Project Narrative 03-17-16Chick-fil-A, Inc.
5200 Buffington Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30349-2995
Telephone 404-765-5900
Introduction
The following narrative outlines the proposed Chick-fil-A restaurant to be constructed at
445 West 79th Street in the City of Chanhassen, MN. Chick-fil-A and Solomon Real
Estate Group, as current property owner, have executed a ground lease to redevelop
the subject parcel. In addition to this narrative, HR Green has submitted a complete
Application for Development Review consisting of plan documents to support a Sign
Plan, Commercial Site Plan, Subdivision (Consolidate Lots), and Variance Reviews.
Please refer to these plans and other documents for additional information which is
outlined in this narrative.
Project Description
The subject lease property is currently a 1.32 acre lot of the Zamor Addition located on
the north side of State Trunk Highway No. 5, just west of Great Plains Boulevard. The
site is currently split up into two separate parcels which are proposed to be
consolidated. The subject parcel is currently occupied by a 9,684 square foot one-story
commercial retail building and associated parking lot. The property is currently zoned
with a classification of BH -Highway and Business Services District. The project will
consist of razing the existing building and bituminous parking lot and constructing the
proposed restaurant which will contain approximately 4,775 square feet of floor area.
This restaurant development will be attractively landscaped and will feature an outdoor
seating area adjacent to STH No. 5.
The challenges for Chick-fil-A in determining a site layout for this property were
implementing a plan that would fit a building and drive-thru facility within the lease
property while providing sufficient parking to meet the needs of the restaurant.
Additionally, locating the building such that it could be visible from STH No. 5 was
important from a brand recognition standpoint and for potential customers to easily
identify where we are located. Visibility and appropriate signage will be paramount to
the success of the store. Chick-fil-A feels the plan presented before you accomplishes
all of the aforementioned challenges.
The site has been oriented to locate the building in the southeastern corner of the
subject property with the playground facing east towards the intersection of STH No. 5
and Great Plains Boulevard. It was important to orientate the site in a way to maintain
the points of access to the site in order to minimize traffic backups onto West 79th Street
and into the western neighboring development's parking lot. Additionally, this layout
allowed us to isolate the drive-thru traffic from the dine -in traffic which will also help to
eliminate traffic backups. The drive-thru lane has been proposed to start at the
southwest corner of the building and continue around to the drive-thru window located
at the northwest corner of the building. The proposed drive-thru will feature two
stacking lanes up to the order points that will merge into one lane leading up to the
pickup window. Chick-fil-A has found that this drive-thru configuration increases
efficiency and minimizes vehicle overflow into the parking lot and arterial roads. Chick-
fil-A has also found that they need enough space for nine vehicles to stack between the
Chick-fil-A, Inc.
5200 Buffington Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30349-2995
Telephone 404-765-5900
pickup window and order points which provides them the optimum spacing to maximize
operations of the drive thru facility. The nine car stack creates a 90 second wait time
from the order points to the pick up window. To minimize backups into the parking lot
drive aisles, Chick-fil-A tries to maintain a minimum sixteen car stack from the order
points to entry of the drive-thru lane. The proposed drive-thru configuration allows for
the preferred car stack to the order boards and a reduction in this stack would most
likely cause drive-thru traffic to back up into the on-site drive aisles. Chick-fil-A does not
typically include a bypass lane within their drive-thru layout. They train their employees
to react to stalled vehicle incidents by pushing the vehicles through the drive-thru.
Maintaining constant drive-thru operations is a vital part of Chick-fil-A's business model
as approximately 62 percent of their business is through the drive-thru. An AutoTURN
exhibit has been provided within the civil plan set which demonstrates how the
proposed drive-thru configuration can accommodate the turning movements of a typical
pick-up truck.
Vehicular access to the proposed restaurant will be provided via two access points
along West 79th Street. These access drives will remain as existing and the western
access is shared with the Chanhassen Inn development. Utilizing two access points will
minimize impacts to the existing roadways as vehicular traffic will have multiple options
to enter/leave the site.
Looking at overall parking counts/requirements for the entire development, the Chick-fil-
A will require 60 parking stalls. This requirement is based upon City Code which
requires 1 stall per 80 square feet of building area. The parking lot has been designed
to provide for a total of 73 stalls. Although the parking lot has more spaces than
required by Code, Chick-fil-A typically likes to ensure at least 70-75 spaces are
provided. From past experience, Chick-fil-A has discovered that providing this number
of parking spaces maximizes overall efficiency of restaurant operations. The Chick-fil-A
is proposed to have a total of 120 indoor and 8 outdoor seats, and have approximately
15 employees during the restaurant's peak shift. Chick-fil-A employees will be
encouraged to park in the 7 proposed stalls located at the north of the site by the
dumpster enclosure due to the low turnover rate. Pedestrian access to the site has
been provided at the south side of site via a sidewalk connection to the existing bike
path along STH No. 5.
Utility service to the proposed restaurant will be provided via new service connections to
existing infrastructure located within the West 79th Street right-of-way. The proposed
sanitary and water services are proposed to be tapped into their respective mains
located north of the site. The site has been designed to capture the majority of
stormwater runoff in its proposed on-site storm sewer system. This system directs
runoff to an underground stormwater management system which has been designed to
meet the City's and Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed's requirements for
stormwater quality and detention. These requirements inclide providing abstraction for
1.1 inches of runoff from on-site impervious surfaces, 90 percent reduction of total
Chick-fil-A, Inc.
5200 Buffington Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30349-2995
Telephone 404-765-5900
suspended solids, and 60 percent reduction of total phosphorus. The underground
system has also been designed to have a release rate at or below the existing rates to
the Minnesota Department of Transportation's storm sewer system, matching existing
drainage patterns. The proposed improvements will be increasing the amount of
impervious area within the existing subject lease parcel by approximately 6,754 square
feet.
The Chick-fil-A building is proposed to be a predominately brick building with glass
accents. The brick colors currently being proposed are a combination of Red Velour
and Silverstone. The visual emphasis of the building is the earth tones of the materials
leading towards the glass openings of the storefront and signage. The building has
been designed to meet the 50 percent glazing requirement for the elevations facing the
public right-of-ways. The goal of the architectural design is to promote their brand
identity while offering a contemporary and non -thematic design. Mechanical units for
heating/cooling will be located on the roof and will be screened via a parapet wall.
Building signage is being proposed on the west, south, and east elevations. Accent
light via wall sconces are proposed around the building to provide nighttime interest. A
trash enclosure is proposed which will be constructed out of CMU with brick veneer to
match the building. The gates for the enclosure will be constructed out of a plastic resin
that CFA has found to be more durable than metal and certainly wood. A freestanding
monument sign is proposed to be located on the STH No. 5 frontage.
To accomplish the development as described above and as shown on the attached
plans, a variation from the City code is being requested. Chick-fil-A is requesting a
variance to allow the proposed development to exceed the maximum lot coverage of 65
percent.
The Chick-fil-A Story
It's a story that actually began 94 years ago when a man named Truett Cathy was born
in 1921 in the small town of Eatonton, Georgia, about 80 miles from Atlanta, where he
grew up. Truett's mom ran a boarding house, which meant she had to cook a lot of
meals — but Truett helped, and he paid close attention, and picked up cooking and
serving tips that would come in quite handy later. Along the way, he also learned to be
quite the entrepreneur. He sold magazines door to door, delivered newspapers all over
the neighborhood, and sold Coca -Colas from a stand in his front yard and all the while
he was learning the importance of good customer service.
After serving his country in World War II, in 1946 Truett used the business experience
he gained growing up and opened his first restaurant with his brother, Ben, calling it the
Dwarf Grill (later renamed the Dwarf House). Hamburgers were on the menu but,
ironically, no chicken because he said it took too long to cook. Truett worked hard with
that first venture, but considered Sunday to be a day of rest, for himself and his
employees and as you know, that's a practice that Chick-fil-A honors to this day.
Chick-fil-A, Inc.
5200 Buffington Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30349-2995
Telephone 404-765-5900
The early 60s would be a pivotal time in Truett's life. That's when he first took a
boneless breast of chicken and spent the next few years experimenting until he found
the perfect mix of seasonings, he breaded and cooked the filet so that it stayed juicy,
put it between two buttered buns and added two pickles for extra measure and in 1963
unveiled what we now know as the Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich. As far as the name,
Truett says it just came to him. He had it registered that year in 1963 and created a logo
that has been updated but is still very similar to the original designed 50 years ago.
The Chick-fil-A sandwich was a huge hit, and in 1967 Truett opened his first Chick-fil-A
restaurant in an enclosed shopping mall where, up to that point, food normally wasn't
sold. Frankly, the developer of the Greenbriar Shopping Center in Atlanta wasn't too
keen on serving food inside his mall, but as we know that turned out to be a very smart
decision on his part, and especially Truett's. Today, Truett is recognized as the pioneer
in quick -service mall food. It wasn't until 1986 that Chick-fil-A opened its first
"freestanding" restaurant on North Druid Hills Road in Atlanta. Today there are close to
1,600 restaurants locations in 39 states and it's become so popular that people literally
camp out in the parking lot the night before a grand opening of a new restaurant; they're
hoping to be one of the first 100 people in line because they'll be rewarded with free
Chick-fil-A for a year, which gives new meaning to the phrase "happy campers!"
Chick-fil-A is now the largest quick -service chicken restaurant and one of the largest
that's privately -held. Two generations of Cathy family members are involved in the
business, including Truett's sons Dan (the president and CEO) and Bubba (senior VP)
and also, his grandchildren.
Our Food
There are a lot of things people say they like about Chick-fil-A, but it all begins with the
food, and especially the Original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich. It was a significant
product innovation, and it remains our best-selling item on the menu. Our innovations
didn't stop with the chicken sandwich. In 1982, we were the first restaurant to sell
chicken nuggets nationally, and three years later added our trademark Waffle Potato
Fries to the menu, and we still use 100% fully refined peanut oil, which is cholesterol
and trans fat free. In 2010, we introduced the Chick-fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich. With
its special blend of peppers and other seasonings, it became such a "hot" selling item
that we soon after introduced the Spicy Chicken Biscuit. More recently last year we
introduced to our menu a new grilled chicken sandwich and grilled chicken nuggets.
People also like the fact that we offer a variety of menu options for those wanting foods
that are lower in calories, carbs or fats, such as the Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken
Sandwich, entree salads and fruit cups and by the way, fruit cups are an option with our
kids meals these days. In fact, Men's Health magazine named us "America's Healthiest
Chain Restaurant for Kids." The high quality of our food is the number one reason
people keep coming back to Chick-fil-A but there are a few more reasons — and one has
four legs and is a terrible speller.
Chick-fil-A, Inc.
5200 Buffington Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30349-2995
Telephone 404-765-5900
Serving our Customers
Whenever you ask people what they like about Chick-fil-A, one of first things they say is
"the service" and it's an important part of our story, because it goes back to Truett's
experience as a young businessman and to the values he instilled in Chick-fil-A. We call
it Second Mile Service, and it's based on the belief that if someone asks you to carry
something for them one mile, you do one better and carry it for them two. It's doing
those unexpected things that make people feel special. Our drive-thru has been voted
"America's #1 drive-thru" for six years in a row. We do our best to ensure a quick and
pleasurable experience, and might even have a nugget for the family pet when you
arrive at the window. But no matter if you're being served in our restaurants, at our
drive-thrus, or with an outside delivery, you can always count on our team members
responding to your words of thanks with two special words of their own — "My pleasure."
Chick-fil-A Philosophy and Operator/Employment Model
The Company's philosophy is that their restaurants become integral parts of the
communities in which they are located. Toward that end, Chick-fil-A makes
scholarships available to store employees and sponsors the Winshape Foundation
which supports a family of programs designed to encourage outstanding young people
nationwide. The Foundation has a college program and operates a series of camps,
homes, and retreats. On the local level, individual restaurant operators typically engage
in community support activities such as sponsoring youth sports teams, supporting
educational activities, and leadership initiatives. Finally, and in accordance with
company policy, the operators and employees in each Chick-fil-A Restaurant strive for a
level of customer service unequaled in the quick -service food industry. It is quite
common to go into a Chick-fil-A and have your tray carried to your table, have people
clear your table, and ask if they can come and refresh your beverage.
Beyond the above, Chick-fil-A's operators model is very unique in the fast food industry.
In their situation, the operator is part owner with Chick-fil-A. It's similar to a franchise
except they usually have one location. Sometimes they have two but for the most part
they have one location and what that provides is a situation where they have very
competent partners with great character in the restaurants and they are involved in the
community, are part of the community, and they spend a lot of time in the community.
What Chick-fil-A likes to say is that their operators are in business for themselves, but
not by themselves. It is very unusual for an operator to shut down and the retention rate
for operators is about 98%. A typical Chick-fil-A store will employ approximately 45
permanent jobs with approximately 120 jobs created for temporary construction
employment. A typical store will operate between the hours of 6:00 am to 10:30 pm;
Monday thru Saturday and are always closed on Sundays.
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