The most popular restaurant in Lady Lake is closing down for a remodel of the entire facility sometime in early April. At times the delicious chicken establishment was often seen with lines stretching out to highway 441 in The Villages. The already difficult to navigate highway due to the ongoing construction was made sometimes even more difficult by hungry motorists attempting to get to the location.

Unfortunately that often created bottlenecks that would affect the flow of traffic. Not to mention the lines often took on average 25 to 30 minutes to get through during peak lunch hours. The quaint location opened its doors in 2006 long before the influx of people to this area occurred. Since then the population of Lady Lake and The Villages skyrocketed.

(The original design of the facility back in 2006″ Also a pre-renovated Outback Steakhouse in the background.)

We have been told that Chick-Fil-A is shutting down potentially the first week of April and possibly as soon as April 1st although that is tentative until told otherwise. The entire inside will be gutted and replaced with a much more modern feel. We have also been told that the childrens play structure will be demolished and more seating added in that section of the establishment.

(Not The Actual Design, Just A Rendering Of What Could Be.)

Almost the entire building will be completely demolished and the finished product will be much better than anything in the area. This particular eatery has suffered from lines out the door and people standing around waiting for food. These issues should be alleviated when the renovated building opens.

(The children’s play area is set to meet its end. The play area was closed for over 2 years during the pandemic and opened back up recently. The area will be demolished for more seating.)

The building will have dedicated areas for Door Dash Drivers, Uber Eats and other pickup orders on a completely separate side than where it is located now. At the moment gig app workers stand with dine in or take out patrons which creates a massive potentially hazardous situation at the door. Separating people and spreading them out will be much better for safety and logistically for the workers.

(A modern Chick-Fil-A located in Winter Garden)

The idea will be to build the new facility on the same footprint but make it appear larger. This has been done many times as of late. Recently designed facilities such as The Dairy Queen in Oxford Florida, Taco Bell in Lady Lake, and Kentucky Fried Chicken in The Villages all make use of a small footprint seeming larger based off of design. Taco Bell is the most recent renovation in Lady Lake and that building is much more friendly to customers.

One of the main concerns people had about this location was the drive through line. This is one of the biggest issues to be addressed with this new facility. The drive through lane has long been a problem and patrons have voiced their concerns. You will be happy to know that Chick-Fil-A takes those concerns and listens to the feedback. The amount of traffic is absurd at times. The new location will implement two lanes like most Chick-Fil-A locations with high volume. This should help the traffic situation which currently, is in dire conditions during peak hours of 11:15am – 2:30pm. The lunch rush should not be as hectic with a new location.

As busy as Chick is, they provide a much better service than many other fast food establishments. The food is always served warm and fresh. The employees serve you with a smile. The entire experience is always enjoyable. This is why you see so many families, workers and gig app workers almost lined up out the doors. They simply do it better than any place in the area. Shutting the building down will certainly have an impact on traffic in the area as well as construction so be aware of that.

(A typical lunch meal at Chick-Fil-A consists of the classic chicken sandwich, mouthwatering fries and a soft drink.)

Rest assured once this location opens again it will take the reign of busiest establishment in Lady Lake. During its absence people will need to get their fast food chicken crave, some place else. There are local places like McDonalds, Panera Bread, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Panda Express and Burger King that can be your backups while the location is closed.

Photos Provided By

Kyle Coppola

Sand C

De Paris

David Gonzalez

Nancy Callas