BY CARRIE RENGERS
The Wichita Eagle
This is the moment west-side Chick-fil-A fans have been waiting for. Yes, the restaurant is coming to your area. Landmark Commercial Real Estate’s Brad Saville , who handled the deal, says the Atlanta-based chain has signed a contract for a freestanding site with a drive-through near the southwest corner of 21st Street and Maize Road.
"I’m expecting them to be very well received," Saville says in what is likely an extreme understatement.
Chick-fil-A devotees have been eagerly awaiting west-side news since before the chain confirmed in February that it’s coming to the east side at Central and Rock Road.
It looks like that restaurant will open in early 2012 — possibly just a couple of weeks into January.
There’s also a small Chick-fil-A at Wichita State University .
This spring, developer NW Centre LLC purchased the 3-acre property near 21st Street and Maize Road where the former New Medical Health Care building is. That’s just west of Bank of the West .
"Essentially, the existing building will be demolished," Saville says. "The property has a much higher use than what it currently is."
After Chick-fil-A is built, there will still be about an acre left for another restaurant or retail user.
"Chick-fil-A won’t allow another restaurant that has a drive-through, so we kind of have our sites set on retail," Saville says.
He says Chick-fil-A "generates an unbelievable amount of traffic."
If there were two drive-throughs there, he says, "It would be a mess."
Saville expects the Chick-fil-A deal to close by the end of the year.
The west-side restaurant could open by next summer. Though, as hungry Chick-fil-A diners have learned with the east location, it could take longer.