Chick-fil-A appears to have chosen a site for a new location — and it’s on KY 54 in front of Walmart. The company is listed as a co-applicant on a rezoning request for a small piece of property that is adjacent to the old Bob Evans restaurant site, and both lots are owned by the same LLC.
The news of a potential new Chick-fil-A location was first reported by Owensboro Times in December, when a spokesperson said the company “is happy to share that we are actively pursuing a new location in the Owensboro area. Officials have said multiple times since then that no new information is available.
Officials have declined to say whether “new location” meant a second location or the relocation of the current Chick-fil-A in Owensboro. However, it’s unlikely the current restaurant will relocate because the property underwent a $1.4 million renovation last year.
Officials did not respond Wednesday for comment regarding the rezoning request.
A zoning map amendment application was submitted to the Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission on July 20. The application will be considered at the next OMPC meeting on Aug. 11.
The application asks for a .785-acre lot at 3107 Leitchfield Road (or KY 54) to be rezoned. Per the application, the property is currently a vacant residential lot while the proposed land use is for “part of a Chick-fil-A restaurant.”
The applicant is listed as Allan Wiley with GBC Design, Inc. — an engineering company that has worked with planning commissions in other cities to build Chick-fil-A locations.
The co-applicant is Chick-fil-A and Todd Williams, whose title is Director, Strategic Reinvestment at Chick-fil-A Corporate.
The property is owned by California businessman Jacob Fedder, who purchased the vacant lot for $750,000 on July 14, 2021 under the Mali 54 LLC. Using the same LLC, Fedder also purchased the adjacent property at 3123 KY 54, which houses the former Bob Evans, on the same day for $1,350,000.
Fedder is also the man behind bringing Chipotle to south Frederica Street. He purchased the former Krispy Kreme lot (4911 Frederica Street) under Mali Frederica LLC on May 28, 2021, for $1,150,000. Chipotle opened a location there at the end of June 2022.
Owensboro’s current Chick-fil-A, located at 4601 Frederica Street, opened in November 2009.
