Newark Is Getting Its First-Ever Chick-fil-A on Broadway
Newark is preparing to welcome its first Chick-fil-A, with plans to create jobs and bring a new fast-food option to Lower Broadway. The restaurant is expected to open in fall 2026 at the former Burger King property near Broadway and Clay Street, marking the chicken chain’s first location in the city.
According to a report by NJ.com, Chick-fil-A is hiring 60 to 80 full-time and part-time workers for its first-ever Newark, New Jersey location. Although the restaurant was scheduled to debut this fall, an official grand-opening date has not been confirmed.
For Newark residents, the announcement represents more than another place to buy chicken sandwiches and waffle fries. The project will bring new employment opportunities to the neighborhood while introducing a restaurant designed around drive-thru service, walk-up ordering, and outdoor seating.
The new Chick-fil-A is coming to Lower Broadway
The restaurant will occupy a former Burger King location near the intersection of Broadway and Clay Street. Chick-fil-A identifies the restaurant as Lower Broadway. Some residents may have encountered a different address while following the opening announcement.
The different address references do not indicate separate Chick-fil-A projects. They refer to the same planned restaurant in Newark’s Lower Broadway neighborhood.
For anyone planning to visit once the location opens, the company’s official restaurant listing provides the most direct reference for checking its address and status.
The restaurant will have two drive-thru lanes
Newark’s first Chick-fil-A is designed differently from a traditional fast-food restaurant with indoor tables. Its approved plans emphasize convenient ordering and pickup rather than indoor dining.
Newark, New Jersey’s first-ever standalone Chick-fil-A is scheduled to open in late fall 2026 at 2 Clay Street, also noted around 2–28 Broadway, as reported by NJBIZ. The plans do not include an indoor dining area. That distinction matters for customers who might otherwise expect to enter the restaurant, order at a counter, and sit inside to eat.
The walk-up window and outdoor seating are intended to provide options beyond the drive-thru lanes. However, these details come from the project’s reported design specifications and should not be treated as confirmation of its current operating arrangements.
The opening could bring up to 80 jobs to Newark
One of the biggest local benefits announced alongside the restaurant is its plan to hire between 60 and 80 employees. The positions include both full-time and part-time opportunities, potentially providing work for people seeking different employment schedules.
Brian Madalion will serve as the restaurant’s local owner-operator. He has expressed an interest in making the location a welcoming gathering place for Newark residents while creating opportunities for employees to develop professionally. The company has also highlighted employee benefits that may include access to scholarship opportunities, tuition discounts, and professional development.
These opportunities could appeal to applicants interested in gaining restaurant experience or developing skills they can use in future roles. However, the announced staffing range remains a recruitment target rather than a verified total of workers already employed.
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A new chapter for the former Burger King property
The Chick-fil-A project gives a familiar Lower Broadway restaurant site a new purpose. The property previously housed a Burger King before plans emerged to bring the chicken chain to the neighborhood.
The Newark Central Planning Board voted 6-0 on June 10, 2024, to approve the new Chick-fil-A restaurant project at 2-28 Broadway, as reported by TAPinto Newark. The development proposal involved changing the existing restaurant site to accommodate Chick-fil-A’s planned operation.
The project attracted attention during the planning process, particularly because of its proposed drive-thru arrangement near Broadway and Clay Street. For residents who have followed the property since its Burger King days, the new restaurant represents a visible change to the site. It also adds another business to the Lower Broadway area.
The owner wants the restaurant to serve the community
Brian Madalion has described ambitions for the restaurant that extend beyond serving customers. His plans include creating an environment where employees can build professional skills and where local residents feel welcome.
Madalion’s goals include making the restaurant a community gathering place and supporting employees’ development. That approach places attention on the people who will work at the restaurant, as well as those who will eventually visit it.
The announced hiring plans and development opportunities are meaningful parts of that vision. Whether the restaurant achieves those goals will become clearer once it begins operating and residents have an opportunity to experience it.
