BATAVIA – Chick-fil-A has been given the green light to build a restaurant along Randall Road in Batavia.
Batavia aldermen on Monday unanimously approved a zoning map amendment so the Georgia-based chain can build a 4,869-square-foot restaurant with a two-lane drive through at the corner of McKee Street and Randall Road, in front of the former Wickes furniture store.
The restaurant should open by next summer, said Batavia Community Development Director Jerry Swanson.
The Georgia-based chain has been entering the Chicago market in the last few years. Its closest restaurants are in Aurora and Wheaton.
Chick-fil-A proposes to build the restaurant on a site previously proposed for a parking lot for Fuddruckers, which dropped its plans to open a restaurant in Batavia.
Jason Hill, project engineer for Chick-fil-A, said the restaurant will help bring traffic to the shopping center.
An owner of the Windmill Lakes Shopping Center previously voiced objections to putting a Chick-fil-A restaurant on the outlot in the shopping center.
Marshall Dickler, who is part owner of the shopping center and also is one of the shopping center's attorneys, had said the restaurant would cause further congestion along McKee Street, especially for people wanting to cross the busy street to get from Target to Kohl's.
He voiced his objections when Batavia plan commissioners were reviewing the plans. Commissioners ultimately recommended approval of the plans.