A long-quiet CITGO station at 3460 Edgewater Drive may be trading gas pumps for drumsticks, with plans in the works to convert the site into a Chester's Chicken outpost that would plug the national fried-chicken brand into Orlando’s College Park neighborhood. The concept would lean on the old gas-station footprint for a compact, quick-serve kitchen and counter setup. Plans are still early, and no public opening date has been floated yet.
Proposal for 3460 Edgewater Drive
The Orlando Business Journal reported Tuesday that the closed Citgo at 3460 Edgewater Drive is being positioned for a Chester's Chicken redevelopment, with the project still contingent on approvals and site work before anything actually gets cooking. If it moves ahead, the spot would rank as one of the brand’s relatively few locations in the Central Florida market.
Why Chester's Is a Fit
Chester's is a national quick-service chain built around its double-breaded fried chicken, and the company’s own materials list just a small handful of Florida locations, which makes College Park a somewhat unusual landing spot. Franchise analysts and the brand’s franchising information note that Chester's typically leans into smaller in-store or convenience-store layouts that can tuck into or alongside fuel-service properties, according to FranchiseOverview.
What It Could Mean for the Drive
Edgewater Drive has been steadily trading old-school service uses for small restaurants and curated retail, and swapping a gas station for a compact fried-chicken counter would keep that trend rolling. Coverage that has tracked new signage and redevelopment teasers on the corridor frames the shift as part of an ongoing refresh of the retail mix, per Bungalower.
Next Steps and Permitting
For now, Chester's proposal is still in the "talking about it" phase. Any real conversion of the former fuel site would need to clear a stack of engineering and building reviews before construction crews show up. The city’s permitting portal lays out the engineering and plan-review steps that typically apply when an old gas station is retooled as a restaurant, according to the City of Orlando.
