Chick-fil-A, 7 Brew Seeking To Double-Up In Mansfield

MANSFIELD, CT — Two restaurant proposals for a shopping plaza at 82-86 Storrs Road in Mansfield are in the early stages of the local regulatory process, with applications tentatively scheduled for consideration by the Planning and Zoning Commission in December.

The proposals call for a Chick-fil-A restaurant and a 7 Brew Coffee to be built at the plaza, which is home to Petco, The Hoot, Staples and The Farmer's Cow Calfé.

Both businesses are identified as planned tenants in the applications, but neither project has received zoning approval.

The plans include a new entrance to the plaza opposite North Frontage Road, allowing traffic to use an existing traffic signal. Both feature double-lane drive-up windows with orders taken at customers' vehicles.

The proposed Chick-fil-A would occupy a new 4,600-square-foot building along Route 6. Plans call for a small outdoor patio and the two drive-thru lanes. If approved, the restaurant would be the first Chick-fil-A in Tolland County.

Right now, the always-hungry University of Connecticut and Eastern Connecticut State University students have Chick-fil-As in Manchester or Enfield as the closest options.

The proposed 7 Brew Coffee stand would occupy a 510-square-foot prefabricated building on part of the existing parking lot. The stand would primarily serve drive-thru customers, with two drive-thru lanes planned. The buildings are literally trucked in and dropped on site.

Across Tolland County, the Vernon 7 Brew was an immediate success.

The applications are tentatively scheduled for public hearings at the commission's December meeting. The hearings would give residents an opportunity to comment on the proposals before the commission considers the applications.

The schedule remains tentative, and the projects are still subject to the local review process.