A drive-thru- and walk-up-only Chick-fil-A restaurant — without a dine-in option — is to be constructed west of Alma School Road on the north side of Southern Avenue in Mesa.
The landscaping and look of the 1.5-acre development were discussed at the Feb. 14 meeting of the Mesa Design Review Board.
The zoning on the site is limited commercial where a restaurant with a drive-thru is a permitted use. The drive-thru lanes will be adjacent to Southern Avenue with access from private drives and a large outdoor seating area is planned, Staff Planner Cassidy Welch said at the meeting.
“There will be drive-thru lanes that surround the building,” she said. “This is a different Chick-fil-A model than we typically see so all of the service happens through the drive-thru or through walk-up windows. There’s no dine-in in the building and then they have that large outdoor dining if people want to stay and sit.”
Brandi Loper of 4G Development and Consulting Inc. is the applicant. Fiesta Commercial LLC is the owner.
A 2,656-square-foot restaurant with a three-lane drive-thru that merges into two lanes is planned, according to a written project narrative.
“There are 48 proposed outdoor seats with no interior seating. There will be adequate drive-thru stacking as well as parking on site — 32 total. The project will also include two canopy structures and a trash enclosure,” it states.
The restaurant is to be open 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday and closed on Sundays.
Low-water use, desert planting is planned throughout the site, according to the narrative.
“Landscaping was used to screen the less-desirable places such as the utilities. At the trash enclosure, we kept trees to remain and added vines to screen. Large trees in the parking lot were used to create shade where we were able,” it states.
The all-volunteer Mesa Design Review Board is unique in that its composition is set by the zoning ordinance to include two architects; two from other design professions such as landscape architecture, engineering, urban planning, interior design or other design-related background; one contractor or developer; and two residents, according to the city’s website.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Richard Dyer Managing Editor | East Valley @RHDyer
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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