Chick-Fil-A Testing a 4 Lane Drive-Thru in Atlanta, Georgia

Chick-Fil-A is very much beloved in East Texas. What's not so loved is the long line that leads into the drive-thru that we see in Tyler, Longview or Jacksonville, Texas. It can extend beyond the restaurant parking lot into a busy street. This can be very frustrating especially if you're just trying to get where you're going with as little of a headache as possible. The company IS working to alleviate that problem with a new concept store set to open next year (2024) in Atlanta, Georgia that will have two stories and multiple drive-thru lanes.

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Chick-Fil-A in East Texas

There are two major problem spots for Chick-Fil-A in East Texas, South Broadway in Tyler in front of Broadway Crossing Shopping Center (which is moving to the old Shell gas station location at South Broadway and Chimney Rock Drive once construction is completed) and Loop 281 and 4th Street in Longview. During the weekly lunch rush, and any Saturday, the lines to get into the drive-thru will back up into the roadway. If you're just driving through the area, it's best to move into the center or left lane to avoid being stopped for a while.

Digital orders make up more than half of total sales in some markets – and growing – so we know our customers have an appetite for convenience. - Khalilah Cooper, executive director, restaurant design

A concept store being built in Atlanta, Georgia, will not have a dining room but four drive-thru lanes with a kitchen above those lanes (chick-fil-a.com). Customers who order through the Chick-Fil-A app will have dedicated lanes to pick up their order with the other lanes for those who want to drive up and order with an employee. So yes, you will still be able to interact with a real person and real people will be working in the kitchen. The order will then be sent down from the above kitchen at the dedicated spot for pick-up.

Really Cool Concept

This sounds like a really cool concept. Chick-Fil-A is also working on another concept store in New York that will again eliminate the dining room and the drive-thru. For this concept store, you either walk in to order from an employee or walk in to pick up your mobile order (wsmv.com).

Will either of these concepts come to East Texas?

Only time will tell. If either or both become a success, we could. We already have a walk in only store in downtown Tyler. It is on the bottom level of the People's Petroleum Building on the right as you walk in the front door.

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