In what has become one of Statesboro's most anticipated events, the "brand new" Chick-fil-A will reopen to the public on Thursday, July 18, at 6 a.m.  

Chick-fil-A closed its Northside Drive restaurant on March 22, and Ellis Wood Contracting immediately began demolishing the building, which was built in 1996. They completely scraped the site down to the dirt.  

W.H. Bass, the general contractor, then completed the project in record time. When Chick-fil-A reopens on July 18, it will be a little over 16 weeks from the day it closed.

The interior design of the restaurant is completely revamped to include the newest décor package available from Chick-fil-A. When you enter the restaurant, you immediately go into the order line, which is now separated from the open-concept dining room. The new design includes high-top tables, traditional tables and a wonderful new addition of community tables to accommodate larger groups.  

"It is always my pleasure to offer our guests a great product in a family-friendly environment," said Statesboro Chick-fil-A owner/operator David Boykin. "I hope our guests are excited about visiting our new state-of-the-art restaurant. I believe that this new restaurant will create remarkable experiences for all who come in contact with my team and we appreciate the opportunity to serve our community. Our team is excited about the new restaurant and look forward to serving our guests again in just a few days." 

One of the exciting new features is the playground, which is now located inside for children to play in a climate-controlled environment year-round. They have also included a small outdoor seating area near the new front entrance.

The new restaurant is around 1,000 square feet larger and is set back toward Longhorn Steakhouse. The front door is now located close to where the original drive-through window was. 

The primary advantage of setting the building back is having the ability to improve the drive-through experience. Guests will enter the parking lot, get in the drive-through que, order, pay, pick up the food and exit the parking lot without having to face oncoming traffic. 

Also, the drive-through includes a canopy that covers the cars as they enter the drive-through. To speed up your drive-through experience, Chick-fil-A encourages you to order through the Chick-fil-A mobile app, which now offers a drive-through pick-up option.

One of the biggest expansions is in the kitchen, where space has been increased by about 55 percent. In addition to all new state-of-the-art equipment, the design of the kitchen and the drive-through area will be much more efficient for employees. 

One example, the ice machine is located in the front of the restaurant beside the drink machines in the drive-through. There is also now a door in the drive-through area, which allows for workers to access guests quicker if needed.  

This week, the restaurant is being set up inside. They will also begin testing equipment and finish hiring and getting new employees — team members — ready to start the training process.  

A large number of the former Chick-fil-A employees will return, but they are hiring additional employees for the larger location.  

If you are interested in applying for a job at Chick-fil-A go to www.snagajob.com and search for Chick-fil-A of Statesboro. Training will begin Monday, July 15, before the July 18 opening.

DeWayne Grice may be reached at dgrice@statesboroherald.com.