The Deptford Chick-fil-A on Clements Bridge Road is set to reopen in just a few weeks after an almost six months full remodel. A key aspect for the upgrades were to significantly improve the drive-thru experience by supporting two car lanes all the way through, as well as an expanded kitchen to increase food preparation capacity.
While many people love Chick-Fil-A, no one wants to wait in a long drive-thru line! So the upgrades that the top chicken sandwich chain is doing in many South Jersey locations are targeted at moving customers through the drive-thru faster and safer.
Also realizing that at this Deptford location cars could back up ahead of the ordering area and into the main entrance off of Clements Bridge Rd, the updated design directs vehicles to drive completely around the building before reaching the ordering area! Effectively cars will travel around the building twice.
This soon-to-reopen Chick-Fil-A in Deptford is located in front of Lowe’s, and somewhat across from the newer Super Wawa. A second restaurant is located in the Deptford Mall, and has remained open.
This morning I chatted with owner/operator Tom Henry (who is a local guy from West Deptford!) who tells me he feels confident about a February 22nd reopening at 8:00 AM for breakfast!
Construction should wrap up this week and then of course final inspection approvals would need to be achieved, before officially welcoming back the first customers to see the newly remodeled Chick-Fil-A.
While the Clements Bridge Road Chick-Fil-A hopes to bring back as many of its awesome Team Members as possible, they are also actively hiring for additional team members in both the front of house (counter) and the back of house ( kitchen). (Deptford Clements Bridge Careers)
As mentioned Chick-Fil-A is reviewing all of the restaurants in South Jersey to see where they can improve the drive-thru experience to offer a faster and safer customer experience. Mount Laurel remodel completed a year ago. Marlton reopened in January (View From Evesham FB), a new Cherry Hill location opened recently, Gloucester Twp at Cross Keys was approved also… and Washington Twp will see upgrades but I don’t believe they get the full two-lane treatment.
Chick-Fil-A Deptford : Clements Bridge Road
I stopped in at the Deptford Chick-Fil-A location this morning and had the drone up to get a view of what is basically a completed (exterior) restaurant.
One nice surprise is it appears they have kept the indoor children’s play area, as the colorful tubes and accessories can be seen through the front glass.
While not as noticeable, an addition was added to the back of the restaurant to support a larger and streamlined kitchen.
To accommodate the new drive-thru system and traffic patterns, the parking lot was completely removed and repaved with concrete in the drive-thru area, and asphalt in the surrounding parking areas.
Even all of the painted lines for parking and drive-thru lanes were in place. The Chick-Fil-A exterior looks ready to go!
But clearly the most significant visual change on the outside is the addition of two large drive-thru canopies.
In the new design, the process of ordering and paying for your food is on one side of the building, and then you drive around to the other side to receive your food… which is why there are two large canopies.
A big twist to the layout is as you enter into the property from the main entrance, you’ll actually be directed to drive completely around the building before coming back to the ordering area.
This appears to have been done to better accommodate any potential longer backups ahead of initially ordering. Before cars would block the main entrance off of Clements Bridge.. and in the new design vehicles have a much longer drive.
At the customer ordering area the large overhead canopy there protects you from rain or snow as you have your window down. While they have menu boards there I would bet you’re just as likely to order directly with an employee who is standing under the protective canopy!
Customers will then drive around the back of the building to the other side, where an even larger canopy protects customers for when they receive their foods
Now this is where things really get interesting!
To fully maximize the amount of cars that can quickly and safely move through the drive-thru, the upgraded Deptford Chick-fil-A has two full lanes all the way around!
No I don’t mean there’s two ordering menu board lanes, and then you merge into one lane as is the case with may other drive-thrus.
Nope… at the Deptford Chick-fil-A they can support two full lanes of cars going all the way around from the time you place your order, to paying for your food and then receiving it.
Which makes you wonder “how does that outer lane pay for and get their food if they’re not positioned up against the building?”
Simply the Chick-fil-A team members can come out to your car!
Underneath that second larger canopy is a full “employee only” door, where they can walk out to your car to collect payment and hand you your food.
I was recently in the Washington Township Chick-fil-A drive-thru and even though they hadn’t completed their upgrades, they had employees positioned outside simply because it makes the process move faster.
And in my conversation with Tom I made plans to stop back and check out the interior of the restaurant ahead of the opening… so in a week or so I should have a full photo preview tour!
Links and Location
Chick-fil-A Deptford – Expected reopening on Feb 22, 2024
1480 Clements Bridge Rd
Deptford NJ 08096