Chick-fil-A Plans Battle Creek Location

After years of speculation and rumor, it now looks like Chick-fil-A is officially planning to open a location in Battle Creek.

A public meeting agenda from the Emmet Township Zoning Board of Appeals on April 13 will consider a request from Chick-fil-A, Inc to allow a variance to allow the company to begin construction. The variance involves issues like front and side yard and landscaping buffers that would be less than what the current township ordiance calls for.

Where will the Battle Creek Chick-fil-A Be?

The Emmett Township posting says the location will be 6083 B Drive North. That's the former Ruby Tuesday's between McDonald's and the entrance to Harper Village.

The news was shared on the Battle Creek-based Carryout Club Facebook group from a scanning of a printed public notice in what appears to have been from the Shopper News. Indeed that legal notice does appear on page 29 of the March 25th edition of the paper.

The first Facebook comment is likely to be prescient given how the Chick-fil-A locations in Portage and Kalamazoo cause traffic concerns particularly on their initial opening:

Oh man.... this is going to make that area so much more of a nightmare. The traffic flow is already so bad

Other comments on hearing what is likely confirmation of the impending construction:

Yes, it’s more traffic. But people LOVE Chick Fil A. And will drive to Kalamazoo area for it. When people are driving to Kalamazoo, they tend to do their other errands and shopping there.

I’d rather one go up in Battle Creek and keep some business in our town. Also, JOBS.
Should put it in don pablos building lots of space over that way.

An interesting thought on the Don Pablo's suggestion and this may be a consideration, or not. The B Drive location is in Emmett Township while across the way at the former Don Pablo's that would be within Battle Creek city limits.

In addition to the Chick-fil-A, an Aldi's supermarket is also being planned for the Harper Village complex area.

If these plans to come to fruition, the Battle Creek location would be the 19th Chick-fil-A in Michigan.

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