The largest fast-food chicken sandwich chain in the U.S. wants its next San Jose location to be the city's most pedestrian-friendly restaurant.
Chick-fil-A is seeking approval from city officials to add another eatery in San Jose with outdoor seating and no drive-thru at 1301 West San Carlos St. A spokesperson previously told San Jose Spotlight they want to expand the chain's footprint in the city past its five existing standalone locations.
Chick-fil-A representatives attended a March 27 community meeting to hear concerns from West San Carlos Street neighbors, similar to those raised by Campbell residents who blocked a proposal for the chain last year.
Representatives touted the project as being more pedestrian friendly because of the surrounding residential neighborhoods, but residents said the area will be congested with traffic regardless of a no drive-thru model.
"The fact that it's a standalone building with dedicated parking, combined with a grab-and-go fast-food format means it's less likely to send any foot traffic to the other local small businesses," Rachel Kumar, a 20-year resident who lives near the proposed project, said. "A shop that has such a high turnover of vehicle traffic means it's going to be more dangerous for those pedestrians and bicyclists."
The proposal includes a large covered outdoor patio and 27 trees to create additional shade on the 1.09-acre site. City Project Manager Jason Lee said he expects the proposal to go to a San Jose Planning Director's Hearing.
If approved, the applicant will still need to obtain permits from other departments, including building and public works prior to the start of construction, Lee said at the meeting.
"We strive to create restaurant spaces that value the time our guests spend with Chick-fil-A, so grabbing a meal is always efficient and convenient," one of the Chick-fil-A representatives told San Jose Spotlight. "We are always exploring new restaurant prototypes and formats to better serve our communities."
While Chick-fil-A was denied a permit in 2020 after Campbell residents appealed to the City Council, the West San Carlos Street site proposal would go to the planning director later this year. San Jose residents won't have the opportunity to lobby their elected officials.
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Christine Cho, Chick-fil-A's west region representative, said they have been doing business in San Jose for more than decade, with 10 restaurants across the South Bay employing more than 1,000 people.
Cho said they were approached numerous times about bringing a restaurant to the West San Carlos Street site after earlier housing plans fell through.
"We finally put things in motion last year, when we felt it was the appropriate time, and we had a restaurant model that we developed that didn't include a drive-thru -- making it perfect for a denser neighborhood," she said at the meeting. "This site is part of a market that will help to fulfill the demand for the brand and service to this community."
Gregory Murphy, a 12-year resident, said he doesn't believe the proposed Chick-fil-A meets the spirit of the area's West San Carlos Urban Village Plan, which calls for developments that minimize pedestrian and vehicle contact.
"Let's be honest here, this project is really a parking lot development with a small building on it," he said. "I don't think a parking lot of this size really meets the spirit of the (urban village) plan."
Editor's note: This story originally appeared in San Jose Spotlight.
