Chick-fil-A reopens in Fresno. Changes could speed up drive-thru line
One of the busiest fast-food restaurants in town has resumed serving its signature chicken sandwiches in Fresno after a nearly 5-month shutdown.
The Chick-fil-A restaurant at Blackstone and Nees avenues reopened Tuesday — with hopes of serving customers faster in its drive-thru lines.
The interior of the restaurant was stripped back to the studs and redone.
“One of the biggest things is we are more efficient in the kitchen, so we’ll be able to serve folks a lot faster through the drive-thru,” said the restaurant’s owner, Sonja Middleton.
Two new ordering kiosks were added in the drive-thru. There’s more room between them and the pick-up window, giving workers more time to prepare the food, she said.
The restaurant continues to use employees outside the restaurant to take orders on foot.
And the atmosphere of the interior is just different, she said: “It’s flashy. There’s bling and sparkles and lots of beautiful wood and soft tones.”
More changes to the drive-thru are in the works, and waiting on the permitting process, Middleton said
Chick-fil-A drive-thrus in Fresno, especially this one, were voted the worst in town by The Bee’s readers in 2021 due to long lines and parking issues. The restaurant later added a second drive-thru lane.
Even more changes could be coming for the parking lot now that nearby Joann, the fabric and crafts store, has closed and been torn down.
River Park management plans to build a new building on the site, but smaller, to allow for more parking. They haven’t decided what will go into the new building, but are considering restaurant and retail tenants.
This story was originally published July 29, 2025 at 2:40 PM.
