New full-service Chick-fil-A opens across from old McFarland Boulevard site

The new full-service Chick-fil-A restaurant has opened on McFarland Boulevard in Tuscaloosa.

The restaurant is at 2015 McFarland Blvd. E, near the Bowlero bowling alley. This location replaces the former Chick-fil-A drive-thru-only restaurant, which was across the same road near Midtown Village. The drive-thru-only restaurant is now closed.

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The new full-service restaurant includes an indoor dining area, drive-thru lanes and a parking lot. Customers can also expect a new design that's different from other Chick-fil-A restaurants in the Tuscaloosa area.

Restaurant hours are 6 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and, as with all other Chick-fil-A restaurants, the site will be closed on Sundays.

Staff members previously said the Chick-fil-A team had outgrown its former location at 2014 McFarland Blvd. E, and they needed more space to better serve the community and ease traffic concerns.

As a solution, Chick-fil-A Inc. signed an agreement with the University of Alabama to move the restaurant to the former site of the Alabama Fire College in front of the Bowlero bowling alley and between University Mall and Snow Hinton Park on a piece of land owned by UA.

Bryce Donaldson, owner and operator of the Chick-fil-A, previously said the drive-thru-only restaurant presented several challenges for employees and customers, including long drive-thru lines, traffic congestion and limited parking.

"It's probably no secret that we're way over capacity. We know that we have challenges for both our staff and our customers that don't allow us to really implement what our passions are and what our purpose is, which is have a positive impact on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A," Donaldson told the Tuscaloosa News in 2023.

The full-service Chick-fil-A is expected to allow team members to serve customers more quickly and efficiently. The new location is also expected to improve the drive-thru traffic flow and overall customer experience.

Chick-fil-A has these other restaurants in the Tuscaloosa area: 4900 Old Greensboro Road, 1620 McFarland Blvd. in Northport, along with two restaurants on the UA campus.