by Crazy in Suburbia

Fitness center, "healthy" fast-food restaurant may go up on site of former North Main Street concrete plant

That’s right. Under a plan submitted by Hall Equities Group, you can spend an hour or more sweating, elevating your heart rate, toning up, and burning some calories at a new 24 Hour Fitness Center on North Main Street. Then, you can reward yourself.

You can walk across a parking lot to Chick-fil-A, a restaurant that serves what it calls “nutritious and tasty” chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, fruits, milkshakes and cheesecakes.

Walnut Creek’s Design Review Commission will get a look at the plans for this fitness center/fast-food-drive-thru combo at its meeting Wednesday evening.

Hall Equities Group bought the former concrete batch plant on North Main Street in June 2008. The plant ceased operations in 2006, and the property covers a little more than four acres along Interstate 680, just south of Geary Road (and the now destroyed Piedmont Lumber Company). Hall Equities wants to tear down the old plant and construct two buildings and a parking lot.
The larger, 42,300-square-foot building would house the 24-Hour fitness club. The 4,300-square-foot chicken restaurant would also be a drive-thru. The two businesses would share a parking lot with space for about 280 vehicles. And, the developer would install landscaping and plant about 50 trees around the site.
Maybe you all from the South are familiar with the Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A chain. The founder, Truett Cathy, opened his first restaurant in Hapeville, Georgia in 1946. Cathy is also credited with inventing the boneless breast of chicken sandwich. The first Chick-fil-A officially opened in suburban Atlanta in 1967 and has since spread to 38 states and Washington D.C. with more than 1,400 locations. It looks like the only other Bay Area location for Chick-fil-A is in Fairfield.
The Chick-fil-A website goes to great effort to assure patrons that its food is healthy, with ingredients and preparations that are committed to freshness. The website also provides nutrition information that tells you, for example, that the chain’s signature Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, served on a toasted, buttered bun, has 430 calories, 17 grams of fat, and seven grams of sugar.

“Since the invention of our signature Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich in 1964, we’ve always cooked our breaded chicken products (and more recently, our Chick-fil-A-Waffle Potato Fries, too) in 100-percent fully refined peanut oil that’s cholesterol and trans fat free,” the website says. “The delicious taste of Chick-fil-A can fit into almost any healthy diet through moderation and balanced food choices.”

Yes, I think you would have to enjoy those signature chicken sandwiches and waffle potato fries in moderation if you wanted to maintain a balanced diet…

Of course, I’m no facist when it comes to food choices. In fact, I’m a little bummed that In-N-Out isn’t getting this prime spot in Walnut Creek. What better reward would there be for a good, hard workout at 24 Hour Fitness than an In-N-Out Double-Double? Plus chocolate shake?

Sure, there is a proposal to build an In-N-Out a bit up Main Street near Oak Park Boulevard, but that’s over the border in that other town, Pleasant Hill. How can Walnut Creek truly be the center of Contra Costa’s culinary universe without an In-N-Out?

36 thoughts on “Fitness center, "healthy" fast-food restaurant may go up on site of former North Main Street concrete plant”

  1. Oh, interesting! This would be a big improvement over that concrete plant that's there now. What an eyesore! It's such a downer to walk along parts of North Main and see what's there now.

    I can think of things a lot more exciting, vital and appealing than a 24-hour fitness and a Chick-Fil-a, but what the heck, it's better than what's there now, and I like the idea of it being landscaped with lots of trees.

    Just curious: are there some other kinds of businesses competing for that location? It'd be interesting to know —

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  4. Chick Fil A is not the Health Food Drive Thru I was hoping for. I would like to see a real organic “clean” food drive thru. Somebody with Business/Restaurant skills please develop a Clean Food Drive Thru! I would be happy to do the marketing for you. (for a fee of course)

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  5. Really? 24 Hour Fitness and a Chick-Fil-A is the best we can do to revitalize WC? Sorry, but neither of those establishments is “high end”, which is what I thought WC was going for. Also, let's be clear: Chick-Fil-A is NOT health food.

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  6. The proposed 24-Hr Fitness building is a piece of crap. UGLY. The DRC better step up and not bend over and sell out to development during these economic times.

    There are standards to maintain.

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  7. I wouldn't consider In and Out healthy food either. However, the last time I went there, the meat was the size of a quarter…not a quarter pounder…just a quarter. Loads of lettuce and tomatoes. Where's the Beef?

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  8. I've never been to Chick-Fil-a, but I have heard good things about it from other people.

    Too bad WC can't get an In-N-Out. In-N-Out is a California institution. I'm glad they are finally here in the Bay Area. It seemed to take forever for them to open in CCC.

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  9. I love Chick-Fil-A! Their chicken biscuit is to die for and the quality of their food is very high. It's not what I'd call healthy though.

    Still, I'm happy to have them coming to town. Beats KFC, McDonalds, and Burger King any day.

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  11. The thought of dealing with 24 hour fitness salespeople just made me want to binge on Chick a fil whatever and then purge. Double yuck.

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  12. hmmmm a riddle…
    If chick-fil-a is a good christian company, demonstrated by the policy of closing on sundays to allow their employees to worship and spend time with family, and in-n-out is open as usual, they must be lesser christians…no? Yet its a good thing for a household that holds christian values in high esteem to patronize a lesser christian establishment on a “dedicated” day…that sounds sorta convenient…unless of course you want some deep fried chicken from a corporate kitchen on a sunday.

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  13. I've worked for Chick-fil-A for about 8 years…it's a wonderful company. Among quick-service restaurants, it IS what you would consider high-end. And there are MANY healthy options there! We are proud that all of our sandwiches are under 500 calories, with the Chargrilled Chicken sandwich being only 300. Sodium is an issue…but we are working on lowering the sodium in all of our menu items.
    Anyway, when my husband and I lived in Walnut Creek about a year ago, I was sad because I had to drive to Fairfield to have it, and so many people had no idea what it was. It really is good food, with a VERY high emphasis on treating customers with excellent service! They are also very community oriented, which is cool. Northern California needs one, and I think you'll all find that it will be a great addition to the area. I wish I still lived there! I could help open it! Grand Openings are fun…the first 100 people in the door get coupons for free value meals…52 of them to be exact. One for a week for a year…another reason we're amazing. 🙂
    BTW, there is no comparison to In-n-Out…ever since we've relocated back to Indiana, I miss it DAILY. 🙂 They are both wonderful establishments with great values and delicious food! 🙂 And they are both truly unique.
    Haha, I sound like I'm in a cult. 🙂

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  14. Very interesting topics.I am looking this type of topics, I need more informations because everyone knows “Health is wealth” is very much known to all and everyone wants good health.That means no one wants to leave this wealth. So, Let us build a food habit discipline, keep pace with work, rest and or exercise to Achieve good health, The ultimate wealth.
    Our Healthier Living

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  15. Chik-Fil-A is WAY tastier than In-n-Out! I truly don't get why so many Californians are enamored with In-n-Out. I ate there once out of curiosity because I'd heard so many raves- totally overrated.

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  16. What a great improvement this would be to Walnut Creek. For those that don't like this proposal, I suppose you would rather see a decaying, concrete plant prominently located on the freeway for every passerby and visitor to the area to see for the next couple of decades?

    Replacing this dinosaur with quality companies like 24 Hour Fitness and Chick-Fil-A is a great achievement, especially during a recession, and we should welcoming these companies to our City with open arms. For the one who posted they are not “high end”, if you want high end just head down to the corner of N. Main/Mt. Diablo and walk around. We have plenty of high end and I didn't realize Walnut Creek needed revitalizing. Seems pretty busy to me and now with Neiman Marcus coming in…

    The City or public in general should not be able to dictate what private property owners and business owners decide to put on their property, so long as its consistent with city codes.
    Last I checked, Walnut Creek is still located in the good ole United Stated and property owners have constitutional rights to have use their property as they wish.

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  17. “Chick fil a” is cool!! So is In-N-Out. And it looks like both are coming in. Very cool. Who cares about the city limit issue, I'm going grab a double-double at In-N-Out then walk down the street and grab a chickie sandwich. mmm. Then I'll stop in at 24 Hour to work it off. Its all good.

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  18. It was an all women affair, as no man except the MC was sighted at the event. According to Nike Oshinowo, she wanted to make it an exclusive and low key event, since she believed that she had done a very good job on the video and it will definitely sell by itself, with or without much publicity. She wanted a very classy event and that was what she got at the end of the day. The event was attended by some of the big names in the society. Notable among those who graced the occasion includes the likes of Erelu Abiola Dosunmu, Dr Doyin Abiola, Mrs Stella Okoli, Mrs Derinsola Osoba,Nkiru Animudu, Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Dominic, Omotola Jolade, Lisa Folawiyo, Ruth Osime, Bolanle Austin-Peters, Elizabeth Elohor- Essien, Mo Abudu, Ebi Williams, Tope Edu, Tola Adegbite, Nana Otedola, Reni Folawiyo, Funke Fowler amongst others

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  19. The larger, 42,300-square-foot building would house the 24-Hour fitness club. The 4,300-square-foot chicken restaurant would also be a drive-thru. The two businesses would share a parking lot with space for about 280 vehicles. And, the developer would install landscaping and plant about 50 trees around the site.Maybe you all from the South are familiar with the Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A chain. The founder, Truett Cathy, opened his first restaurant in Hapeville, Georgia in 1946. Cathy is also credited with inventing the boneless breast of chicken sandwich. The first Chick-fil-A officially opened in suburban Atlanta in 1967 and has since spread to 38 states and Washington D.C. with more than 1,400 locations. It looks like the only other Bay Area location for Chick-fil-A is in Fairfield.

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  20. Great post, very interesting concept. You make a good point that all the factors need to come into play.Fitness is essential part of our life.It depends on the service you get.You can visit to our site for more information.

    Play Fitness

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  21. “Since the invention of our signature Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich in 1964, we've always cooked our breaded chicken products (and more recently, our Chick-fil-A-Waffle Potato Fries, too) in 100-percent fully refined peanut oil that's cholesterol and trans fat free.” http://www.chick-fil-a.com/#healthyappetites

    Go their menu http://www.chick-fil-a.com/#menu
    and view Chicken Sandwich under Classics.

    It does state 100% peanut oil.
    Now go to ingredients and read up on the monosodium glutamate. read the butter oil ingredients. Read where says butter oil and its ingredients. (that's what goes on your toasted bun)

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  23. We do a lot of things, and advise a lot for fitness. The best way for me that even a very busy person can do, is walking. Walking makes the entire body move, and walking would also be perfect if you do it in a beautifully landscaped place like Glendale parks and recreation. The place is perfect. I've found Glendale fitness center while I was walking around. And now I am planning to sign up for membership. The center has great amenities!

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  24. If you want to run a fast food resort independent decision of the idea or concept that you want to promote. Think of ways on how you can make your fast food restaurant unique and what you have demographics to attract people. The name is also very important. Think of a good name for your restaurant. Many people, even the use of good money just to get a professional reflection of a good name for their business. Sometimes it is a simple name that is related to food, but something that will stick in the minds of your potential customers.

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  25. Thank you for sharing information

    The awareness of the fast food these days is increasing at an alarming rate due to
    its availability always and the taste. Therefore, you do not need to eat fast food
    for eating sake but you have to eat a healthy fast food

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  34. You did not really cal Chick-Fil-A a healthy fast food did you. Having lived in the South, they are not. A healthy sandwich on the menu of fried foods does not make it healthy.

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