Chick-fil-A kick-starts redevelopment of The Clove
Buffalo Grove saw the first chapter of the reawakening of the former Town Center this week.
The Clove, a new mixed-use development at the northwest corner of Lake-Cook and McHenry roads, had its first grand opening with the launch of Chick-fil-A.
Meanwhile, construction is proceeding briskly on the redevelopment, which will include a mixed-use building with luxury apartments, ground-floor retail and a grocery store.
A ribbon cutting Tuesday at Chick-fil-A featured speeches from Village President Eric Smith and restaurant officials. Then on Wednesday, Chick-fil-A rolled out its first chicken sandwiches to hungry customers.
"Chick-fil-A is a fan favorite of many people," said Smith, adding he was excited to participate in the ceremony because of the years of planning for the development.
He called The Clove "a community's vision come to life" and said it will transform Buffalo Grove providing a unique destination and gathering spot.
Smith said Chick-fil-A also has pledged to support the community by donating $25,000 to Lake County food pantries.
Reaction to the Buffalo Grove Chick-fil-A on social media has been split between enthusiasm and rejection by people put off by its history with the LGBTQ+ community.
In 2012, Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy made comments backing "the biblical definition of family unit."
But in 2019, Chick-fil-A pulled its charitable donations to two nonprofits that faced allegations of being anti-LGBTQ+.
As for the rest of the development, Buffalo Grove Community Development Director Nicole Woods said this summer has been a good construction season.
"The Clove represents a new chapter for Buffalo Grove," she said. "We're excited now to see the rest of the development open." The next ribbon cutting to occur likely will be at Guzman y Gomez, a restaurant chain serving Mexican food that already has locations in Schaumburg, Naperville and Crystal Lake.
Smith said the grocery store could be in by year end or early next year.
Officials haven't yet revealed the name, but people can guess based on its exterior appearance, Smith said.