Chick-fil-A coming to Clovis, first location opens in June

Clovis is finally getting its first Chick-fil-A, and the chain is betting on one of Fresno County’s busiest retail strips to make the debut work. The restaurant is planned for 560 W. Shaw Ave. near Shaw and Sylmar avenues, between Surf Thru Express Car Wash and the Hilton Garden Inn Clovis.

Chick-fil-A’s Clovis location page says, “We can’t wait to meet you in the near future,” signaling the brand is moving toward a summer opening. Local reporting put the Clovis planning application date at Jan. 24, 2025, and earlier coverage described the project as a nearly 5,000-square-foot restaurant with a double-lane drive-thru.

The timing matters because Clovis is not getting just another fast-food stop. It is getting its first one from a chain with a loyal customer base and a drive-thru model that can quickly reshape lunch-hour and dinner traffic on Shaw Avenue. Clovis had an estimated population of 127,993 in 2024, large enough to support national chains but also crowded enough that a new arrival can pull customers away from nearby chicken, burger and sandwich competitors.

That makes the opening more than a ribbon-cutting. It is another sign of how the Shaw Avenue corridor continues to function as a retail magnet for Clovis, which the city has identified as one of its primary commercial corridors and a focus for long-term planning and reinvestment. For developers, the appeal is clear: a dense suburban market, heavy commuter traffic and a customer base that already makes regular chain dining part of daily routines.

The Clovis site also stands out when compared with Fresno, where Chick-fil-A is already a familiar option. In Clovis, the brand still has the novelty of a first location, which can turn a restaurant into a weekend destination as much as a lunch stop. That difference helps explain why the company can draw attention in Clovis even though it is not entering Fresno County for the first time.

Tulare is opening first. Chick-fil-A East Cartmill is set for 2977 Market Drive and will serve guests Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. The company is promoting that opening as a “Moove-In Party,” with a free entrée or kid’s meal for guests wearing cow attire on opening day.

For Clovis, the June debut marks a familiar national brand arriving late to a large suburban market that has been waiting for another major name on Shaw Avenue.