INCLUDES VIDEO TOUR | Take a look at this new outer East Portland fast-food restaurant, now open near Mall 205, and learn what to expect when you visit …
This property, once the location of Rax Roast Beef, Tony Roma’s Ribs, and Hooters, then turning into strip clubs Mystic, and finally Venue – it’s now the home of Portland’s only Chick-fil-A restaurant.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
After being completely renovated from previous uses as sit-down restaurants and strip clubs, the property and building between SE Washington and Stark streets, just east of 99th Avenue in the Mall 205 area, opened on January 22nd as the first freestanding Chick-fil-A restaurant in the City of Portland.
Take a brief look around inside their new store, mere hours before their Grand Opening, via this video tour:
Since the Lloyd Center Chick-fil-A food court counter closed in 2003, Portlanders craving their sandwiches and fresh lemonade had to travel to locations in Clackamas, Beaverton, and Tigard.
But now, their menu items are available at their store near Mall 205, a block east of the Interstate 205 Freeway.
From early morning until late in the evening, outer East Portland folks are now able to get one of these sandwiches [this is the spicy one, we’re told, the kitchen was closed during our visit] in the Hazelwood neighborhood. Courtesy of Chick-fil-A
Among other offerings, guests to the new location will be served the Chick-fil-A signature chicken sandwich, featuring a boneless breast of chicken, seasoned, hand-breaded, and pressure-cooked in 100% refined peanut oil – and served on a toasted, buttered bun with two dill pickle chips.
Gateway Chick-fil-A store Owner/Operator Austin Morrow welcomes guests to his store, where it’s “my pleasure to serve you!”
That’s what we learned from Owner/Operator Austin Morrow on the day before the grand opening. “We offer A+ quality all the way around – making sure what our guests receive is hot and fresh, and that that’s their experience every time they dine with us,” he told East Portland News.
Drive-through window prohibited
Unlike their other locations, you won’t find a drive-through order and pickup window at this Chick-fil-A location. Because a drive-through window wasn’t installed in past businesses in the building, it couldn’t be added during the renovation.
That’s because of the 2018 Portland City Council’s “Cleaner Air and Better Health” initiative, which prohibited new drive-through construction in many commercial zones, largely implemented through updates to Chapter 33.224 – Drive-Through Facilities, and Chapter 33.130 – Commercial/Mixed Use Zones, of the City Planning and Zoning Code.
There’s no ‘drive-thru’, but there is ‘drive up’ ordering and curbside delivery at this Chick-fil-A unit. Courtesy of Chick-fil-A
However, Morrow pointed out the 15 curbside parking places where customers can order in advance, or order from their vehicle when they arrive, with a staff member delivering it to them while they wait.
“We also have a dedicated area where delivery drivers for services like GrubHub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats can quickly pick up their orders, saving them time,” Morrow said.
Customers ordering inside the restaurant line up here; in the background is the door to the dedicated Delivery Driver’s area.
New owner/operator moves from Alabama to Portland
“I started working at Chick-fil-A when I was 16 years old in Spanish Fort, Alabama,” Morrow recalled. “My first task was cutting and squeezing 15 boxes of lemons all day long – which had me wondering what I’d got myself into.
“But, I fell in love with the brand; I fell in love working with young people,” Morrow continued. “The Owner/Operator for whom I worked had such a positive influence in my life, and helped me really find my purpose in life. It wasn’t necessarily about ‘selling chicken’ – but about having a positive influence on young people’s lives – while selling a really great product.”
These chandeliers are made from recycled green-tinted Coca-Cola bottles, and are a nod to founder S. Truett Cathy, who began his career selling Coca-Cola from a wagon. They are created by glass artist Kathleen Plate of Smart Glass.
Over the past four years, Morrow said, he was in the company’s Leadership Development Program, which included interim restaurant management and serving as a “Grand Opening Supervisor”, consulting new operators on their businesses in locations across the country.
“During this assignment, I spent time in the West, and becoming part of Portlanders’ introduction to Chick-fil-A – a something that I’m really passionate about,” Morrow declared.
One of the amenities in this restaurant is the Kids Play Area.
Staff trained for grand opening
“All of our staff, including those who work ‘front of house’, have been through their initial training,” acknowledged Morrow. “They’ve learned the menu, learned how to interact with the register, and practice Chick-fil-A nuances like, instead of saying ‘You’re welcome!” we say ‘My pleasure!’ when servicing customers – because it really is our pleasure to serve others.
“I want to exceed the expectations of my customers,” Morrow went on. “I also want to exceed the expectations of my hundred team members – being not only a premier employer employee but also a premier business and a premier organization.”
Now open is the Chick-fil-A Near Mall 205.
Provides local philanthropy
Corporately, Chick-fil-A gives back to the community. For example, celebrating the opening of this store, Chick-fil-A, Inc. donated $25,000 to Feeding America in support of hunger relief efforts in the area.
“Also, our restaurant will participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table® program where we donate healthy food not used here to the Highland Christian Center to support their programs,” Morrow added.
“And, just this past week we gave away 1,000 sandwiches in our community, which gave our kitchen team the opportunity to train on how we perfect our chicken sandwich and package it,” he said.
The new Chick-fil-A Mall 205 is open six days a week, from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. – closed Sundays – and is located at 9950 SE Stark Street, 97216. See their webpage for more information: CLICK HERE.
East Portland News was not compensated in any way
for reporting and producing this article, and the accompanying photos and video.
© 2026 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
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