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Chick-fil-A to open a drive-thru/walk-up window-only location in HawaiiChick-fil-A to open a drive-thru/walk-up window-only location in Hawaii

The new restaurant in Honolulu includes a dual-lane drive-thru and three walk-up windows for pedestrians.

Alicia Kelso, Executive Editor

July 21, 2023

2 Min Read
Chick-fil-A Makiki Hawaii
A new Chick-fil-A location in Honolulu features a dual-lane drive-thru and walk-up windows, but no dining room.Photo courtesy of Chick-fil-A

A drive-thru focused Chick-fil-A location will open in the Makiki area of Honolulu, Hawaii, July 27. The location, which does not provide dine-in services, will be operated by O’ahu-raised Zane Dydasco, and will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

According to a blog on the company’s website, the restaurant is custom designed to serve drive-thru guests via a dual-lane experience, though it will also include three walk-up windows for pedestrians. The restaurant will also offer third-party delivery “in the near future.”

Notably, this isn’t the first Chick-fil-A location without a dining room. The company has opened more than 30 drive-thru-only locations in the past several years as off-premises business has remained sticky. It also has digital-forward locations focused on catering and delivery in markets like Nashville.

The Honolulu restaurant will employ approximately 150 full- and part-time workers. Some of those employees will serve guests at the three walk-up windows, while others will welcome customers face-to-face in the drive-thru line to take orders on a tablet. As the order-taker walks the line, another restaurant employee will come to the customer’s car to take payment, allowing vehicles to move through more quickly than they do at a traditional speaker box drive-thru, according to the company.

Related:A look at Chick-fil-A’s Little Blue Menu food truck

Chick-fil-A partnered with clothing brands that design cooling vests and moisture-wicking uniforms to help employees withstand warm weather conditions.

As part of the grand opening celebration, Chick-fil-A is donating $25,000 to Hawai’i Foodbank, a member of Feeding America, and will provide free entrees for a year to 100 local health care workers.

“With family members in health care, I know how demanding the work can be to look after others, so I wanted to take a moment to recognize this hard-working community,” Dydasco said in a statement, adding, “As the local owner/operator of Chick-fil-A Makiki, I am so grateful for the opportunity to now show care for our team members, guests and a community that means so much to me, my wife Jenna and our three daughters.”

Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]

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About the Author

Alicia Kelso

Executive Editor, Nation's Restaurant News

Alicia Kelso is the executive editor of Nation's Restaurant News. She began covering the restaurant industry in 2010 for QSRweb.com, FastCasual.com and PizzaMarketplace.com. When her son was born, she left the industry to pursue a role in higher education, but swiftly returned after realizing how much she missed the space. In filling that void, Alicia added a contributor role at Restaurant Dive and a senior contributor role at Forbes.
Her work has appeared in publications around the world, including Forbes Asia, NPR, Bloomberg, The Seattle Times, Crain's Chicago, Good Morning America and Franchise Asia Magazine.
Alicia holds a degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University, where she competed on the women's swim team. In addition to cheering for the BGSU Falcons, Alicia is a rabid Michigan fan and will talk about college football with anyone willing to engage. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her wife and son.

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