White Oaks Mall Chick-fil-A to expand drive through

Ever crave CHICK-FIL-A nuggets and waffle fries only to be scared off by that line of cars snaking around the fast-food chain’s lot and spilling out into the rest of the White Oaks Mall campus?

The Atlanta-based chain aims to fix that deterrent with a $700,000 expansion plan for the drive through at the White Oaks Mall fast food establishment that includes new canopies and realigning parking stalls, according to a building permit recently filed with the county.

But fans of the popular dining spot at 2431 Wabash Ave. need not fear Springfield will become a temporary Chick-fil-A desert.

A statement issued by Chick-fil-A’s corporate office said the restaurant will continue to operate throughout the renovation with only the possibility of the drive through being out of service for a couple of days. Construction is projected to begin this fall.

“We are pleased to share that Chick-fil-A White Oaks will be undergoing a remodel to make overall updates to the restaurant,” the emailed statement reads. “Construction is estimated to begin in the early fall, assuming there are no delays, and the restaurant will remain open throughout the entire process.

“The renovations will include updates to the drive through and parking lot to ease the flow of guests entering and exiting, increase capacity and enhance the guest experience. Chick-fil-A White Oaks looks forward to remaining a part of the community and continuing to serve our customers with great food and remarkable service.”

The parking lot reconfiguration comes just seven years after Chick-fil-A began serving up its famous chicken sandwiches and nuggets from the stand-alone location on the south side of the mall campus.

Local fans had been demanding Chick-fil-A’s return for two decades since the chain closed its location in the mall in 1996.

The anticipation was so great that the Springfield Police Department prepared a special traffic detail for the occasion and the Springfield Mass Transit District rerouted bus lines to the mall to minimize congestion.

Seven years later, the popular eatery still has a strong enough draw that vehicles lined up in the drive through frequently spill beyond its parking lot.

The facility upgrade also comes on the heels of yet another poultry-focused eating establishment joining the busy Veterans Parkway/Wabash Avenue intersection.

The Louisiana-based RAISING CANE’S CHICKEN FINGERS opened at 3100 W. White Oaks Drive in March.

Ocean waves – rather than the stockyards – are the culinary influence for the new tenant poised to fill the former site of LI’L WILLY’S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ.

NAME POKE – a Hawaiian-Japanese fusion restaurant – aims to be dishing up its fresh seafood delicacies at 916 South Grand Ave. West this summer. A late July opening is planned for the quick service establishment.

“I feel there is a market for fresh seafood and I know what fresh seafood should be like,” said owner/operator Hau Nguyen. “And I can bring that quality to Springfield.”

Poke – the traditional Hawaiian dish rhymes with “bouquet” – is often compared with sushi because both dishes feature raw fish. Poke is a raw fish salad, cubed and marinated in soy sauce and sesame oil and regularly served with seaweed and green onions.

Name – also pronounced with two syllables – is Japanese for ocean waves.

Nguyen has served as a sushi chef and helped open sushi restaurants throughout the county. Locally, the Springfield resident has worked at OSAKA and HUNAN RESTAURANT. Nguyen said Name Poke will serve seafood purchased from TRUE WORLD FOODS, known as the preeminent distributor of Asian sushi and sashimi grade specialty seafood.

Name Poke is just the latest tenant to call the renovated 1930s era filling station home. Li’l Willy’s Smokehouse operated from the site shy of three years before closing March 31. A version of the barbecue joint – owned by CONN HOSPITALITY GROUP – is expected to reopen in Vinegar Hill Mall in late summer.

Before that, FREE PRESS COFFEE operated from the former filling station.

DANA’S FAMILY RESTAURANT has opened in Auburn.

Owner Dana Cardenas is the woman behind the home-cooking establishment that serves breakfast throughout the day. The menu also offers an array of soups and salads, burgers, horseshoes, steaks, pork chops, fried chicken and a fish fry every Friday.

The restaurant is at 710 E. Jackson St. in Auburn, next to the Price Cutter grocery store.

Operating hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Dine in, take out service available. Phone: 217/438-4555.

The A La Carte column highlights restaurant openings, closing, renovations and relocations, as well as personnel changes and business news. Natalie Morris can be reached at 737-7254 or by email at natalie.sjr@gmail.com.