Approval sought for one new Chick-fil-a in Collierville

Applicant had previously proposed, then withdrawn plans for 2 restaurants, requiring parking variances

Collierville might see a new Chickfil-a.

About eight months after applicant GBC Design Inc. pulled its variance request for two new Chick-fil-a locations in Collierville, it’s back.

But this time for only one Chick-fil-a. The Collierville Board of Zoning Appeals in March will review a parking variance case for more parking at the restaurant’s future site at 1985 Houston Levee Road, just north of the Exxon gas station, the town announced Wednesday.

The new restaurant will span 4,987 square feet on a 1.92-acre lot on the northwestern corner of South Houston Levee Road and Wolf River Boulevard in the Almadale Farms Planned Development,

according to the project application form.

The building will have a dual-lane drive-thru and the applicant requests 81 parking spaces, 29 more spaces above the maximum 52 spaces allowed, according to the application.

The application also shows Chickfil-a requesting 84 seats inside and 20 seats outdoors for a total of 104 seats.

“If the variance is granted, this will actually be a positive situation for the adjoining streets and properties as Chick-fil-a will have enough parking on their property,” said Allan Wiley, with GBC Design Inc., in a letter to the town. “This will reduce the possibility of traffic backing up on adjoining streets, creating safety hazards and reduce the possibility of Chick-fil-a customers parking on adjoining properties and walking to Chick-fil-a.”

In June, Chick-fil-a planned to add two new Collierville locations — one near Bray Station Road at Poplar Avenue and another at Wolf River Boulevard at Houston Levee Road.

However, updated plans for the Bray Station Road project have not been announced.

In June 2022, the Atlanta-based restaurant filed parking variance cases for each of the new locations to increase parking spaces. The Bray Station Road development was allowed 53 spots, but the applicant requested 60. The Houston Levee Road project was permitted 55 parking spots, but Chickfil-a asked for 81.

Both applications were pulled by the applicant before the board of zoning appeals could vote on it.

When the plans for Chick-fil-a were first announced in June 2022, town residents spoke out on social media with concerns over the restaurants’ traffic. Collierville Public Information Officer Jennifer Casey in a previous interview with The Commercial Appeal said town officials received mixed feedback from multiple residents about the projects.

The June 2022 application showed the Houston Levee Road development would be the same as the current request — 4,987-square-foot building on 1.92 acres.

The Bray Station restaurant would have covered 4,947 square feet on 2 acres, according to the previous application.

The former request said each location would have included 90 seats inside.

Town Planner Jaime Groce previously said it was not clear what will happen to the existing Chick-fil-a at 1036 W. Poplar Ave.

Dima Amro covers the suburbs for The Commercial Appeal and can be reached at Dima.amro@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @Amrodima.