After More Than 50 Years, Chick-fil-A Plans To Close Its First Location

Opened more than 50 years ago in 1967, Chick-fil-A has announced the closing of their first-ever location at Atlanta’s Greenbriar Mall. According to the company’s Facebook page, it’s been closed permanently. While no official explanation has been shared, the reason might be related to the struggling Greenbriar Mall. 

It’s no secret that our beloved pastime of spending all day at the mall has all but faded away. On top of the current retail climate, Greenbriar Mall faced challenges far before mall culture began to shift to online. Its biggest money maker, Macy’s, was closed in 2021. Now only smaller outlets remain. 

One of the first indoor malls in the Southeast, today’s Greenbriar Mall is but a faint glimmer of its former self. Chick-fil-A fondly recalls how game-changing it was to open its first — and one of the first restaurants period — location inside of a mall. It was the launchpad that paved the way for the fast food giant’s future success. 

In fact, for Chick-fil-A’s first 20 years, all of its locations were in mall food courts. The brand’s first stand-alone brick-and-mortar opened in Atlanta’s North Druid Hills, in 1986. When they opened at Greenbriar, the menu featured a 59-cent chicken sandwich, a salad with boneless chicken breast, fries, coleslaw, lemon pie, and lemonade. How times have changed.