Cincinnati’s long-awaited Chick-fil-A at East McMillan and Highland is finally taking shape, but anyone hoping for a quick grand opening will have to hang on a bit longer. The single-story, double-lane drive-through next to the Union on Taft student apartments has already become a neighborhood flashpoint over traffic and pedestrian safety, and now the timeline is slipping too. Chick-fil-A says crews are active on the corner, but the only public target so far is a season, not a date.
In a statement to FOX19 NOW, the company said it "anticipate[s] opening as early as this Fall, pending any delays" and confirmed that construction is underway at the Uptown site. The station included a newsroom photo showing work at East McMillan and Highland on April 14. Chick-fil-A did not say what caused the schedule to slide.
Planned Schedule Versus Reality
On paper, the restaurant was supposed to move a lot faster. The Planned Development schedule filed with the city showed construction starting in September 2025 and the building opening in February 2026. According to the City of Cincinnati, those dates were included in the final development documents for PD-104. With the current “as early as this Fall” estimate, the project is now tracking months behind that original playbook.
Traffic And Neighborhood Pushback
The road to approval was anything but smooth. During rezoning and council hearings, residents and some council members argued that a car-heavy drive-through concept clashes with Mt. Auburn’s walkability goals and the already busy McMillan and Highland intersection. The Cincinnati Business Courier reported that public comments zeroed in on congestion and pedestrian safety, with worries about drive-through lines backing up into the street. Planning staff ultimately signed off on the final plan after requiring detailed design and circulation changes, but neighbors remain wary that traffic could spill onto city roads once the fries start flying.
What An Opening Would Mean
Chick-fil-A has pitched the Mt. Auburn location as an economic plus for the neighborhood. The company told FOX19 that each locally owned restaurant typically brings about 80–120 jobs. A broader Ohio expansion announcement from Chick-fil-A also touts plans for dozens of new restaurants and thousands of jobs across the state. Supporters point to those hiring numbers and the chain’s local philanthropy, while opponents keep pressing for stronger traffic controls before the ribbon-cutting.
The site is listed in city records as 198 E. McMillan Street and 237 William Howard Taft Road, and the project still needs to clear final permits and inspections before any grand opening. For now, “as early as this Fall” is the only window Chick-fil-A is giving. Uptown drivers and pedestrians will be watching to see whether the construction crews can finally match the pace of the debate.
