Chick-Fil-A Could Be Coming to Seal Beach

There’s no point in counting your chicken restaurants before they hatch, but a new Chick-fil-A may have found a roost in Seal Beach.

The Georgia-based fast-food chain applied for a permit to build a restaurant at 12101 Seal Beach Boulevard at the Shops at Rossmoor, according to city staff.

“They filed an application just recently and we’re scheduling them tentatively for (the) October 17” Planning Commission meeting, said Greg Hastings, city interim community development director.

According to Hastings, the proposed restaurant would be have 4,529 square feet of interior space, 114 seats, no outdoor dining, automatic volume control on the drive-through speaker boxes and two drive-through lanes.

Seal Beach requires any business proposing a drive-through lane to go through the city’s permitting process. 

Operating hours are proposed at 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and the business would be closed on Sundays.

Potentially located on the north end of the property, the proposed business would also have shared parking with the shopping center.

Famous for its simple southern-style chicken sandwiches and its bovine mascots, the company has recently found itself in mired in America’s debate over gay marriage after its president said he supported "the Biblical definition of the family unit,” in opposition to gay marriage. Gay marriage advocates strongly criticized the chain, holding kiss-ins, protests and business boycotts, while traditional marriage advocates flocked to Chick-fil-a restaurants to show support for the company and its leaders.

a gay and lesbian advocacy group called The Civil Rights Agenda announced that the fast food company met with them and agreed to cease donations to anti-gay marriage groups such as Focus on the Family and the National Organization for Marriage, according the Los Angeles Times.

However, some news agencies are reporting that the alleged policy changes are unclear.

Calls to Chick-fil-a spokespeople were not returned.

According to a statement on the businesses media page, “Chick-fil-A is not offering interviews at this time.”

As for the statements that have embroiled the business in controversy, Hastings said that when it comes permit decisions, the Planning Commission only examines application on its design merits, not the political or social beliefs of the business’s owners.

“That’s not anything that we look at when they make an application,” Hastings said. He adds that the City Council, which has final say over commission decisions, may take into account factors not related to design merits when voting.

According to Hastings, Chick-fil-a will hold have a community meeting with nearby residents to discuss the project 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 26 at the community room of Fire Station 48, 3131 North Gate Road.

Most recently, Chick-fil-A opened in Buena Park earlier this year.