Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

Food

Chick-Fil-A Opening In FiDi Will Be The Largest Chick-Fil-A In The Known Universe

Nell Casey

Published Sep 19, 2017

Modified Sep 19, 2017

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

Never miss a story

Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

Chick-fil-A

Nell Casey

Published Sep 19, 2017

Modified Sep 19, 2017

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

The Chick-fil-A coming to the Financial District will be the largest ever built—by double any of the other puny Chick-fil-A's of the world. The location at 144 Fulton will be "nearly twice the size of any existing Chick-fil-A restaurant," according to press materials, and the "largest the company has ever built, with five levels, including a rooftop terrace that will offer unimpeded views of Freedom Tower." [Editor's note: The building is actually called 1 World Trade Center, but of course Chick-fil-A would call it the Freedom Tower.]

Tribeca Citizen was the first to report on this location of Chick-fil-A and also get wind of the massive dimensions of its third NYC outpost.

The massive eatery will take up over 12,000-square-feet of space and will feature "design elements that have never been featured at a Chick-fil-A restaurant before." Enormous windows—including a skylight—feature prominently in the brand's plans for the narrow space, which is only 15-feet wide and the most narrow of any location. Two of the five levels will be dedicated to food prep and cooking, with the other three reserved as dining areas that can seat 140 people.

And yes, that rooftop deck.

"The Fulton Street metro station is right next door to the restaurant, and no one will ever build on top of it," said one Nathaniel Cates, the design manager for restaurant development at Chick-fil-A. "That means our guests will always have the same views of Freedom Tower. That was another advantage of the building that we were grateful to have."

The front of the building was also designed with glass windows meant to "give a subtle impression of the Twin Towers."

But never forget that Chick-fil-A maintains some fundamental beliefs that clash with NYC's spirit of inclusivity. The chain's noted anti-gay stance hasn't won them any friends with a large swath of the NYC community, yet they've grown to be the eighth largest fast food restaurant in sales and the most popular chicken chain in the USA. And they still draw lines at their outposts here, too, for what that's worth.

This new location is slated to open sometime in 2018.

Tagged

chick-fil-a

fidi

financial district

original

Nell Casey

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

MORE food

Where are the cheapest drinks in NYC? A new report details the city's average prices.

The median price of a cocktail in the city is now $16, and $9 for a draft beer.

Hannah Frishberg

Published Oct 19, 2026

North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.

Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.

Robert Sietsema

Food

North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.

Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.

Robert Sietsema

10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City

Robert Sietsema

Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.

Sonia Rao

5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's

Hannah Frishberg

Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .