Hungry customers should be prepared to see changes to Gloucester’s Chick-fil-A in the coming weeks. Construction has begun to install permanent awnings and new permanent double drive through order points.

John Gordon, owner/operator of Gloucester’s Chick-fil-A, said that construction should finish in September but the timeline is subject to change due to unforeseen factors that may arise. He said Chick-fil-A will remain open during the construction, with work being done during Chick-fil-A’s non-operating hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

The restaurant was forced to close its dining area during the pandemic and has yet to reopen it despite COVID-19 restriction easing up. Gordon said potential safety hazards caused by the construction are why the area will remain closed until its completion. He said customers can still go into the restaurant for mobile order pickup.

The new construction adds to the success the current double drive-thru lines has had. Gordon estimated that throughout the last year Chick-fil-A has seen an average of 200 or so cars go through the drive-thru per hour. This has led to customers getting their orders faster than they had in past.

Gordon said part of the added efficiency comes from Chick-fil-A staff running orders from the pickup window to cars down the line. This has allowed those with smaller orders to get their food without having to wait behind those with larger orders.

The awnings and order points are state-of-the-art, said Gordon. They will contain built-in fans and heating units to help keep the customers and employees more comfortable and better protect them from harsh weather than the tent has.

“We ask for the community to be patient for the next few weeks,” said he said.

Gordon said customers will have to put up with the mess for a few weeks but delays in business caused by construction will be rare.