Ward Parkway Chick-Fil-A to close 5-6 weeks

The Ward Parkway Chick-Fil-A is temporarily closing Aug. 22 for a five to six week renovation.

Plans include expanding their kitchen, updating the tables, chairs and booths and adding a second drive-thru lane. Plans for the renovations have been in the works for months due to growth and a need for a bigger kitchen help fulfill the high sales the location has listed.

According to Chick-Fil-A employee Matt Ford, the starting date for renovation could be moved back based on receiving the permits and having construction ready in time.

The Ward Parkway staff will be given the option to quit their jobs or transfer to the Mission Chick-Fil-A location. According to junior Will Schoenfied, an East student and previous Ward Parkway employee, he along with most of the staff will be transferred to the Mission location.

“It’ll add about fifteen minutes to my commute,” Ford said. “As far as work life, it’s going to be the same operators there, and a lot of the same people. We’re just going to be blending with the new crowd.”

Both the Ward Parkway and Mission locations have the same operator, Forrest Swyden, which Ford says will aid in the transition.

Senior Maddy Slaughter — who eats Chick-Fil-A two to three times a week, oftentimes during lunch period at school — won’t have time to make the usual trip during lunch. Slaughter said this will likely be the case for many seniors, due to the high number of them that already consider the period to be too short.

Ward Parkway employee and KLIFE Leader Scott Caldwell said it will be the “same company, same people, different locations.” The Ward Parkway location is on course to reopen in the middle of October, though there is no set date.