Chick-fil-A Inks Deal for New Estero Location at Old Perkins Property

Plans submitted to Estero officials show a modern Chick-fil-A building with indoor seating for 70 guests and an outdoor patio fitting 16 more at the former Perkins site in the Shoppes of Grand Oak. Two drive-thru lanes will snake through the property, built to handle up to 40 vehicles during peak hours.

The Planning, Zoning and Design Board will review the chain's 17-slide pitch on June 10. "The public can speak at June 10's information meeting," said Estero Community Development Director Mary Gibbs to Gulfshore Business.

The site's owner, Fort Myers Retail 2 LLC, struck a 15-year agreement with options for 10 additional five-year terms. They bought the land in 2020.

Three firms will shape the project: Naples-based Bowman Consulting Group, Tulsa's Narrate, and MLD Studio from Alpharetta, Georgia. Their blueprint includes 71 parking spaces.

The building's design went back to the drawing board. "Planners sent the design back with suggestions. A second rendering was closer to Estero's standards," Gibbs said.

The site's previous tenant, Perkins, closed last April after serving customers for 16 years. Current plans stay silent on whether workers will renovate or demolish the existing structure.