{"id":262983,"date":"2026-08-11T01:51:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T01:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/262983\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T01:51:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T01:51:00","slug":"chick-fil-a-in-exeter-is-closing-for-renovations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/262983\/","title":{"rendered":"Chick-fil-A in Exeter is closing for renovations"},"content":{"rendered":"

If the Chick-fil-A at the Exeter Commons Shopping Center in Exeter Township is your go-to fast-casual restaurant, you need to make new plans \u2014 at least for a while.<\/p>\n

The restaurant will be closing at 2 p.m. on\u00a0 Aug. 13 for a long-anticipated and planned-for remodel. It will also be a long-term closing: the project is expected to take about 16 weeks. Owner\/operator Shawn Filby said he anticipates reopening in early December.<\/p>\n

Filby said the restaurant is closing in order to carry out a complete remodel of the interior of the restaurant, which will include an expansion of the kitchen. In addition, a second drive-thru lane will be added \u201cto make sure we can be more efficient in our drive-thru,\u201d Filby said.<\/p>\n

\"Chick-fil-AChick-fil-A in Exeter Township is closing for remodeling, starting Aug.13. The project, to be completed in late November or early December, will include a building remodel and the addition of a second drive through lane. (DONNA ROVINS \u2013 MEDIANEWS GROUP PHOTO)<\/p>\n

The drive-thru will now include two order kiosks, which Filby said will improve traffic flow. Chick-fil-A customers and shoppers in the center will notice the restaurant\u2019s traffic is not backed up into the intersection any more.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be able to pull more cars onto the lot. And because our kitchen will be bigger, we\u2019ll be able to address throughput in a more efficient way,\u201d Filby said in an interview.<\/p>\n

The project will also include a new computer system for the location.<\/p>\n

Plans for the project have actually been in the works for a couple of years \u2014 receiving final approval from the township supervisors in October 2023. It has been delayed a couple of times \u2014 most recently in April, when the project was postponed just a couple of days before it was slated to begin.<\/p>\n

Filby said that closing at 2 p.m. on Aug. 13 will give staff time to transfer perishable foods to other restaurants in the area and get the building cleaned out and ready for contractors who will arrive Aug. 15 to begin demolition.<\/p>\n

During the closure, Filby said some employees will be working at other area Chick-fil-A restaurants. For those employees who will collect unemployment during the closure, Filby plans to supplement their unemployment so they\u2019re making the same amount that they would have been the restaurant were open.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a good way to make sure that we get our qualified employees to come back to us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Filby said there will also be an incentive to get employees to return to the Exeter restaurant when it reopens.<\/p>\n

The project<\/p>\n

Plans for the remodel have not changed, Filby told MediaNews Group Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n

The building is not being replaced. However, 800 square feet of space will be added to the building to expand the kitchen area. In addition, a few seats will be taken out of the dining room to help facilitate the kitchen expansion, Filby said.<\/p>\n

The interior of the restaurant will be completely remodeled including new furniture, giving the restaurant a more updated look on the inside, Filby said.<\/p>\n

He added the play area will be refreshed, not eliminated.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe drive-thru window at the Chick-fil-A at Exeter Commons Shopping Center in Exeter Township on Aug. 7, 2026. (DONNA ROVINS \u2013 MEDIANEWS GROUP PHOTO)<\/p>\n

When construction is completed, instead of customers pulling up to a drive-thru window, the restaurant will now have a drive-thru door.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of leaning out the window to hand you your food, we\u2019ll be able to exit the building and take it to the first or second lane right up to the car,\u201d Filby said, adding that the door will make it easier for staff.<\/p>\n

Currently, during busy times, the restaurant operates a second drive-thru with staff in the lot taking orders at car windows. That will change when this project is complete.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll have a double order point not just the one order point, so we don\u2019t necessarily have to have somebody outside to take orders. That will make it much more efficient,\u201d Filby said.<\/p>\n

\"AA renovation project is getting underway at the Chick-fil-A at Exeter Commons Shopping Center in Exeter Township. The restaurant will close at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Aug.13. The project will last for about 16 weeks. This photo shows the drive thru line on Aug. 7, 2026. (DONNA ROVINS \u2013 MEDIANEWS GROUP PHOTO)<\/p>\n

Filby said canopies that have heaters and fans will be added so employees who have to be outside will be comfortable.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re looking forward to serving the community when we return,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The Exeter Chick-fil-A opened at the Exeter Commons Shopping Center in July 2009. It is Filby\u2019s only Chick-fil-A franchise location.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If the Chick-fil-A at the Exeter Commons Shopping Center in Exeter Township is your go-to fast-casual restaurant, you…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":262984,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[349,60,1411,182,28,128,130,129,435,289],"class_list":["post-262983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-berks-county","tag-business","tag-exeter-township","tag-local-news","tag-pennsylvania","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news","tag-restaurants-food-and-drink","tag-things-to-do"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=262983"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262983\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/262984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=262983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=262983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=262983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}