Chick-fil-A at Happy Valley set to soon close for 12 weeks due to construction. What we know
Centre County fans of Chick-fil-A might have to find an alternative for a few months.
Chick-fil-A at Happy Valley — the county’s lone location — will soon close for about 12 weeks so the restaurant can undergo construction to help alleviate its customer and traffic congestion, according to the company. The exact start date for construction is not yet known, but Chick-fil-A said it’s aiming to begin sometime in mid- or late-June.
The busy location at 1938 N. Atherton St., whose traffic often spills from the drive-thru onto the road, will see an expansion of the kitchen, the addition of a second drive-thru lane and the installation of permanent canopies, among other improvements. The fast-food restaurant will be fully closed during that time, the company confirmed.
“We look forward to making these improvements and continuing to serve the State College community once construction is complete,” the company said in a written statement to the CDT.
The changes have been expected since at least late last year. Last December, Chick-fil-A shared its plans with Patton Township’s zoning hearing board and, in late March, the township’s board of supervisors formally approved the restaurant’s plans.
It was known since December that Chick-fil-A intended to close for an extended period this summer, but it wasn’t known when construction would start. Early estimates also put the closure at 10 weeks, but the latest information put it at 12 weeks — “assuming there are no delays,” per Chick-fil-A.
A manager at the store declined to comment Wednesday when asked if she knew the specific date of the store’s closure. Patton Township Engineer Alexandra Castrechini said Wednesday the township was also not yet aware of the construction’s official start date.
In March, several Chick-fil-A officials showed up virtually to Patton Township’s board of supervisors meeting to better explain their plans and reasons for the construction.
“Essentially, all of this is really meant to increase the efficiency of the site,” Tyler Prime, an attorney representing the company, said at the time. “As everyone is aware, this is a high-volume location, and we’re looking to kind of speed it up, increase the efficiency of the site, modernize the site and just, overall, make it more efficient.”
During a separate March meeting, Chick-fil-A officials said the number of cars that can “comfortably” fit in the drive-thru at once is about 14-15 — and, after construction, that should increase to 42. Another official estimated, based on similar locations, that the Happy Valley location can serve about 100 cars per hour now — but should be able to serve about 250 an hour after construction.
Overall, Chick-fil-A officials said, the Centre County location might see a slight reduction in indoor seating. Some 11 parking spots are also expected to be lost, due to the addition of a drive-thru lane, but restaurant officials believed it was worth the trade-off.
Once construction starts, fans of the “home of the original chicken sandwich” will have a long drive to get their Chick-fil-A fix. The closest location to Centre County is in the food court at Lock Haven University, which is closed for the season with school out of session. The next-closest is Altoona.
With Penn State’s fall semester classes set to begin Aug. 22, that means students might also have to satisfy their chicken sandwich cravings elsewhere — at least for a little while.
