|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Chick-fil-A has signed the lease for a second location in Pleasanton, in the vacant restaurant space Sweet Tomatoes once occupied before the buffet chain went bankrupt early in the pandemic.
The fast-food restaurant, known for its chicken sandwiches, will take up half of the building located in the Hacienda Business Park at 4501 Hopyard Road.
James Paxson, general manager at Hacienda, told the Weekly that it will take up the half closest to the street and will not have any drive-thru like the other Chick-fil-A in Pleasanton, on Johnson Drive. Instead, he said it will be a walk-up restaurant with a special area designated for pickup and food delivery services.
“There’s obviously a great deal of interest in the restaurant,” Paxson said. “I mean, the current location is very, very popular, as you can see just from looking at the queue of cars that are going into their drive-thru over there.”
Paxson said he’s also excited to see more activity happening in the retail sector in Pleasanton, especially after businesses like Sweet Tomatoes shuttered for good right when the pandemic had first started.
“The loss of Sweet Tomatoes was really significant. That was a very popular lunch spot and I think they had a great model. Obviously, it did not work,” Paxson said. “We’re very encouraged to see that there’s good signs of retail activity in our current market and we think this will be a great addition to the restaurant lineup that we have at Hacienda.”
He said he doesn’t have any information about the timeline on construction but confirmed the restaurant has made the application with the city and has signed the lease for the location.
Chick-fil-A officials had not responded to a request for comment as of press time.
There are currently no plans for what will happen to the other half of the old Sweet Tomatoes building, according to Paxson.
The Hacienda restaurant marks the latest expansion in the Tri-Valley for Chick-fil-A, which also has one location due to open soon in Livermore and two others under consideration in Dublin.
Salad buffet restaurants like Fresh Choice and Sweet Tomatos are doomed to failure because they are ‘all you can eat’ venues for $8.99 and the restaurant’s food costs are multiplied with every additional/free serving at no profit.
Restaurants target a 10% food cost…in other words, an $8.99 meal should run them about $.90 at best.
Now picture a horde of customers with huge appetites who pay only $8.99 and consume several servings of salad, soup, pasta, desserts etc.
That is no way to stay in business regardless of a pandemic.
My in-laws mentioned that a proposed Chick-fil-A restaurant was denied a city business permit in Mountain View after some outraged residents complained about the company’s stance against gay marriages.
Pleasanton apparently doesn’t have this kind of controversy and unlike those in Mountain View, Hacienda locals will be able to enjoy a pretty good chicken sandwich.
If I’m in the mood for Chick-fil-A, anyone’s approval (or disapproval) of gay marriages is irrelevant.
A chicken sandwich has absolutely nothing to do with the LGBTQ movement.
While gay marriages might be considered an abomination to some, it should not be a consideration when/if ordering a chicken sandwich.
Our relatives in Mountain View have to drive 15 miles to Redwood City if they are in the mood for a Chick-Fill-A sandwich and those unique french fries.
Fortunately Contra Costa and Alameda Counties are not bound by over-excessive progressive sensitivities.
Chick-Fill-A sandwiches are pretty good and if the CEO has reservations about gay marriages, he is entitled to his opinion.
“Don’t ask, don’t tell” is still the best route when.it comes to addressing LGBTQ issues.
Grilled Pollo Loco chicken is better than Chick-Fill-A offerings but only available by the bucket or in burritos.
KFC is still #1 in sales when it comes to chicken, not because it is great but probably because Colonel Sanders never said anything derogatory about gay marriages.
I like the Classic Chicken burrito at Pollo Loco. The regular chicken dinners are pretty good too as you also get a choice of two sides. All for under $10.00.
Chick-Fill-A has recently come under fire for a series of supposedly ‘racist’ comments from Tweeters acknowledging its introductory spicy chicken sandwich.
Someone wrote that members of a certain ‘community’ will love the flavor and seasonings and various responses followed.
Since when does a chicken sandwich become a symbol of bigotry?
> Since when does a chicken sandwich become a symbol of bigotry?
^ Reason…when people take offense over nothing.