Readers propose solutions to Chick-fil-A traffic
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📫 Reader mailbag: To solve Chick-fil-A traffic mess, hire cops, improve competitors, ban left turns — or build a pair of corkscrew-shaped contraptions toward the sky
At Transit Time, we take in-depth looks at Charlotte’s transit and transportation challenges.
Two weeks ago, we looked at one such issue that clearly shakes loose readers’ opinions: the back-up of cars outside of the city’s Chick-fil-A restaurants.
We analyzed the problem, suggested some realistic as well as far-fetched solutions and asked readers to share their ideas on how Chick-fil-A might keep hungry waffle-fry seekers on its own property, instead of spilling out onto city streets.
And boy, did our readers come through with an outpouring of thoughts. It was easily the most commented-on article Transit Time has produced. Some of the ideas:
Offer limited ‘express’ menus
“Some fast-food chains have ‘express’ locations with limited menus at airports and other grab-and-go sites. Maybe Chick-fil-A could redesign some of its locations to speed the process or offer limited menus at super-crowded times (and posting those times so customers aren’t taken off-guard).”
Eliminate all dining rooms
“All Chick-fil-A’s should do away with the dining room and move to simply drive-thru only. It would be a massive cost to redesign the buildings, I imagine, but with two additional lanes and no indoor seating, just a kitchen and a drive-thru, we could clean up a lot of it, I would think. I also love your idea of limiting the menu at certain locations. Good stuff!”
Eliminate the drive-thru
“Easy answer: Get rid of the drive-through. Handicapped customers could order by phone or online and get food brought to their cars from special parking places (like everyone else has for curbside pickup). It wouldn't hurt able-bodied people to walk 50 feet into the restaurant and back.”
Build more Chick-fil-A restaurants
“Thanks! You satisfied most of my (embarrassingly deep) curiosity about Chick-fil-A. What I’m missing is the view from Atlanta — How does headquarters decide when to allow another Golconda in this clearly under-Chicked market? (Maybe they could repurpose some of those Subways being shuttered by the thousands?)”
“Incentivize Chick-fil-A to open more stores on bigger lots. They’re creating jobs, bringing in business and run a great operation. Exactly the kind of partner you hope for.”
“Build more Chick-fil-A stores to more evenly distribute the customer base?”
Have competitors step up their game
“How about teach the other fast food restaurants how to move traffic through their lines quickly, provide an excellent product that is actually what you ordered, and all done with smiles and manners? Then, perhaps, the traffic would be filtered among several fast food restaurants instead of just one.”
“What is their fast-food competition doing to gain back some share and spread the customers around? Not Chick-fil-A’s fault that their competitors can’t keep up.”
“Perhaps other fast food drive-thru chains should improve their food and service. Quality competition would spread the cars around. Just saying.”
Get creative and move cars above street-level
“Perhaps the question isn’t in rearranging the ground. Could they go up with their lanes? Build double-decker kitchens and double- or triple-lane ramps up, around and back down.”
“As a longtime Cotswold resident, I have had plenty of time to think about solutions. Answer is easy: We need car reservoirs for the stores on Randolph and Woodlawn. Basically, drop replicas of the entry/exit ramps from the Hourly deck at CLT on each corner of the property, sky-bridge them at the top and run the exit past the delivery window. Three spirals on each side could easily hold 50 cars and take the queue off Randolph (at current customer flow rates). Not sure what the height restrictions are in Cotswold, but there are some five-ish story buildings across the street from Shun Lee, Pizza Peel and Krispy Kreme.”
Ledger conceptual rendering of this idea:
What if Chick-fil-A built spirals connected by a sky bridge to increase the number of cars that would fit in the drive-thru line on its property? That’s the idea from Charlotte lawyer Brad Kutrow. (Conceptual rendering by The Charlotte Ledger)
Bring out the police
“I’m not sure what it would take, but if the city or the police had the power to close a drive-thru temporarily when it obstructs traffic, I think that would give an incentive for the drive-thru to solve the problem.”
“Require the restaurants to hire off-duty officers for traffic management. Any other business/special event/etc. causing that much traffic disruption is required to. Why not Chick-fil-A? Officers can help to direct cars around, ensure pedestrians are safe, help cars out of the lot and ensure that drivers behave, thereby limiting or putting a stop to the crazy middle-of-the-road U-turns and other erratic behavior that causes crashes.”
“Ask the police to enforce the laws we have for obstructing traffic due to stopping in a thoroughfare. Directing cars to ‘move on’ or handing our a few traffic tickets (after a public warning) might change customer behavior, which would force the business to change its own.”
In Cotswold, buy the Bojangles next door and expand
“Why doesn’t the Cotswold Chick-fil-A buy the adjacent Bojangles? For the last number of months, it looks like they have put them out of business anyway. I don’t see any activity on the Bojangles renovation.”
“The solution to the Chick-fil-A problem is just to build a second Chick-fil-A right next door.”
Increase the required size of lots
“Chick-fil-A picks the smallest possible locations to place their franchises. This in itself causes major issues. They have to know it before it’s even built. The size of the lot should be considered before building permits are issued!”
“Maybe it’s time to change zoning or declare it a public nuisance and start fining them for disrupting traffic. It’s not fair that people can’t get to work or school pickup because a private business can’t manage their traffic flow.”
Ban left turns into and out of the site
“I live near the Cotswold location and have been nearly hit more times than I can count by cars making the left turn out of the Chick-fil-A. There’s a ‘no left turn’ sign, and with all the cars backed up on Randolph, those exiting can’t see who’s coming. If they enforced the no left turn, it would make it a little safer. I’m also for not allowing people to turn left into the store from Randolph. Just go around and approach from the south. I personally refuse to go to that restaurant due to the stress they’ve caused me with near accidents with their patrons.”
“We go to Cotswold. A big issue is people who are heading outbound on Randolph trying to turn into the parking lot across traffic. The key is to circle the block to turn right to not cross traffic lanes. It’s actually much better after the restaurant remodel and the reopening of the Woodlawn location. (I live a block and a half from the Cotswold Chick-fil-A, and I’ve been tracking the traffic patterns for a while.)”
Eat less chikin
“Stop going there. Simple answer. Food is OK. Not worth the wait.”
“Stop eating chicken 😂”
Suck it up
“Chick-fil-A isn’t lining up in the streets. That’s your neighbors who are in line to pay sales taxes that support our city, county and state while getting a lunch that they like. The only government solution that I would support is the continued focus on making our city more walkable and bikable.”
“The premise of this article is ridiculous. The city, and the traffic cops, should be doing everything they can to support well-run private businesses. If people don’t want private businesses to create traffic, then I guess we’d better shut down Bank of America Stadium, the marathon, much of Ballantyne, etc. I don’t hear anybody calling for that.”
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➡️ And we discovered one consumer-friendly tip for avoiding the line: Show up at 6:45 a.m. on a Saturday:
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Related Transit Time article:
In brief…
Bicyclists to hit the streets: Charlotte bicyclists are holding a “S-L-O-W” and “fun-filled social ride” Friday night to highlight Charlotte’s focus on cars. The ride starts in Elizabeth at 6:30 p.m., going through Elizabeth, Chantilly, Plaza-Midwood, uptown and South End. “People in this city routinely forget that the roads belong to everyone equally — motorists, cyclists, skaters, scooters and pedestrians all have an inherent right to exist on our streets,” organizer John Holmes said on Reddit. (Observer)
Transit safety: CATS CEO John Lewis says he’s taking safety seriously after police charged a man with shooting at a CATS bus last week. CATS has increased security patrols, is testing real-time cameras and has implemented an emergency notification system for transit drivers, he said. (Observer)
Goal for non-car trips: The city released its 162-page “Strategic Mobility Plan,” which outlines strategies for providing different transportation options. It sets a goal of having half of the city’s trips be made “by means other than a single-occupancy car,” such as through walking, biking or transit. (Axios Charlotte)
Suspend the gas tax? Some Democrats in the General Assembly are proposing that North Carolina temporarily suspend the state’s gas tax as fuel costs rise. But Republicans are skeptical of the idea because the taxes are used to help fund construction of roads, and the state Transportation Department faces a big funding shortfall. (N.C. Tribune, subscriber-only)
Missing buses: In the first three months of this year, CATS buses missed nearly 98 trips a day. The buses show up on schedule 84% of the time. (WBTV)
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What about dynamic pricing? 50% surcharge once traffic backs up to the road?