Chick-fil-A to open first mobile pickup restaurant: What to know about the new concept

Chick-fil-A is opening its first-ever mobile pickup restaurant in New York City next week, the company announced in a news release.

The restaurant, set to open on Thursday, March 21, is one of two digital-focused test concepts the company plans to open – the second of which is the elevated drive-thru concept slated to open in Atlanta later this year.

The mobile pickup restaurant, according to the company, will "cater to busy New Yorkers by focusing solely on delivery and mobile app ordering for a quick and easy pickup experience." It will be located at 79th Street and 2nd Ave on the Upper East Side.

“At Chick-fil-A, we are always looking for ways to innovate and enhance the guest experience,” said Nathaniel Cates, Sr., principal design lead for Chick-fil-A, Inc., in the news release.

“While digital concepts are becoming more prevalent, it’s important that we evolve in a uniquely Chick-fil-A way – meeting the changing needs of our customers without compromising the signature service and care they’ve grown to know and love,” Cates added.

How does the mobile pickup restaurant work?

According to Chick-fil-A, the new restaurant concept begins when customers order ahead for delivery or carryout via the Chick-fil-A app or online. The restaurant will be alerted by geofencing when customers are on their way to expedite the process and ensure each meal is timed with the customer's arrival.

Inside the restaurant, there will be active status board screens designated for delivery or mobile pickup, so customers and delivery drivers can see when their orders are ready in real time.

Once the orders are ready, guests and delivery drivers will receive their order. While the restaurant will not offer a seating area or dine-in services, Chick-fil-A says the company's "signature hospitality" will be "prominent in every step of this digital-focused experience."

Why the new concept? Why in NYC?

According to the company, digital orders make up more than half of total sales in some markets, and this number continues to grow.

"New York City's use of mobile exceeds that number, so we know our customers in NYC have a strong appetite for convenience," Chick-fil-A said in the news release.

Chick-fil-A also said the operator of the new mobile pickup restaurant, Jared Caldwell, has been "piloting innovations in his restaurant since becoming an operator in 2019, making him the perfect fir for this new digital-focused concept."

Caldwell currently serves as the operator of a Chick-fil-A location on 2nd Ave. and 86th Street, according to the news release.