On Tuesday, the Brentwood Planning Commission punted a decision on a Popeye’s over concerns of a drive through.
Instead of rejecting the project outright, the commission requested the applicant work with city staff to reconfigure the project without a drive through component, increased outdoor dining and landscaping. It would return for design review at a future date.
According to the project description, a Popeye’s Chicken Restaurant is being proposed at 7820 N Brentwood Blvd (at Village Dr). The building is estimated to be 2,735 sq feet and will have a 40-seat dining room. It would be operated 7 days a week year round with no special activities proposed. It would operate from 10:00 am to midnight. The average number of customers per day will be 300-500.
Sunny Ghai, Popeye’s franchisee, who is proposing the project, shared he has 25 Popeye’s and none of them have 21 cars stack waiting because they are not Dutch Bro’s or Chic-fil-A but the 21 stack was so that if a car gets stuck at the menu board, they still have space behind the vehicles.
“It does not mean there will be 21-cars in line,” explained Ghai. “Even if I take my average and service time they have for a car, it could never be 21 cars, or the store would bigger in volume than Chic-fil-A. Its just because the availability of flow was there.”
He also said the two menu boards, its important to know that in a few years, based on the way the world is going, there will be no menu boards, they will be using apps like Chipotle.
“This is in preparation for 3-4 years from now,” explained Ghai. “There will be no 21 cars there, its just a provision because the site allowed. We have never allowed 21 cars stacking, the design allowed it so we put it in there so if someone gets stuck at the menu board that is fine, nothing will over flow into the street or rest of the parking lot. All I see is the que will start at the menu board and they will move very fast. Those ordering on the app will move fast through the line.”
Ghai also pointed this was the first project since 2014 to come into this parking lot and said if they didn’t build, no one else is going to come in and build without a drive through due to the costs of over $3 million noting there were other parcels to choose from and could keep costs down.
“This thing is going to $3.5 to $4 million, any other business that is non-drive through, spending that kind of money that is going to be on that corner to fulfill what the BBC has been thinking about, its never going to happen,” said Ghai. “But we have got closest to that by putting the pedestrian access and seating area, it’s a little parklet we have created. It’s going to be beautiful. My cost estimate on that is high, but I want to give it to the city.”
He again shared this is not an empty parcel but an infill project to enhance the shopping center—a catalyst to draw in other businesses to come to the area now that there would be traffic. He called it a start for the BBC and new plan. He also shared they expects the location to create 50-jobs.
In closing, Ghai shared he owned the Antioch location on Lone Tree Way and when they open up delivery to Brentwood, any time they open it up that location gets “killed” and they have to shut it down.
“Your city goes nuts asking Popeye’s for delivery from Antioch. We can’t handle it, we shut it down’ said Ghai. “Whenever we open up, people go crazy in Brentwood that they want their chicken from there, that store cannot take it anymore. Lone Tree is an end cap in a shopping center and it can’t handle the capacity which got us thinking about Brentwood. If I could continue to do it in Antioch, I would… people go to Antioch or to Oakley, your sales tax is going there.”
Planning Commission Chair Anita Roberts shared she was a McDonald’s owner operator for a $2.1 million store shared they make money based on volume and there will be traffic.
“My concern remains with the traffic. We don’t have an analysis to view for ourselves. That is troublesome. I am even more concerned this will be our 12th fast food restaurant on Brentwood Blvd,” said Roberts.
She also expressed concern the economic development director was not at the meeting to express the vision for Brentwood Blvd. She wanted to know why they were not having a more mixture of restaurants in this area.
Roberts questioned the applicant on the long driveway and the 21 cars.
Ghai explained the long driveway occurred naturally when they flipped the building design to make it look better for Brentwood and give staff what they wanted—but the flipping of the building would give them a shorter drive through but it would not look better for Brentwood. He explained flipping the configuration would not be good.
“If the city fear is 21 cars and I cut it down by 7 or 10 or 8, then you are in a worse off situation because now you have cars overflowing into the parking lot,” said Ghai. He said although they have 21 spots for cars, doesn’t mean it will ever reach that amount but it would never backup to Brentwood Blvd or the parking lot. “If we presume its 12 cars, then why don’t we now presume its 12 cars.”
Commissioner Kristopher Brand asked about the cycle time of someone who is in the drive through.
Ghai shared with new technology, its approximately two-and-a-half minutes or less. If it an order placed on an app, its less than 2-minutes. For a guest ordering on site from the menu boards its 3-and-a-half minutes.
Brand said having visited the Antioch location, he had a hard time believing that.
Ghai shared the Antioch location cannot handle the traffic and was never built for the capacity. What is being built in Brentwood is to handle the capacity.
During public comments, Amy Tilley, executive director from the Downtown Brentwood Coalition, shared she wanted the commission to consider this being a “valuable area” that has the potential to be revitalized. She asked the commission to consider the “big picture” when thinking about this application.
Commissioner Rod Flohr said he had a lot of skepticism with the project including the open space which looks nice, but when you are on site you are seeing a sign for a ‘massage” and a “laundromat” which is not family friendly.
“I get the intent and I admire it, but I struggle seeing how putting a Popeye’s in its own corner with an open space really fills the promise we have been seeing in the Brentwood Boulevard Specific Plan,” said Flohr which also invasions walkable housing and shopping. “I don’t see how putting in a Popeye’s is going to make that happen and I am not sure how its going to inspire development that we are looking for over here.”
Flohr continued also brought up just down the road where a development put in a Starbucks, Denny’s, Chipotle, Panda Express and a Wendy’s.
“This is supposed to be the gateway to Brentwood,” said Flohr who compared it to turning into another Lone Tree Way.
Brand shared between Village Drive and Sand Creek, there were 8 total drive through and Popeye’s would make 9. He continued stating the plan was to transform Brentwood Blvd from a highway oriented transport and businesses to support them to a more locally centered boulevard that brings a variety of businesses.
“I see this region going sort of in the wrong direction and this would be another step in that perceived wrong direction,” stated Brand.
Brand shared while he thought the building was beautiful, they should consider the full revitalization of the area, not a small corner.
“Over and over again our resident’s comment on the concentration of chains and these types of drive through restaurants, we do hear your comments. We are seeing the concentration and its important to call out the concentration is seems to fall within a small district within District 2 in the southeast corner,” said Brand.
Commissioner Gerald Johnson shared he was conflicted because it was a beautiful building and would upgrade the lot but also didn’t want to hold up anything until they get the whole lot redeveloped.
“We have to start somewhere,” said Johnson adding they cannot mandate getting the whole lot fixed at one time. “While I do agree there are a lot of fast food restaurants on Brentwood Blvd, I am concerned that if we decide we don’t want to have another fast food restaurant because we are waiting for something to come along that will make everyone happy… that would mimic downtown, I don’t know what or if its coming.”
Johnson added that if they don’t want to put something there, is Brentwood going to wait 3-to-4-years for something else that they would like.
“We do have a lot of fast food restaurant but this is something that would uplift that lot,” explained Johnson. “I am all about improving the area, I am not sure when we would get something to improve that. If we did get something, would it look as nice. I don’t know, I can’t predict the future.”
Roberts argued a lot of development is coming to the City of Brentwood and when that happens businesses will follow because that was how money is made. She was not concerned when the property would be revitalized because folks are looking to build and seeking opportunities—doesn’t have to be fast food, but could be office buildings.
Roberts added that in speaking with several residents near Brentwood Blvd that they believe the city of Brentwood id dedicating fast food restaurants as if they are not privy to some other type of restaurant in their community.
“Some of them are offended by the number of fast food restaurants within their community,” said Roberts who shared she spoke with three people and that they were “highly offended”.
Ghai was allowed to provide more detail and the commission allowed him to speak.
He shared he was there for the Conditional Use Permit which was for the drive through and being open after 10:00 pm.
“Assuming I did not stay open after 10:00 pm and not have a drive through would it still not be a diamond in that shopping center overlooking the massage parlor,” asked Ghai. “It still going to happen no matter what we put there. But we want the best thing to happen. Second, I hear a lot of this fast food, fast food, fast food, coffee is not fast food, chipotle is called fast casual but because of this fast food slot, god forbid we don’t have COVID again and in those three-years I’ve sat at my stores with masks putting signs on my yard, emergency workers don’t have to go in line we will bring your food. We put that sit down restaurant, all closed. Half of them went out of business, we survived and we kept the jobs going and we fed everybody. The whole country was fed on fast food, not restaurants not hotels.”
He added there is no such thing as fast food and the mindset needed to change when someone is going to invest $4 million on that corner—noting his chicken is “expensive”.
“That diamond may attract others into that center,” explained Ghai. “When that massage parlor comes up for least, the owner may say I don’t want a massage parlor, I want something good here and he will get it.”
He added he owns 12 Starbucks and deals with them often and that is what happens. He also added these restaurants are not like what they built 20-years ago, but rather they beat sit down restaurants and revitalize areas.
He also shared he does Popeye’s without a drive through and that if he does this without a drive through he will get calls from residents saying they need a drive through.
“Its better to put that diamond there now, like Commissioner Johnson said, so it attracts synergy, capitalist to bring other good stuff,” explained Ghai which may prompt the owner to invest in his property. “Things change when somebody starts somewhere, but if you are not going to start.”
Roberts expressed to the commission that Popeye’s across the country who do not have drive through do very well. She was not sold on having another drive through on Brentwood Blvd.
Outcome
The Brentwood Planning Commission ultimately punted the item and wanted the applicant and work through the planning commissions concerns with city staff—without a drive through. They also wanted to see if the property owner would submit his own plan for renovation with the parking lot and landscaping.
Johnson again shared the debate of what was better for Brentwood, having a drive through or a Wing Stop type of facility where people park and get out of their vehicle—or drive through. At that point, you have people parking all over the place if the applicant brings it back without a drive through.
Brentwood Special Council Christie Crowl informed the commission they can ask the property owner to come in but there is no requirement the city can impose for the applicant to show up.
The commission also wanted to see more open space with a few outdoor tables, trees and create a different feel that would beautify the area. Roberts also requested a traffic study.
The applicant now has the opportunity to reconfigure the project without a drive through with staff. Its unknown when and if the project will return.
Motion:
Johnson directed the project come back with no drive through, increased outdoor dining space with additional landscaping. Approved in a 4-0 vote with Spaulding absent.
Planning Commission Documents:
3 comments
I agree with Johnson, you have to start somewhere and this seems like a good project whether it has a drive thru or not. Commission as a whole sounds biased against any fast food which is not justification for a denial. I can’t believe I am agreeing with the applicant on what he had to say. He made good point. Planning commission just sounded stuck in a belief system, not reality.
I’m liking what I hear from both Amy Tilley and Rod Flohr in terms of the potential for the future.
Sure, having something shiny and new there right now may look good right now but I believe it would be short-sighted move. As you enter Brentwood from the north one already encounters McDonalds, Jack-In-Box, Taco Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Add to that a Denny’s, Chipolte and a handful of other restaurants are all in the same area and I’m feeling that no one is going to be short of options to spend money on takeaway food.
More importantly, think of the potential when you look at that huge vacant lot directly across the street.
There lies an opportunity for the City to really get something going on this end of Brentwood that could be a lot more than a strip of fast food joints.
Why is there even any controversy? When it comes to approving any mew Popeyes the obvious answer is a respuunding YES!!!!!