Chick-Fil-A Opens In Livermore; Police Warn Of Increased Traffic

LIVERMORE, CA - Get prepared for some good chicken - and some hefty traffic.

On Thursday, Chick-fil-A is opening its 23rd Bay Area location on 1754 N. Livermore Avenue, which is just south of I-580 and near a busy intersection with Arroyo Plaza that already has a Jack in the Box, In-N-Out Burger and Baja Fresh.

The fast-food chicken sandwich chain often results in long lines wherever it goes. On Thursday, the Livermore Police Department warned of long lines and advised drivers to consider using alternate routes to 580, including First Street and the Isabel Avenue entrance to 580.

The LPD also reminded drivers that it is illegal for them to block intersections, and advised people to be patient and allot extra time for their commutes due to likely congestion.

Online, Livermore residents said that there was not as much traffic Thursday as they may have initially feared, but still reported drive-thru wait times of about 20-30 minutes.

The Livermore Chick-fil-A is the chain’s second Tri-Valley location, but more are planned nearby. In 2016, the chain opened its first Tri-Valley location at the intersection on 5785 Johnson Drive in Pleasanton, near the intersection between 580 and Hopyard Road. In September, Pleasanton Weekly reported that it signed a lease for a second location in Pleasanton at 4501 Hopyard Road, the old location of a Sweet Tomatoes. There is no drive-thru planned for that location.

Pleasanton Weekly also reported that the chain was considering two locations in Dublin as of the summer. Chick-Fil-A submitted a preliminary application for a location on San Ramon Road (where McNamara’s Steakhouse used to be), but that has since been pulled, according to city spokesperson Shari Jackman. Jackman said that Chick-Fil-A filed an application for a 2,781-square-foot drive-thru at Hacienda Crossings, at the site of the former Black Angus Restaurant.