Signaling its continuing growth and modernization, Chick-fil-A ― known nationwide for its chicken sandwiches and waffle fries ― has opened its first drive-thru-only restaurant in Jacksonville.
The restaurant at 11909 Atlantic Blvd. at Kernan Boulevard in Atlantic North shopping center also has a walk-up window for carry-out orders. But there’s no inside dining room.
In addition, the restaurant features Mobile Thru, a fully dedicated lane in the drive-thru where customers can pick up orders placed on the Chick-fil-A app.
The new restaurant is “designed for speed and efficiency,” the Atlanta-based restaurant chain said in a news release announcing the recent opening.
Locally owned and operated by independent franchisee Melinda Sowers, the new restaurant joins more than 25 other Chick-fil-A restaurants serving the wider Jacksonville market, according to the news release.
Veteran restaurateur
Sowers had more than 15 years of restaurant industry experience when she joined Chick-fil-A in 2008. For the past 16 years, she has been the owner-operator of the Chick-fil-A at Atlantic and Hodges Boulevards and continues in that role.
Meanwhile, the Atlantic and Hodges restaurant is temporarily closed while it’s being rebuilt with a target re-opening in the second quarter of 2025, according to the news release.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue leading a team of passionate, dedicated individuals who make every day at Chick-fil-A special,” Sowers said in the news release. “Our success isn’t just about serving delicious food ― it’s about building relationships, both within our team and with the community we serve.”
Customers drive-thru to place and receive their orders at the newly opened drive-thru-only Chick-fil-A at 11909 Atlantic Blvd. in Jacksonville.
Community involvement
To celebrate the Atlantic and Kernan restaurant’s opening, Chick-fil-A, Inc. donated $25,000 to Feeding America to support local hunger relief efforts of Feeding Northeast Florida, a Feeding America partner food bank.
The restaurant also is recognizing 100 community heroes, including local nonprofit Dreams Come True, which supports the dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses, by giving them free Chick-fil-A entrées for a year.
In addition, the Atlantic and Kernan restaurant is participating in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, which is “an initiative that redirects surplus food from the restaurant to local soup kitchens, shelters, food banks and nonprofits in need.”
It joins more than 2,200 Chick-fil-A restaurants donating food that so far has created more than 30 million meals throughout the U.S. and Canada, the news release states.
Chick-fil-A expanding footprint
The Atlantic and Kernan restaurant joins Cinemark Atlantic North 14 and XD Theatre, Belk, and Panda Express at Atlantic North, a Sleiman Enterprises retail development.
It is the newest Chick-fil-A restaurant to open in Jacksonville with expanded drive-thru capacity and a streamlined design intended to keep pace with the chain’s busy drive-thru business.
In August, the fast-food chicken giant debuted its first all-new restaurant in the market in three years with the opening of one of its next-generation-design restaurants at 11709 San Jose Blvd. in South Mandarin, featuring a smaller dining room and expanded drive-thru capacity.
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The Atlantic and Kernan restaurant is open from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Gary T. Mills of the Times-Union contributed to this report.
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at [email protected].
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Chick-fil-A opens first drive-thru-only restaurant in Jacksonville
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