Santa Barbara is on the verge of naming its only Chick-fil A a "public nuisance" because of long drive-thru lines. This often leads to cars jammed with hungry customers who are forced to squeeze into the streets for hours.
Santa Barbara has been home to the popular eatery known for its chicken sandwiches and waffle fries since 2013. Officials say that there is a steady stream of customers who block streets and sidewalks nearby and force city buses and emergency vehicles to find alternative routes.
Chick-fil A's drive-thru lanes increase the chances of pedestrian injuries and traffic collisions. According to a traffic report from the city, the drive-thru lane can block one lane of traffic for up to 90 minutes during peak volumes and as long as 155 minutes on Saturdays.
"The traffic engineer of the city, the police chief and the community development director have assessed the situation and believe the persistent traffic back up onto State Street is an issue of public nuisance. The nuisance is being caused by Chick-fil A's drive-thru restaurant," the document stated.
Kristen Sneddon is a Santa Barbara city council member. She believes that the restaurant may have outgrown its location and that it can't be fixed. According to the Santa Barbara News-Press. "Chick-fil A has a problem here. They have outgrown their location because they are so successful. It is possible that they were too big for the site," Sneddon said to a council meeting earlier in the month. The newspaper reported.
This success is evident in the long lines at Chickfil-A's across the country. In a study conducted in 2019, QSR identified Chick-fil A as the national chain with the busiest drive thru windows.
Sneddon, along with other members, voted unanimously to move toward a public nuisance designation. Representatives from Chick-fil A asked the council for a delay in the nuisance designation to allow it more time to fix the problem. The council continued the public hearing through June 7.
Travis Collins, the franchised owner of the restaurant, stated in a statement sent to CBS MoneyWatch from Chick-fil A that he wanted to "be a good neighbour" and that he was working to alleviate traffic problems. He stated that he was looking into hiring more staff and third-party traffic control.
Ruffled feathers from local areas
Some residents have lived in the area for many years. The traffic problem has only recently been brought to the attention of the city and company.
According to Rick Closson, a resident of Los Angeles, "In the past it felt like the complaints weren't taken seriously." Chick-fil A has put together fixes over the years that did little to solve the traffic problem. Then, the city comes forward with a possible nuisance title and the corporation is now asking for more time to fix this problem.
Santa Barbara has banned drive-thru establishments for over 40 years. Chick-fil A is allowed to remain in its current location because it was a Burger King drive through with no traffic like the current.
Chick-fil A's long drive-thru lines have caused a stir elsewhere. According to to insider, business owners in Toledo, Ohio, Beaumont, Texas, and Union, New Jersey have all sued Chickfil-A in 2020. They claimed that the long drive-thru lines turned away customers. According to the publication, there were dozens of complaints, interventions by police and traffic problems related to Chickfil-A's drivethru lines in over 20 states in recent decades.
Chick-fil-A proposes to remove a drive-thru in Norwalk, Connecticut and build it on the opposite side to reduce traffic backups that have been occurring since the opening of the restaurant two years ago. This is according to a local newspaper, The Hour .
According to Elizabeth Sucky (an attorney for Chickfil-A), one of the reasons behind congestion was that "this Chick-fil A is the only one around." This statement was made by a city zoning committee last year. Brookfield and Danbury are the closest. It's very well-received by people. They also love the excellent customer service.
Brookfield officials also decided to add a lane for vehicles crossing into Chick-fil A's entrance last year. The federal government paid 80%, CT Insider reported. Fairfield was also denied by the chain's offer to buy a former restaurant. Officials said they did so after reviewing Norwalk's experiences with the chain.
Congestion near Chick-fil-A is another problem. It slows down vehicles and causes backups. One local resident said that efforts to reduce the problem such as placing metal barriers on the street to discourage double-parking have not been fully successful.
According to local CBS affiliate, Chick-fil-A in Redding, California saw a long line of cars at the Chick-fil-A's new location in March last year. The police issued a traffic alert to warn drivers about congestion near the restaurant.
