Chick-fil-A Receives Approval for New Location in Estero With 2027 Opening Target

Chick-fil-A received approval from Estero's Planning, Zoning, and Design Board on Dec. 9, 2025. The new restaurant will be located at the corner of Ben Hill Griffin Parkway and Corkscrew Road. Board members voted unanimously to allow demolition of an old Perkins site and construction of a 5,695-square-foot building with dual drive-thru lanes at 20320 Grand Oak Shoppes Blvd.

The company signed a ground lease in March 2024 from Fort Myers Retail 2 LLC, per Lee County records. Board members liked the building's Mediterranean Revival design, which includes stone accents, off-white exterior colors like pearl or autumn wheat, and a Spanish tile roof.

The board attached several conditions before construction can begin. The company must improve pedestrian access and increase surrounding green space with plants that are mostly native species.

Board member Barry Jones pushed hard for a sidewalk connection so people can walk to the restaurant.

"We're supposed to be a walkable neighborhood," Jones said, according to Gulf Shore Business. "Every other restaurant has a connection to the available sidewalks. Yours does not."

Board members also worried about traffic. The chain's drive-thru operations could clog an already busy intersection. Traffic studies commissioned by both the company and Estero show that surrounding roads can handle the increased trips when compared to the former Perkins.

Company representative Thomas Oliver described the dual drive-thru as an efficient system built to prevent backups. The site should hold a line of up to 41 cars.

"We are known for having a lot of traffic in the drive-thru," he said. "We don't run from that. We also pride ourselves on getting cars out of the drive-thru faster than just about anybody in the industry."

The building will seat 70 people indoors and 16 outdoors. If development proceeds without delays, the new location should open in 2027.