Chick-fil-A delayed but chicken still coming to village

Village of Grafton residents will have to wait a little longer to get Chick-fil-A in the village — although a different chicken shop could soon move in.

Community Development Director Jessica Wolff said on Tuesday that the developer who planned to build a Chick-fil-A and bank where Office Max currently is in the village’s eastside commercial district has delayed the project after the bank they had partnered with pulled out.

She said the developer hopes to come back to the village this year after finding a new partner.

On Wednesday, the Architectural Review Board will review plans for a Dave’s Hot Chicken down the road at the previous site of the Charcoal Grill at the intersection of Highway 60 and Port Washington Road.

In May, the Plan Commission approved construction of a Chase Bank that will share the property.

The proposed Dave’s Hot Chicken would be in a 2,509-square-foot building with an outdoor patio. Construction would start in March and be completed by October, according to the proposal.

Dave’s is a world-wide chain that has rapidly expanded through franchises since beginning in Los Angeles in 2017. According to press reports, Dave’s had 169 U.S. locations at the end of 2023 with plans to have 275 by the end of last year, with 950 restaurants in development.

The proposal also requires Plan Commission approval.

The owner of the property, Paul George, said in May that razing Charcoal Grill is bittersweet.

“I was one of the owners of the grill at one time and I worked to develop the property,” he said. “It has had its run. Staffing is real hard there.

“I think Chase will be good for the community and their plans look great.”

The Chase Bank building will be 3,245 square feet and have a drive-through ATM but no teller window, according to the plans.

“I know people who are excited to have a Chase Bank in the area,” Plan Commission Member Mary Pat Fenton said at the time.

Wolff said then that there was no public comments on the project, but noted general disappointment at losing one of the area’s few sit-down restaurants.

Since then, a sit-down barbecue restaurant, Parker John’s, has been approved for a Port Washington Road site near Meijer.