Chick-fil-A obtains permit for new Columbus Park Crossing restaurant
Work on a new Chick-fil-A restaurant at Columbus Park Crossing looks to be moving forward with the issuance of a building permit just before the Labor Day weekend.
The city has issued the permit for 5520 Whittlesey Blvd., which is where the former Shogun restaurant had operated for a decade before its owner, Gene Meszaros, sold the one-acre property to the Atlanta-based chicken sandwich and waffle fries chain.
The permit, dated Aug. 31, shows owner CFA Columbus Park Crossings is spending $800,000 initially on the 4,999-square-foot eatery, with W.H. Bass Inc. the general contractor. The 6,807-square-foot Shogun building, vacant since June, still must be torn down to make way for the new construction that fronts Dick’s Sporting Goods and a Kohl’s department store.
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No timeline has been given for the opening of the Chick-fil-A outlet, although the 4,877-square-foot Chick-fil-A that opened at 2730 Manchester Expressway on June 21 did so within four months of the issuance of its March 6 building permit by the city. W.H. Bass also was the contractor for that project.
Like the Manchester Expressway location, Chick-fil-A will be setting up shop in a very popular area, with Columbus Park Crossing a power shopping and restaurant center that draws heavy consumer traffic year-round. The Manchester Expressway outlet now operating features Chick-fil-A’s latest “Heritage” design to include an indoor play area and interactive section for toddlers, along with free wi-fi and drive-thru service.
The Columbus Park restaurant will be the sixth standalone Chick-fil-A in the Columbus area. There also is a food court location at Peachtree Mall. The company has said it expects to open 102 outlets across the U.S. this year to go along with the nearly 2,200 it already operates in 46 states and in Washington, D.C.
The very first Chick-fil-A in Columbus was located at the former Columbus Square Mall on Macon Road, opening in August 1973. The mall eventually was torn down to make way for various city and education buildings.
This story was originally published September 6, 2017 at 5:41 PM with the headline "Chick-fil-A obtains permit for new Columbus Park Crossing restaurant."