NEW ORLEANS — A new Chick-fil-A location opens Tuesday, Dec. 13 at the corner of Carrollton and Tulane avenues (4068 Tulane Avenue).
The fast food restaurant sits on land owned by Sidney Torres IV, who bought several pieces of property at the busy intersection in 2020. The City Planning Commission ultimately approved plans for the restaurant despite worries about traffic snarls caused by cars waiting in the drive-thru line. To assuage concerns, Chick-fil-A agreed to demolish the old Burger King building on the site, build a new structure and configure traffic lanes to accommodate 50 cars off the street.
The location’s local franchise owner, longtime New Orleanian Ben McLeish, spent 16 years operating Thrive New Orleans, a nonprofit that provides workforce training, community centers, affordable housing, and crisis relief. He also helped found the St. Roch Community Church and was a founding board member of the Homer A. Plessy Community School.
McLeish pivoted to fast food when he became the operator of the Chick-fil-A location in the Oakwood Center in Gretna.
Based in Georgia, Chick-fil-A operates nearly 3,000 restaurants, mostly in the U.S.
The new Chick-fil-A will offer drive-thru, carry-out, and patio seating from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.