The proposed store would be located at 734 Route 22 in the Bridgewater Town Centre. It would replace the vacant Ruby Tuesday’s restaurant on the site, which would be demolished.
“It’s one of the only properties in Bridgewater that permits drive-thru,” said applicant attorney Michael Silbert.
Chick-fil-A, Inc. is also requesting variances for a front yard setback of 19.3 feet, and a side yard setback of 49.3 feet, for parking purposes for the new building, which itself would encompass just under 5,000 square feet of area. There would also be signage mounted on three of its walls, with signs turned off at night, along with an offset loading area earmarked for deliveries.
Chick-fil-A senior development manager John Martinez was the lone witness called that evening.
“We’re developing a plan and putting together a team to comply with requirements,” he said.
He added that Chick-fil-A has some 3,000 stores in the U.S., and that the company discovers its own sites and develops them, while permitting just one store per operator. The proposed Bridgewater eatery would feature 90 seats indoors and 20 seats outdoors, and would also include changes that were started during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly when it comes to drive-thru, by using what Martinez called “dual-lane fulfillment.”
“We no longer merge those lanes,” he said. “Drive-thru is about 50% of our sales.”
Chick-fil-A utilizes actual doors for its drive-thru deliveries, as opposed to traditional windows, with the dual lane system able to service up to 29 vehicles at one time. There are also canopies situated 9 feet above the lanes to allow workers to deliver food in inclement weather.
“The biggest issue is the sun,” said Martinez, who also said the company is phasing out its curbside pickups.
Chick-fil-A usually occupies fairly large buildings with matching kitchens, with stores open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. daily, while being closed on Sundays, when maintenance work is performed. Deliveries would take place every day via box truck, with larger trucks making deliveries four times a week at night.
Martinez explained that the proposed Bridgewater store would employee some 80 to 100 individuals in all, with a maximum of 25 individuals working during a single shift.
Trash and recycling dumpsters would also be located on-site, and would be emptied every other day, or every day if need be.
Lunch and dinner are expected to be the busiest times of day for the restaurant, with peak serving and drive-thru times occurring on Saturdays, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
“We’re looking for the long term to be here,” said Martinez. “We don’t want to wear out our welcome in Bridgewater.”
Planning board member Sonja Chartowich asked if there would be any highway signs announcing the new store’s existence.
Martinez said that would be at the discretion of the Department of Transportation, and he also said that very few companies are doing that nowadays, preferring to instead use mobile ordering apps such as Door Dash.
He also said the shopping center does not want trees, when asked about having shade trees.
Martinez added that the application provides a zoning challenge, as it is not considered a permitted use in that zone.
“We prefer to be in a shopping center,” he said. “This (one) checks all the boxes.”
He also said that Chick-fil-A proposed adding a concrete walkway to the existing sidewalk to aid in pedestrian safety in getting to the front door without crossing the drive-thru lanes. He added that the building would also be sprinklered, because of fire safety and oil storage on site, while employees would park in an area behind the building, to leave other spaces available for customer traffic.
“If it opens, it would be a pretty successful location,” said Bridgewater councilman Michael Kirsh, adding that he is more interested in how people would be getting off the site rather than on.
Township administrator Michael Pappas asked about the number of handicapped parking spaces the site would include, particularly with more and more individuals having handicapped parking permits these days.
“We ask you to look at the numbers, and ask you to increase that,” he said.
As to the subject of electric car chargers, Martinez said state law requires they be made ready and phased in over the next several years.
“We will install them on day one,” he said, of level two chargers.
Considering food service, he said the goal is to have orders completed within four minutes of being taken, at least normally.
“We will get busy on Saturday afternoons,” he said.
Township engineer Bill Burr asked if the drive-thru would have store employees taking orders on computer tablets. Martinez replied that they would, or employ a static menu board that would more likely be used during breakfast hours.
Trucks making deliveries after hours would also turn off their engines, especially between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. The store operator would also be the best liaison for the restaurant, or else the company would take over operations.
Burr also asked about landscaping and frontage, and Martinez said he would have to get back to him on those matters.
Martinez was also asked about queuing issues and the like with the drive-thru, and the effect it might have on neighboring businesses. He responded that the most egregious example had been with the Chick-fil-A on Route 22 in Union Township, which is located on a center aisle that caused backup with two adjoining businesses, and the matter winding up in court.
“We ended up taking over the entire property,” he said.
No one from the public spoke about the application before new testimony was halted for the night. The application will be continued at the planning board’s Dec. 3 meeting, as it will not meet publicly in November.
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