and if I’m behind you, well, watch out! You know how we are…..homophobes beware!!!
First, no one cares that you're gay. You're creating an issue where there isn't one. You should inform people that you are gay as often as I inform people that I am heterosexual (never). And any herteo person who automatically thinks that every gay person wants to have sex with them should ask themself if they automatically want to have sex with every person of the opposite sex.
Next, well lookie here!
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/chick-fil-a-announces-new-president-new-coo
How odd that a company opposing women's rights just named a woman as their President and COO.
Moo!!
I quit spending money and wasting time for less than stellar service at CFA.
Last visit using the app was a challenge for the staff even though no custom or additional things were added to the order.
Their app has been a mess to use in the past.
Taco Bell has chess and checkers? Awesome
That doesn’t mean a thing. Margerie Tailer Groon is a woman and she couldn’t give two shits about womens rights.
Seeing the drive through wraps around the building I usually go in thinking the service will be quicker. Not true. And yes, it is getting to expensive, and yes the portions are smaller. I can order a Pizza at Blaze and have left overs.
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