Chick-fil-A is Coming to Newington, New Hampshire
For the love of waffle fries, this is big news!
Chick-fil-A is the largest fast food chain specializing in chicken sandwiches in the country. It originated in Hapeville, Georgia, in 1946, and now has nearly 3,000 locations all over the U.S.
It was recently shared to the Portsmouth, NH Facebook page that residents of the Seacoast will no longer need to drive an hour to satisfy their chicken sandwich fix. A brand new Chick-fil-A location is set to open in the former Moko Japanese Steakhouse on 2060 Woodbury Ave in Newington. Moko closed some time during Covid, and the building has sat there looking pretty abandoned and desolate ever since.
The new Chick-fil-A will have three drive thru lanes, and will be the chain's fourth location in New Hampshire, alongside two locations in Nashua and one in Salem at Tuscan Village. Every Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays, and this location will, of course, be no exception.
According to the Union Leader, The Newington Planning Board approved a site plan for the 5,000-square-foot restaurant with 94 seats. The restaurant expects to hire around 25 people. An opening date is unclear at this point, but we will keep you posted as we learn more.
Of course, the news came with a hefty side of opinions on the Portsmouth, NH community Facebook page. Chick-fil-A has outwardly supported homophobic and anti-LGBTQ ideals over the years, and some people are apprehensive to support an organization like that, despite how delicious their nuggets may be.
Regardless of where you stand on the pro or anti-Chick-fil-A movement, we can only hope that its arrival to the Seacoast of New Hampshire will drive commerce to other neighboring stores, provide jobs, and hopefully bring some prosperity to a part of town that could use a little love.