New Chick-Fil-A Restaurants Are Exciting, But Will They Create Traffic Problems in NJ?

It's a catch-22.  Delicious food, but long lines.

Finally!  The Chick-Fil-A in Manahawkin is open, and so many people are excited to get their hands on chicken sandwiches and waffle fries.  There's been a huge demand for more Chick-Fil-As in Ocean County, so this really is a huge moment!

Over the weekend, I spotted an interesting news article from Daily Mail about a Chick-Fil-A in Santa Barbara, CA.  The restaurant's drive-thru has created so much traffic for the town and local business owners, that it may be declared a public nuisance.  Oh no!  That would be so upsetting if it were to happen here in New Jersey.

I immediately thought of that article when I spotted some posts in local Ocean County Facebook groups about the drive-thru lines being so backed up.  One poster in Barnegat Township Chatter wrote: "if anyone is wondering, Chick-Fil-A is backed up on the shoulder all the way to the ShopRite light."  That's a really long line!

Another poster named Cody Kirk shared a picture (which he let me share below) of the line backed up all the way to Route 72 - and he said it was worth it (totally get it).

Some commenters expressed concern about the summertime when tourists visit the Jersey Shore.  Others thought that things will calm down once the newness wears off.

Of course, this isn't to single out Chick-Fil-A.  I've seen a lot of similar situations with gas stations recently.

What are your thoughts on this?   I think there are definitely some solutions that can be reached.  As I've mentioned before, I spend a lot of time in California, and I hit up In-N-Out there, which has a similar drive-thru situation.  Those restaurants do their best to control traffic flow by having traffic cones, security guiding traffic, and employees taking orders outside so customers only have to stop at one window.

In the meantime, remember to be patient with Chick-Fil-A employees at the drive-thrus.  They're doing their best to help you.