Ball State University will open its new full-service Chick-fil-A location at North Dining Jan. 8, 2024—the first day of the Spring 2024 semester.
The new location will replace the Chick-fil-A Express located in the Atrium within the Art and Journalism Building. The Atrium location will close Nov. 17.
Unlike the current Chick-fil-A Express location, which serves only chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, wraps, and waffle fries, the new Chick-fil-A location at North Dining will include the restaurant’s full menu. The new Chick-fil-A will also be open six days a week—Monday through Saturday—as opposed to weekdays at its current location.
Other ordering options at the new Chick-fil-A location—including mobile ordering and use of the Starship delivery robots—are expected to be available at a later date to be determined.
According to Julie Hopwood, associate vice president for business and auxiliary services at Ball State, the University’s agreement with Chick-fil-A stipulates for predetermined refreshes of its campus space, and the new, larger location at North Dining will fulfill these requirements. The new site will also have its own checkout line independent of the other nearby micro-restaurants, which is expected to alleviate some wait times during peak meal hours.
“We look forward to opening our new Chick-fil-A location in our state-of-the-art North Dining facility in January,” Ms. Hopwood said. “At Ball State, through collaboration and assessment, we pride ourselves on continually improving our campus dining experience, from the dining locations, staff training, products, foods, and practices. We anticipate our campus community will enjoy an expanded menu and even more convenience at our new Chick-fil-A location.”
Starting in January, the University will begin a series of pop-up concept offerings at the Atrium space formerly occupied by the Chick-fil-A Express. Among the types of cuisine expected to be offered are chicken fingers and fries, Chinese, Mediterranean, and more.
University Dining will use feedback collected during the Spring semester to determine the need for a full-time occupant for the space moving forward.