Escondido’s newest fast-food magnet is officially open for business. The city cut the ribbon this morning on a heavily drive-thru-focused Chick-fil-A at 515 W. 13th Ave., a Centre City Parkway corner now redesigned around car lines, waffle fries and local jobs. The restaurant is operated by local owner-operator Zach Thomas and will run Monday through Saturday, with city officials and the company highlighting both hiring and a sizable hunger-relief donation as part of the launch.
New Centre City Location and Hours
According to Chick-fil-A, Chick-fil-A Centre City opened its doors at 6 AM at 515 W. 13th Ave. The restaurant is scheduled to serve guests Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 11 PM.
The company describes the spot as a drive-thru-focused restaurant that still gives customers a few options to get their chicken fix without a steering wheel. The site includes a walk-up window, outdoor patio seating, carry-out service, delivery and catering. Chick-fil-A reports the new restaurant will create about 85 jobs and notes that it is donating $25,000 to Feeding San Diego to support local hunger-relief programs.
How the Site Came Together
The City of Escondido project page shows the new Chick-fil-A replaced a former 9,558-square-foot building on the corner. Bringing the project to life was not a simple plug-and-play: the city required a specific-plan amendment and an environmental review before construction could move forward.
City planning documents outline a roughly 3,124-square-foot, single-story Chick-fil-A with a dual-lane drive-thru, associated parking and about 48 outdoor seats. The restaurant is part of a broader redevelopment of the intersection at West 13th Avenue and Centre City Parkway.
County Context and Opening-Day Promotion
Locally, the Centre City restaurant is arriving amid a noticeable push toward drive-thru-heavy formats. Patch reports the Escondido site is the third drive-thru-only Chick-fil-A location in San Diego County.
To mark opening day, the company invited customers to a “Moove-In Party.” Anyone who showed up in cow attire could redeem one free entrée or a kid’s meal while supplies lasted. City officials also joined in for a ribbon-cutting ceremony, as reported by FOX 5 San Diego.
Owner-Operator and Community Commitments
Zach Thomas, the local owner-operator, told Chick-fil-A he first joined the company as a team member in 2018 and now plans to be on site daily, working alongside employees and serving the surrounding community.
The press release also notes the restaurant will participate in Chick-fil-A’s Shared Table program, which redirects surplus food to nonprofits, and that Thomas will support local hiring initiatives connected to the grand opening.
City planning files show the Centre City project went through design review and mitigation studies before receiving approval. For customers trying to track it down, the restaurant is located at 515 W. 13th Ave. and is slated to operate from 6 AM to 11 PM Monday through Saturday, according to local reporting.
