Centre County’s only Chick-fil-A has a new look drive-through and the same old traffic problems.
The restaurant at 1938 N. Atherton St. in Patton Township reopened on Oct. 20 after a four-month closure for renovations that added a second drive-through lane, a canopy for employees to take orders on iPads during high-volume times, an expanded pick-up area and a larger kitchen.
All of it was designed to alleviate traffic issues created by long lines of vehicles waiting at the drive-through and backing up onto the road, all while some drivers attempt to make an illegal left turn into the property, further complicating the problem.
Those backups have been present as ever in the week-plus since the reopening, but township officials and the restaurant’s operator are hopeful that this time the issue is only temporary because of pent-up demand and staffing.
“We planned for a certain level of pent-up demand when we reopened, and I appreciate the community’s patience and all who choose to dine with us,” Chick-fil-A Happy Valley restaurant operator Bruce Herold said in a statement. “We strive to be a good neighbor and will continue to manage the traffic flow, while also working hard to provide our customers with the great tasting food and service they expect.”
Herold added that “Chick-fil-A Happy Valley is grateful for the State College community and the excitement.”
Patton Township police and administrators have been in communication with the restaurant about the issue.
Township Manager Doug Erickson said almost all of the restaurant’s staff members are new and management is working to get them up to speed. The restaurant is also still hiring employees and those interested in applying can do so online or by texting CFAHAPPY to 464646.
Sales are also up “substantially” since before the closure, Erickson said, meaning hundreds more people are waiting in line for their chicken sandwiches and nuggets each day.
“With the under-trained staff and increased demand, and even with the second drive-through lane, we are seeing traffic out on Atherton at times of highest demand,” Erickson wrote in an email. “The Township has been encouraging the franchisee and CFA Corporate to do everything possible to keep the queue of vehicles off the street.”
Since reopening day, traffic congestion has improved “a little bit, but remains a concern,” Patton Township Police Chief Tyler Jolley said.
“Our officers have been dispatched a handful of times to deal with Chick-fil-A traffic issues since they reopened,” Jolley wrote in an email on Wednesday. “They have also proactively intervened a few times as well.”
Erickson said on Friday that he asked Jolley to have patrol officers check on the site “much more frequently during the day.”
When officers do find a backup on Atherton, they block the entrance and wave cars past it until there is room for several vehicles to enter the drive-through lanes, Erickson said.
“We are also issuing verbal warnings to drivers attempting to turn left into the site,” he added. “Unfortunately, due to the road configuration and heavy traffic, it would be very, very unsafe for a police officer to attempt to issue citations for illegal left-turns.”
Residents who wish to report traffic problems at the location in the future should call the Centre County Dispatch Center non-emergency number 1-800-479-0050, which will get an officer to the area to ensure traffic is operating safely, according to Erickson.
“We are hopeful that the CFA staff will be able to increase their throughput in the very-near future so the site improvements will work as designed,” he said.
