SaChick-fil-A will be closer than ever to campus, coming to Coldwater as early as this semester.

The new restaurant, located at the southwest corner of U.S. 12 and Michigan Avenue, will be the first location in Branch County and the closest to campus, about 30 minutes away. Currently, the closest is in Jackson, 45 minutes away. The location will share an exit with Culver’s, another franchise coming closer to the college soon.

“I am very excited,” sophomore Jordan Nelson said. “I think it will be advantageous for student culture, but not for our wallets.”

On May 12, a public hearing ended with the Coldwater Planning Commission unanimously approving a special land use plan on the condition that a city engineer approves the stormwater retention plans. The location’s drive-thru requires special land use approval under the city’s ordinances, and signage must also match the city’s requirements.

As previously reported in The Collegian, the Coldwater Zoning Board rejected plans for a proposed layout of a Chick-fil-A at a March 18 meeting due to a zoning irregularity.

“They came back with a revised site plan that was consistent with our ordinance, meaning they were meeting the setback requirement, and they were going through the planning commission for a special use process for a drive-through because our ordinance requires them to,” planning and zoning administrator Robert Hawley said. “They applied for a demo permit, so they’re waiting for some site preliminary reports before they move ahead.”

Hawley said the board plans on moving ahead once they iron out additional details. Currently, the plan includes 72 indoor seats, 16 outdoor seats, and 59 parking spaces.

Hillsdale students said they’re excited for Chick-fil-A’s opening, but not just for personal use.

“I feel like it’s gonna be really helpful for different club events and helpful for catering,” sophomore Kailyn Dekker said.

Nelson, who serves as the vice president of the Hillsdale College Republicans, said he will likely use the new location to cater the club’s events. Nelson also said he worried that the new restaurant will face tough competition with other recently added fast food options in the area, like KFC. Nonetheless, he said he’s looking forward to having more dining options.

In 2024, Chick-fil-A announced plans to nearly double their presence in Michigan from 28 locations by adding 25 to 30 more. The company, which has maintained a presence in Michigan since 2013, plans to add over 2,500 jobs with its expansion.