A much-awaited third drive-thru lane at the South Florida Avenue Chick-fil-A restaurant in Lakeland could be open as early as Monday, a statement from a Chick-fil-A Inc. spokeswoman said.
“We are pleased to share that Chick-fil-A South Florida Avenue is completing a remodel to make overall improvements to the restaurant and enhance the guest experience,” she said Friday via email. “The remodel includes updates to the kitchen and dining room, as well as the addition of a third drive-thru lane.”
Assuming the project is not delayed, the restaurant is expected to reopen on Monday, she said.
The same franchise restaurant at 4625 S. Florida Ave. had been rebuilt just three years ago to add capacity inside and outside. In addition to the expanded drive-thru, the chicken restaurant will close its parking lot entrance along West Alamo Drive and create a new drive-thru-only entrance further down Alamo, Polk County planning records show.
The reconfiguration of traffic flows would mean access from the north side of the site and directly to the drive-thru, a project engineer said in February. This was an effort to lessen stacking on the parking lot and off-site and instead give drivers more room to line up within the drive-thru.
There will also be a bypass lane on the property for motorists who need to go around the drive-thru after entering from Alamo Drive.
A building permit showed a $415,000 price tag for the renovation to the drive-thru, kitchen, and dining room, which comprises about 5,492 square feet of the property. The fast-food chain operates its South Lakeland location on a 2.39-acre parcel owned by Sauder Properties LLC, county property records show.