Chick-fil-A, the popular restaurant chain that drew a small tent city of eager customers before it opened its first franchise in Palm Coast eight years ago, will be opening its second restaurant in the city in the BJ’s Wholesale shopping center, according to construction plans recently submitted to the city. City Manager Lauren Johnston dropped a hint about the restaurant in a presentation at a local chamber event earlier this week.
Chick-fil-A will join Miller’s Ale House, which opened in August, and Texas Longhorn, opening soon, among the satellite parcels of the shopping center along State Road 100, making it easily accessible for its heavily used drive-in windows.
The company had a pre-application meeting with the city about two weeks ago. According to the Chick-fil-A site plan obtained by FlaglerLive, the restaurant will be a 5,000-square-foot facility seating 70 indoors and 16 outdoors, with 69 parking spaces (six for persons with disabilities), the whole lot taking up 80,000 square feet, or 1.8 acres. Chick-fil-A is notorious for creating traffic problems around its restaurants. At this second location in Palm Coast, the drive-through lines will allow for up to 38 cars at a time in two lanes, 48 cars at peak times, a staggering number.
The restaurant is projecting 10 employees per shift.
The restaurant will be on the lost east of Miller’s Ale House. There are five “outparcels” in from of BJ’s, three of them now filled by restaurants, a fourth to be filled by a Chase Bank, and a fifth will be occupied by an office-type business, Mengel said: that office-type concern announced its interest just this week.
The entirety of the BJ’s Wholesale site is being annexed into Palm Coast, but based on the pre-annexation agreement with the county, “as those individual outparcels develop and get their COs,” Adam Mengel, the county’s development director, said, referring to certificates of occupancy, “at the time of CO, they will annex into the city.” But the site plan was submitted to the city.
The College Park, Ga.-based company that opened with one restaurant in 1946 now has 3,059 restaurants in all but two states (Vermont and Alaska), according to ScrapeHero, the data company, including 246 in Florida. It is the largest chicken-sandwich chain in the country, though last year it began offering a non-meat sandwich. It is privately held.
Its corporate mission, according to its website, is to “glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us” and “To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A,” though the first part of that mission has led to both boycotts and surges of popularity for the company–boycotts by groups or even local governments opposed to the company’s pronounced stance against same-sex marriage, and surges of popularity countermanding the boycotts. The company has in recent years softened its ideological stance and ceased contributing money to certain organizations perceived as less than “a positive influence” on large segments of the population.
An opening date is not yet known: Chick-fil-A’s “press room” had not responded to an inquiry before this article initially published.
Willy James says
Sorry Lauren, I don’t see anything to celebrate as you would have us believe. Don’t sound the trumpets of victory! The area needs real jobs that will drive economic development. Instead of fast food restaurants, Dollar General stores, gas stations and storage facilities, get you head of your ass and focus on industrial blue and white collar jobs. Palm Coast has a lot to offer when you look at selling points. We have the Intercostal Waterway, I-95, rail, airport that can handle light transport, and good education opportunities unless the Governor further screws it up.
So, Palm Coast/FCBOC political leaders, lead for once and get focused on bringing real jobs that the workforce will have a living wage.
Greg says
Dont need it! It’s just more traffic and aggravation to an already over built over populated area
Sunny says
My once beautiful county is no longer! After almost 50 years here everything I loved here is gone. I don’t want northern food, drinks, architecture, lack of manners etc etc etc! Do not move somewhere and bring your state with you! Transplants not wanted!
JC says
MMMMMM Jesus Chicken. I normally get the Jesus with Blessings, which is the Spicy Chicken sandwich. The Blessings is in many hours later you have to run for the toilet.
Pogo says
@North now means the county line
…who knew?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick-fil-A
Signs and omens — the Orange One will save us. Pffft…
Joseph Barand says
More rubber chicken from China cooked recycled waste oil from local oil change facilities. You need a Blessing to ear this trash!
Billy says
Im tired if seeing housing development at every corner. This was such a beautiful and peaceful county with the woodlands. Now just another crap hole big city!
Annoyed says
Not impressed with Chicken/Flicken. Never have been. There is already one here, sad to say. I agree with what is said above…bring INDUSTRY to Palm Coast!
While I am at it, what brainless nitwit decided THAT spot on Rt 100, which has created traffic nightmares, was THE spot to put this group of businesses? If you put everyone together on Palm Coast planning board, you may come up with one brain…although I am not sure that is truth either. Not just the planning board. I see people every day lining up to turn left across from one of the entrances to BJS et al, that has no light, instead of driving up a hundred feet to where there is a light? Every time I come through there I see people’s cars pulling out in front of traffic because they are tired of waiting for a spot to cross. That one spot is a terrible accident just waiting to happen. OK, so what genius thought that was a good idea?
Mike says
Chick-fil-A sources their chicken from farms across the United States, including California and Florida. Chick-fil-A’s chicken is sourced from farms that meet their Animal Wellbeing Standards. Yum China Holdings, Inc operates the brands KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell. Chick-fil-A changes their fryer oil more frequently than fine-dining restaurants because of the high volume and constant use of their fryers. Chick-fil-A changes their oil every day or every other day.
Chick-fil-A cooks their chicken in fully refined, heat-processed peanut oil. They also pressure cook their nuggets in 100% refined peanut oil
Chris Maull says
Hummmmm….. That is the same thing the Native Americans said at one time! Relax and go with the flow Sunny!
Billy B says
And it still comes out tasting like crap !!!
Laurel says
Chick fil A doesn’t like gays, so there’s more of that Christian tolerance and love.
“Chick-fil-A famous chicken sandwich has 55 ingredients including MSG, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Potassium Iodate, and Dimethylpolysiloxane.” – Foodbabe.com
Meanwhile, I don’t like their sandwiches, and they can keep their “refined peanut oil.”
Same ole stuff, another day. Next!
Foodie says
GREAT NEWS!
Chick-fil-a is great !
Top quality food, excellent customer service, great ethics, and a great location!!
YankeeExPat says
The Civil War ended in 1865.
The Treasonous Southerners’ ” Confederate States of America” President Jefferson Davis Lost the war.
General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in April 1865
Being a Proud Jersey born and raised Carpetbagger now in living for decades in the holler of Palm Coast F.L. , I always take every opportunity to kindly explain to the Local Yocals’ how you are doing things all wrong. I don’t accept that old yore that ” That’s not the way we do this or that here in the South ”
My advice,……get the scowl off you face, and go to Publix and buy some Taylor ham, Sabrett’s Hot dogs or Hellman’s Mayo and see how the the other half lives !
East Coast says
Really ??? Well guess who sold them the property! Our very own county appraiser James “Jim” Gardener. read his bio. Your spouting the typical, hypocritical, fantasy good ole days lip smack.
https://www.voterfocus.com/CampaignFinance/candidate_pr.php?op=cv&e=28&c=flagler&ca=475&rellevel=4&committee=N
And guess who his dad was??? 1938-2017 James E. Gardner, ITT President And Palm Coast Founder https://flaglerlive.com/james-e-gardner-1938-2017/
Palm coast vet says
Haven’t eaten there, never will.
Son is gay.
Try Kanes.
Laurel says
And you wonder why you are not so welcome with your *superior,* bigoted, insulting, mannerless attitude.
Joey says
Poor quality food – bad location – underpaid workers in the name of Jesus !!!
Jay Tomm says
Well finally someone confirmed it. We all knew this was coming already.
Oh and if you like your health please stop eating there. A regular plain chick sandwich has 1100mg of sodium. A publix chicken one has half that.
David Schaefer says
It’s horse crap. Those idiots can’t even lower their prices. Culvers is a thousand times better. BTW it’s the only fast food place we ever go to .
YankeeExPat says
The First Amendment– Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Pardon my taking an opportunity to voice my ” Constitutionally Guaranteed First Amendment Right” to opinion, Laurel Says , Sunny Says and to any other of the local Pseudo Rebels,…… But y’all can all leave if you desire. It’s still a free country but , I, and my fellow Yankee Cohorts aren’t going anywhere.
F.Y.I Y’all the Second Amendment is not dominate to the First Amendment or the other way around.
The Second Amendment states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”
Here is one for the Bible Thumpers
New Testament John 8:32—”And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”
oldtimer says
There sure are a lot of unhappy people in Palm Coast, maybe some of you people should run for local government to change things, if not you can always move to a REAL city and see what a S…hole really is
Gayle Morris says
We can’t have industry here in Palm Coast there is no land for industry. If those communities were not built on US1 we could have industry but putting houses on top of houses is more important!