Newark is getting its first-ever Chick-fil-A this fall, with the fast-food chain planning to take over the former Burger King site at 2 Clay Street, just steps from Newark Broad Street Station. The new restaurant is expected to bring 60 to 80 full- and part-time jobs to the neighborhood, along with the chain's signature crispy fried chicken, waffle fries, and milkshakes.
According to Jersey Digs, the 2,936-square-foot restaurant will rise at the corner of Broadway and Clay Street, next to Newark Artspace, on the footprint of a shuttered Burger King. The plan includes two drive-thru lanes, a feature that has become standard for the chain's newer locations. The Newark Central Planning Board approved the application unanimously, clearing the way for construction to move forward.
Who's Behind the New Location
The Newark restaurant will be owned and operated by Brian Madalion, the same report notes. Madalion has said he wants the location to become more than just a place to grab a chicken sandwich — he's hoping it becomes a community hub that supports employee development, according to a separate account cited by NJ.com. Those interested in joining the team can apply by texting 1ERY to 31063, per the same reporting.
Not everyone welcomed the news. LGBTQIA advocates objected to the project, the Jersey Digs report states, reflecting a familiar tension that has followed Chick-fil-A's expansion into new markets for years given the company's history of donations to groups opposed to LGBTQIA rights.
A Slow Road to Broad Street
Getting here took a while. Back in April 2025, a Chick-fil-A representative told TapInto Newark flatly that “there is no opening date” for the Newark project at that time. Now, with planning board sign-off in hand, the Newark restaurant is expected to open roughly two years after that approval — timing that lines up with the fall target now being reported.
Once it opens, the Newark location is expected to become Chick-fil-A's 72nd franchise in New Jersey, a milestone that underscores just how aggressively the chain has been expanding across the state. Other recent additions include the Bridgewater Towne Center restaurant at 754 U.S. Highway 202, which opened on June 4, and a North Bergen location at 7416 Tonnelle Avenue that debuted in November 2021 and created 90 jobs under franchise owner Adam Smith, according to Daily Voice. That North Bergen store initially ran drive-thru-only hours from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, before expanding service.
Fast-Food Growth Across Northern New Jersey
Newark's addition fits a broader pattern of Chick-fil-A pushing into denser, transit-adjacent parts of the state. Jersey City's first location opened inside Newport Centre Mall and brought 60 jobs on its own, part of a trio of openings that, per Patch, together created about 200 new jobs and pushed the total number of Chick-fil-A restaurants in northern New Jersey to 12. With a Broad Street Station location added to that count, Newark commuters and residents alike will soon have one more fast-food option within walking distance of the train.
