Chick-fil-A, a fast food chain known for its fried-chicken sandwiches, is working on opening its first location in Portland proper since a Lloyd Center location closed in 2003, according to permits filed with the City of Portland.
According to the permit, which is still pending, Chick-fil-A hopes to add facade and roof alterations, new landscaping areas and right-of-way dedications to the site, currently home to The Venue Gentleman’s Club. The permit does not propose adding a drive-thru.
Chick-fil-A did not immediately respond to emails requesting more information.
This is unlikely to be a flagship downtown location along the lines of the just-opened Shake Shack. The Venue, which was the staging ground for protests arguing for equitable scheduling for Black dancers in June 2020, sits in the Hazelwood neighborhood just east of Interstate 205, “only six minutes from Portland International Airport.”
Changes to The Venue won’t take place “for at least a year,” according to a representative reached by phone Wednesday. The club hopes to relocate once Chick-fil-A takes over.
The Hazelwood Chick-fil-A won’t be the first in the Portland metro area. In 2016, the chain returned to Oregon with a Hillsboro outpost, setting up a potential culture clash between local LGBTQ activists and the company, which had opposed same-sex marriage through donations and statements made by CEO Dan T. Cathy.
In 2019, the company announced that it had stopped donating funds to two Christian charities.
The company currently operates eight Portland-area locations in Hillsboro, Beaverton, Clackamas, Gresham and Vancouver, Washington.
— Michael Russell; mrussell@oregonian.com
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