SAN JOSE — Chick-fil-A is planning a new restaurant in San Jose on an empty parcel that is part of a surface parking lot next to Westgate Center.
The new 4,800-square-foot restaurant would be developed from the ground up at 4785 Hamilton Ave., documents on file with the Planning Department show.
Drive-through section and main building of a Chick-fil-A restaurant at 4785 Hamilton Ave., a parcel on one of the surface parking areas next to Westgate Center in southwest San Jose, concept. (MCG Architecture)
Chick-fil-A restaurant at 4785 Hamilton Ave., a parcel on one of the surface parking areas next to Westgate Center in southwest San Jose, concept. (MCG Architecture)
Along with a drive-thru component, the development is expected to include indoor dining, a small patio dining area, and site improvements, city documents show.
The proposed Chick-fil-A parcel and the adjacent mall are both owned by an affiliate of Federal Realty Investment Trust, Santa Clara County records show. Federal Realty is also the principal owner of Santana Row, a mixed-use neighborhood in West San Jose.
Chick-fil-A has become active with proposals for projects in San Jose in recent years.
In 2019, members of San Jose’s LGBTQ+ community rallied against plans for a Chick-fil-A at San Jose International Airport following accusations that the restaurant chain’s owners supported anti-gay causes.
In 2023, the company paid $4.5 million for part of a surface parking lot at the corner of Silver Creek Road and East Capitol Expressway in San Jose. Chick-fil-A developed a new restaurant on the site, which is near a Target store.
In early 2024, a Chick-fil-A restaurant was proposed for a San Jose location at 1301 West San Carlos St. next to Race Street, west of downtown, that would replace some existing commercial structures.
In late 2024, plans for a Chick-fil-A emerged at 4400 Stevens Creek Blvd. next to and near several car dealerships. This proposal involves a new restaurant totaling 5,200 square feet.