Chick-fil-A to open first-ever UK drive-thru restaurant in Hamilton

Chick-fil-A is set to open its first-ever UK drive-thru location in South Lanarkshire this week.

The US fast-food chain is bringing its chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, and Chick-fil-A sauce to Hamilton Palace Grounds retail park in a former KFC unit.

The new site will be the first drive-thru location in the UK and the sixth overall, following Belfast, Liverpool, Leeds and London.

However, it is not the first time that Chick-fil-A has ventured into the Scottish market, with a failed launch of an outlet at the MacDonald Aviemore Resort seven years ago.

The fast food joint was met with backlash after opening the unit in the Highlands in October 2019, as Chick-fil-A owners donated money to anti-LGBT groups in the US.

An online petition gathered over 1,000 signatures calling for the Aviemore restaurant to be shut down.

The unit eventually closed four months later in January 2020, with MacDonald Hotels describing the restaurant as a “pop-up”.

The new restaurant is set to open this week Sandy Young/PA Media

The chain has now decided to return to Scotland with a new store opening on October 29.

Chick-fil-A says its drive-thru experience is unique, as staff take orders from customers face-to-face at their vehicles using tablets.

Joanna Symonds, head of UK operations at Chick-fil-A, said: “Opening our first drive-thru in the UK and our first restaurant in Scotland marks an important step forward for Chick-fil-A.

“Much more than a new level of convenience, the drive-thru extends our signature hospitality into a new service channel, bringing together innovation, quality food and genuine personal connection.

“We are proud to introduce this experience in Hamilton and look forward to welcoming the community.”

Chick-fil-A has committed $100m investment in the UK over the next ten years with more locations across the country expected in the future.

The new Chick-fil-A will be open from 10am until 10pm, Monday to Saturday and will be closed on Sundays, continuing the trend set by founder Truett Cathy to give team members a day off.