Santa Barbara May Declare Chick-fil-A a Public Nuisance After Chain's Success Causes Area Traffic Concerns
The Santa Barbara location of Chick-fil-A is under consideration for being designated a public nuisance.
Chick-fil-A’s plentiful patrons in a California city has led to a request for the restaurant to be designated a public nuisance by the area's city council, according to a recent report.
Public officials say that since 2013, the Santa Barbara Chick-fil-A has been so popular, it has resulted in the restaurant’s patrons blocking sidewalks and driveways. The disruption in traffic flow has forced emergency vehicles and public transit vehicles to find alternate routes, according to CBS News.
At peak-volume, the drive-thru reportedly blocks one lane of traffic for up to 90 minutes on weekdays and up to 155 minutes on Saturdays. This cluttered drive-thru at Chick-fil-A increases the chances of both traffic collisions and pedestrian injury, according to the city traffic report.
“The city's traffic engineer, police chief and community development director have evaluated the situation and believe that the persistent traffic back-up onto State Street is a public nuisance and that the nuisance is caused by the operation of a drive-through at the Chick-fil-A restaurant," the report states.
The city council members unanimously approved moving forward with a potential public nuisance designation, but Chick-fil-A representatives requested a delay of the nuisance designation, asking for additional time to fix the problem, according to CBS.
According to the outlet, Travis Collins, the franchise operator of the restaurant, said in an emailed statement that he wants to "be a good neighbor," and referenced ongoing efforts to assist in the traffic issues, including hiring additional staff and third-party traffic control.
The council agreed to continued a public hearing until June 7, CBS reported.