Chick-fil-A seeks to replace Red Lobster in Naples with a new eatery

Naples chicken sandwich fans may soon have another way to satisfy their cravings.

A new location of the famous fast food chain is planned for the city. It will be in the space where Red Lobster used to be, which is off of U.S. 41 and close to the Coastland Center Mall.

The city’s Design Review Board will see the plans for the new modern building for the first time on Wednesday. A few more government decisions are still needed.

Before the city could give out a building permit, the review board would have to sign off on the final plans.

City employees will first need to approve the site plan, according to a recent article by Laura Layden of Naples Daily News.

Moreover, the applicants will also need to get permission from the city council for the drive-thru and the outdoor eating that are part of the project.

The chosen site is at 2355 Ninth St. N. and a limited liability company owns it. Furthermore, it is the only Red Lobster in Collier County, and shut down in November 2022 after being open for decades.

The 1.4-acre land was first built upon in 1969 with an office building. A city staff report says that over the years, many permits have been given out for changes, fixes, and improvements.

For drive-thru lanes, the land needs a conditional use permit because it is a zoned highway business district.

Plans for the new restaurant that were sent to the city show a drive-thru with two lanes, new lights, signs, and landscaping. On the north side of the land, there would be parking.

When city planners looked at the building’s original design, they didn’t have any problems with it because they thought it would “contribute to the image” of Naples.

A Chick-Fil-A staffer could not be reached for comment right away.

According to the company’s website, single owner-operators run the majority of Chick-fil-A restaurants and collaborate daily with their staff.

About 80 to 120 jobs are available in a typical-sized restaurant.

Additionally, There are two other Chick-fil-As in the Naples area besides the one at Coastland. One is off of Airport-Pulling Road and was just rebuilt, and the other is off of Immokalee Road, near Collier Boulevard.

There are more than 3,000 Chick-fil-A restaurants in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. More than 200,000 people work for private owner-operators in those restaurants.

The family-run business said in 2023 that it wanted to grow into Europe and Asia by 2030.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News

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