Chick-fil-A to open downtown Detroit location

Chick-fil-A is opening a downtown Detroit location.

The popular Atlanta-based chicken sandwich chain is taking space in the Dan Gilbert-owned First National Building high-rise, where Shake Shack, Central Kitchen + Bar, Roasting Plant and other businesses are located. It is also around where a new Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is headed.

Ivy Greaner, COO and executive vice president for Gilbert’s Detroit-based Bedrock LLC real estate company, told Crain’s in an interview Thursday that the Chick-fil-A restaurant will be located next to Central Kitchen.

“We were really hoping to get them stood up in time for the (NFL) Draft (in late April), too, but it was too much of a heavy lift in that space to get it prepped in time,” Greaner said. “So we’re all working hard, but there’s no way. It’s a raw space.”

 

Detroit-based brokerage firm Iconic Real Estate represented Chick-fil-A in the deal.

Jacob Sworski, managing partner for Iconic who represented Chick-fil-A franchisee Dennis Zoma in the deal, said the targeted opening for the approximately 3,500-square-foot restaurant with seating for 60-70 is May or June. 

 
 
 

“Both sides of the deal are very excited having Chick-fil-A join the ongoing development and growth of downtown Detroit,” Sworski said in an email. “It speaks volumes that national credit tenants (such) as Chick-fil-A are targeting and entering the Detroit market and adding to their nationwide presence of almost 3,100 locations in 48 states.” 

In September, a spokesperson for Chipotle confirmed the Newport Beach, Calif.-based chain is opening its downtown location just south of the Shake Shack space. At the time, the spokesperson said Chipotle was expected to open in the spring, although it’s not known if that timeline has changed.

A slew of fried chicken chains have opened in metro Detroit in recent years. 

Chick-fil-A also has another location in the city, on the Detroit Medical Center, and a dozen others in metro Detroit. A new location is in the works on the Detroit/Grosse Pointe border on Mack Avenue, although that proposal has sparked concerns in recent months over things like traffic, which has been an issue for suburban locations with drive-throughs.

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